Managing Pests: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

Part four in the free series, Getting to Know Our Local Creeks, Ponds and Waterways features Tanya Drlik from IPM Contra Costa County & Beth Baldwin from Contra Costa Clean Water Program discussing best practices for managing pests. Guests will learn the impacts of traditional pest management methods and how to deal effectively with home and garden pests in a less-toxic way. In addition, find out how to attract “good” bugs to your gardens to eliminate unwanted pests, how pesticides affect our streams and creeks, and how specific pest management techniques can help prevent harm to these surface waters.

Kids are welcome to come at the same time for a workshop on native plants and native people. With artifacts, games, stories, and crafts, The Gardens at Heather Farm's education team will bring the past alive for kids to discover how the first Californians used native plants in their everyday lives. Young attendees will also learn various methods to conserve water in their homes and environment.

Date: Saturday, May 7
Time: 10 - 11:30 a.m.
Place: The Gardens at Heather Farm, 1540 Marchbanks Drive, Walnut Creek

Admission is free, but advance registration is required. Register online here.


About the Series:
This spring, in partnership with the City of Walnut Creek, The Gardens at Heather Farm invites families to enjoy a fun and informative series of FREE classes about our local watershed and preserving environmental resources. Featuring six expert instructors and The Gardens at Heather Farm’s teaching staff, the series, “Getting to Know Our Local Creeks, Ponds and Waterways,” encourages both adults and children to participate, with lecture topics of interest to grown-ups, as well as interactive, hands-on activities specifically designed to engage younger audiences. In addition to classes held at The Gardens, the program also features some local field trips to be enjoyed by all ages.

Topics will focus on the exploration of waterways and how those environments affect plants and wildlife in our area. Adults will learn about the challenges of maintaining our local watershed and how best to manage floods during “El Nino” weather, and kids will investigate where water goes when it rains. The whole family will enjoy discovering the plants and wildlife that live in our nearby creeks and ponds, taking a family hike along the trails of a nature preserve, and learning about warm-weather vegetable gardening and the different plants that wind up on our dinner tables. Adults will pick up tips on how to avoid contaminating sensitive water ecosystems with pesticides, while kids can learn how to make garden-friendly pest control potions and bring beneficial bugs to your backyard.