Regional Nature Journal Club Field Trip @ Tilden Botanical Garden

Let's kick off the 2023 Regional Field Trips with a visit to the fabulous Botanical Garden in Tilden Park! (Berkeley Hills area)

The Regional Parks Botanic Garden was founded on January 1, 1940. Situated in Tilden Regional Park's beautiful Wildcat Canyon in the heart of the north Berkeley Hills, the garden is devoted to the collection, growth, display, and preservation of the native plants of California. The state is a vast region of many floral areas, such as seacoast bluffs and coastal mountains, interior valleys, arid foothills, alpine zones, and two kinds of desert. California embraces nearly 160,000 square miles - imagine 160,000 square miles of California set in a garden that can be walked in a day." ~ more at https://www.ebparks.org/parks/tilden/botanic-garden

Field trip host: Kate Rutter
Weather note: If rain is forecasted for the day of the field trip, the trip may be canceled. Check the program description on Sunday morning before leaving for updates and changes.

Bring:
• seasonally appropriate clothing / dress for variable weather
• sketching and journaling supplies
• a lunch, snacks & water
• anything else to make the day lovely for you: hat, sunscreen, folding stool, magnifying loup, umbrella, depending. ;)

Meet just inside the main garden gate.

Flow of the day:
We'll gather at 10am at the entry, do welcomes and intros, then share a short warm-up session. Then we'll spread out to nature journal in this beautiful setting. We'll gather together at 12:30 for brown bag lunch (bring your own,) to share work and to socialize. Then we'll head back out for more journaling! At the close (around 3:30) we'll do a final gather and send-off. (Note: our beloved potlucks will return at a future field trip!)

Good to know:

• Admission to the garden is free.
• The program is open to all ages and ability levels. No registration is necessary. $20 suggested donation.
• The Botanic Garden is partially accessible to persons with disabilities. This includes the bathrooms at the parking lot. The most accessible paths contour around the garden to the right and left from the main entrance. The Visitor Center is fully accessible to wheelchair users.
• Bathrooms are available in the park parking lot.
• Limited parking is available in the free lot across the street; arrive early to get a spot. There is also some parking along the road.

It's been a long time since we've gathered regionally. This is the start of regular regional field trips so if you can't make this one, stay tuned! :)