Watsonville Wetlands Watch is hosting the 4th annual Habitat Festival and Native Plant Sale on Saturday, October 1 at the Fitz Wetlands Educational Resource Center building at the top of the Pajaro Valley High School campus, 500 Harkins Slough Rd, Watsonville. The Plant Sale begins at 9:00 am and the Habitat Festival opens at 10:00 am. Both events close at 3:00 pm.
The community is invited to attend the event where they can buy native plants, which are beneficial for creating pollinator-rich, drought-resistant backyard habitats. With a focus this year on Green Gardening, the Festival will offer presentations and workshops given by local experts.
Families will enjoy the Eco Kid Zone, which will feature live music by ZunZun, the exciting group that celebrates the environments and cultures of the Americas through music. Attendees will also be able to visit with live animals, including a falconry exhibition, go on a nature walk, get free native plant recommendations, and learn about the Watsonville wetlands.
For more information, including the full schedule, please visit: www.watsonvillewetlandswatch.org
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Rich Merrill, founder and former Director of the Horticulture Department at Cabrillo College, will give the keynote speech from 1:15 pm until 2:45 pm. In his talk “On Beyond Compost: Soil Management for Green Gardening”, Merrill will discuss the concept of “Green Gardening” as a method of designing and managing landscapes as a cultivated ecosystem, both above and below ground. Merrill will focus on the use of “full-spectrum carbon amendments” for the soil leading to plant health, water conservation, and a mature soil-life ecosystem.