The Museum of Ventura County-Agriculture Museum and co-sponsors are proud to announce the return of Ventura County Plants to Know and Grow: An Earth Day Weekend Celebration for the second consecutive year. The two-day event will take place on Saturday, April 22nd, and Sunday, April 23rd, from 11 am to 3 pm at the museum located at 926 Railroad Ave in Santa Paula. This event is free for all visitors.

The event aims to educate visitors on the native and non-native plants of Ventura County. Visitors will learn to identify local plants and be inspired to buy native plants for their yards. In addition, visitors will learn how to identify invasive plants and understand their impact on natural areas and neighborhoods.

On Earth Day, Saturday, April 22nd, UC Master Gardeners will lead tours of the Native Plant Garden. The California Native Plant Society-Channel Islands Chapter will hold a native plant sale. There will also be kid-friendly pollinator and plant games organized by the Agriculture Museum.

On Sunday, April 23rd, For the Wildflower and Weed Show inside the museum. Visitors can expect to see more than 150 wild native and non-native plants of Ventura County collected, identified by expert botanists, and presented for display. Visitors can walk through the display of live plants grouped into plant families, genera, and identified and labeled to species.

In addition, on Sunday Ellen Dean with California Native Plant Society will give a talk Tips for identifying eight common flowering plant families, and Andy Caldwell, an insect expert, will give a talk Beyond Bees: Other Insect Pollinators. Trainings for iNaturalist, an easy-to-use phone application to assist in the identification of plants, will also be provided.

Sponsors of the event include the Museum of Ventura-Agriculture Museum, Ventura County Weed Management Area, California Native Plant Society-Channel Islands Chapter, University of California Extension, Master Gardeners University of California Extension, Ventura Land Trust, and the Ventura County Department of Agriculture Weights and Measures.

For more information about the Ventura County Plants to Know and Grow: An Earth Day Weekend Celebration event, please contact Marisa Solarzano or John Beall.