Butterfly Jewelry for Mother’s Day

Compost Awareness Week Pop-UpRegister Here$50 Non-Member / $40 Member Assemble a gorgeous enamel butterfly necklace as a Mother’s Day gift or as a gift for yourself. Non-traditional stringing method adds visual interest and a sense of accomplishment for the finished pr......More

Compost Awareness Week Pop-UpRegister Here$50 Non-Member / $40 Member Assemble a gorgeous enamel butterfly necklace as a Mother’s Day gift or as a gift for yourself. Non-traditional stringing method adds visual interest and a sense of accomplishment for the finished product.  No experience necessary.  All materials and tools provided by the instructor. Class Capacity 14 – Register Early! Instructor Dee TaubeI have always loved art, so while growing up I took all the art classes that were offered in school. I was drawn to art beyond being content to just appreciate it, but during my working career making time for art seemed a luxury to be put on hold for the future. Somehow I found jewelry making and fell in love with it. It enabled me to work with color, design, and texture, it was a great stress-reliever, an outlet for my creativity, and it nurtured my soul. When I became a member of an artists’ co-op in Colorado Springs, I was constantly admiring the work created by the glass artists there, and one day one of them offered to teach me how to fuse glass. I was hooked. Creating fused glass art has taught me to appreciate all art even more than I did before. It is always a learning experience. But when everything goes right, the end result brings me joy and nurtures my soul, as I always hope it will for those who see my art. Learning, enjoying and creating art is an ongoing journey. Each new piece guides its own design and helps me grow as an artist. I love it! Refund & Cancellation PolicyNo refund will be issued less than 15 days prior to any Community Class. A $10 cancellation fee will be applied to all refunds. No refunds will be issued for special events. We reserve the right to cancel Community Classes due to insufficient registration, garden closure, or inclement weather, in which case, participants will receive a full refund. People with disabilities should make requests for accommodation as early as possible to allow time to make appropriate arrangements. Upcoming ClassesSpecial, Talks The Buzz about Bees: From Pollination to HoneyMay 17 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm Special Frida & Fifty GalaOctober 10 @ 5:30 pm – 9:00 pm

Porter Hall

Compost Awareness Week Pop-Up

Compost Awareness Week Pop-UpGarden AdmissionThis event is included with admission Join us and co-host, Tank’s Green Stuff, for a Compost Awareness Week Pop-up! Tank’s will be teaching compost classes at 9:00 am, 9:30 am, and 10:00 am in the compost demonstration area.......More

Compost Awareness Week Pop-UpGarden AdmissionThis event is included with admission Join us and co-host, Tank’s Green Stuff, for a Compost Awareness Week Pop-up! Tank’s will be teaching compost classes at 9:00 am, 9:30 am, and 10:00 am in the compost demonstration area. We will be joined by our friends from Desert Compostables, UA Compost Cats, AZ Composting Council, and Inch by Inch Worm Castings. Learn about the benefits of composting and get all the information you need to get started! About Our Partners Desert Compostables: Creating a more climate-conscious Tucson by offering sustainable options for waste management. Desert Compostables is partnered with the City of Tucson to offer residential food waste pickup services through their FoodCycle program. UA Compost Cats: Compost Cats is a student-focused and community-based program of the University of Arizona’s Office of Sustainability concentrating on food waste reduction and diversion, community outreach and engagement, public education, and research facilitation. The mission of Compost Cats is to promote environmental, economic, and social justice by composting in Tucson and creating a quality soil amendment while mitigating climate change, increasing food security, and empowering the community through experiential education, innovation, and environmental advocacy., AZ Composting Council: The Arizona Composting Council is on a mission to empower all Arizonans to manage their organic waste sustainably through composting accessibility, affordability, education, and innovation. Driven by a passion for composting education and widespread adoption within the state, the Arizona Composting Council empowers the state’s rural, suburban, and urban communities through composting knowledge and real action. The Council champions composting as a vital tool to quickly reduce methane emissions in the state, fostering awareness and advocating for policy change to create a greener future for all Arizonans – now and to come. Inch by Inch Worm Castings: We are Inch By Inch Worm Castings— a Tucson, Arizona-based vermiculture business whose mission is to produce and sell the highest quality soil supplements made of worm castings and liquid leachate. We grow worms and worm by-products under carefully controlled conditions to assure highest quality, and add no synthetic products to our soil supplements. We believe the soil in which we grow food and plants should be treated with respect and enhanced by the addition of the world’s oldest and best material. Our worms and their food supply are not treated with pesticides, wormicides, or any other chemicals. We add nothing to the final product of pure, organic castings. Upcoming Classes

Sonoran Desert Wildlife: Identifying Their Tracks and Signs

Compost Awareness Week Pop-UpRegister Here$30 Non-Member / $24 Member Did a gray fox visit your backyard last night—or a bobcat? Is this track on the trail a coyote or a domestic dog? This two-hour class is an introduction to common mammal tracks in the Tucson area. Wi......More

Compost Awareness Week Pop-UpRegister Here$30 Non-Member / $24 Member Did a gray fox visit your backyard last night—or a bobcat? Is this track on the trail a coyote or a domestic dog? This two-hour class is an introduction to common mammal tracks in the Tucson area. Wildlife tracking is an invitation to stop, bend down, and look closely. Javelina or deer? Pack rat or ground squirrel? We are surrounded by animals we rarely see and yet—here they are, winding secretly past our houses and through our lives. instructor Sharman RussellSharman Apt Russell’s recent nonfiction is What Walks This Way: Discovering the Wildlife Around Us Through Their Tracks and Signs (Columbia University Press, 2024). The author of thirteen books translated into nine languages, Sharman is the recipient of the John Burroughs Medal for Distinguished Natural History Writing for her Diary of a Citizen Scientist, which was named by The Guardian as a top-ten nature book. A professor emeritus at Western New Mexico University in Silver City, she lives in the Gila Valley of southern New Mexico and continues to teach in the low-residency MFA program at Antioch University in Los Angeles. Refund & Cancellation PolicyNo refund will be issued less than 15 days prior to any Community Class. A $10 cancellation fee will be applied to all refunds. No refunds will be issued for special events. We reserve the right to cancel Community Classes due to insufficient registration, garden closure, or inclement weather, in which case, participants will receive a full refund. People with disabilities should make requests for accommodation as early as possible to allow time to make appropriate arrangements. Upcoming ClassesSpecial, Talks The Buzz about Bees: From Pollination to HoneyMay 17 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm Special Frida & Fifty GalaOctober 10 @ 5:30 pm – 9:00 pm

Porter Hall

The Basics of Irrigation in the Desert Garden

Compost Awareness Week Pop-UpRegister Here$30 Non-Member / $24 Member Dialing in your irrigation is the most important thing you can do in your landscape to get better results with your landscape plants, fruit trees, and veggies. It also is the key to saving money, and......More

Compost Awareness Week Pop-UpRegister Here$30 Non-Member / $24 Member Dialing in your irrigation is the most important thing you can do in your landscape to get better results with your landscape plants, fruit trees, and veggies. It also is the key to saving money, and our most precious resource, water! Michael Ismail from Thrive and Grow Gardens, has been teaching proper irrigation techniques for over a decade to help people cut through all of the misinformation, save water, and finally start getting the results they want in their landscape. You will learn crucial concepts for proper watering as well as what parts to use so you don’t keep throwing good money after bad. Class Capacity 24 – Register Early! Instructor Michael IsmailMichael grew up on a homestead in the desert and has been helping people grow food in their backyards in Tucson for the past 11 years. He creates resource guides, videos, and classes to help simplify and demystify gardening in our climate. He also builds raised garden beds, plant protection enclosures and covers, as well as irrigation products, all designed to make abundant gardening more achievable in the Sonoran Desert climate. Refund & Cancellation PolicyNo refund will be issued less than 15 days prior to any Community Class. A $10 cancellation fee will be applied to all refunds. No refunds will be issued for special events. We reserve the right to cancel Community Classes due to insufficient registration, garden closure, or inclement weather, in which case, participants will receive a full refund. People with disabilities should make requests for accommodation as early as possible to allow time to make appropriate arrangements. Upcoming ClassesSpecial, Talks The Buzz about Bees: From Pollination to HoneyMay 17 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm Special Frida & Fifty GalaOctober 10 @ 5:30 pm – 9:00 pm

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Natural History Inspired Illustration: Desert Pollinators

Compost Awareness Week Pop-UpRegister Here$40 Non-Member / $32 Member Participants will be guided through drawing an illustration that spotlights ecology of the Sonoran Desert with a natural history style, choosing from select pollinators and host plants (The addition ......More

Compost Awareness Week Pop-UpRegister Here$40 Non-Member / $32 Member Participants will be guided through drawing an illustration that spotlights ecology of the Sonoran Desert with a natural history style, choosing from select pollinators and host plants (The addition of color using color pencils or watercolor is possible/optional depending on time.) Class Capacity 18 – Register Early! Instructed by Melinda Matson Spina Refund & Cancellation PolicyNo refund will be issued less than 15 days prior to any Community Class. A $10 cancellation fee will be applied to all refunds. No refunds will be issued for special events. We reserve the right to cancel Community Classes due to insufficient registration, garden closure, or inclement weather, in which case, participants will receive a full refund. People with disabilities should make requests for accommodation as early as possible to allow time to make appropriate arrangements. Upcoming ClassesSpecial, Talks The Buzz about Bees: From Pollination to HoneyMay 17 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm Special Frida & Fifty GalaOctober 10 @ 5:30 pm – 9:00 pm

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Essential Oils for First Aid

Compost Awareness Week Pop-UpRegister Here$36 Non-Member / $29 Member What’s in your First Aid kit or home medicine cabinet? Some essential oils provide natural antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and soothing effects making them simple remedies to have on hand.  Learn wh......More

Compost Awareness Week Pop-UpRegister Here$36 Non-Member / $29 Member What’s in your First Aid kit or home medicine cabinet? Some essential oils provide natural antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and soothing effects making them simple remedies to have on hand.  Learn which oils to use for different situations and how to apply them. Each participant will make their own First Aid spray or Calm Down Inhaler to take with them. Presented by certified aromatherapist Kerry Cummins. Class Capacity 18 – Register Early! Instructor Kerry BlankKerry is a holistic skincare therapist, energy expert, and sound healing practitioner with more than 30 years of experience.  She is passionate about helping people feel more beautiful in their skin, better in their bodies, and guiding them to tap into their inner wisdom.  As a certified aromatherapist, she enjoys creating natural herbal-based formulas that are effective, nourishing, and eco-conscious.  Kerry is the owner of HiVibe Healing Arts in Tucson, Arizona where she offers services, workshops, and sound baths.  Contact Kerry at (520) 448-1060 or [email protected]. Refund & Cancellation PolicyNo refund will be issued less than 15 days prior to any Community Class. A $10 cancellation fee will be applied to all refunds. No refunds will be issued for special events. We reserve the right to cancel Community Classes due to insufficient registration, garden closure, or inclement weather, in which case, participants will receive a full refund. People with disabilities should make requests for accommodation as early as possible to allow time to make appropriate arrangements. Upcoming ClassesSpecial, Talks The Buzz about Bees: From Pollination to HoneyMay 17 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm Special Frida & Fifty GalaOctober 10 @ 5:30 pm – 9:00 pm

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The Buzz about Bees: From Pollination to Honey

Compost Awareness Week Pop-UpRegister HereFree for Members / $5 Non-Members Will Fitz will present about various species of bees and the important work Fitz & Gentry Farms does in our community and in collaboration with the Gardens. Will Fitz and Tim Gentry have been k......More

Compost Awareness Week Pop-UpRegister HereFree for Members / $5 Non-Members Will Fitz will present about various species of bees and the important work Fitz & Gentry Farms does in our community and in collaboration with the Gardens. Will Fitz and Tim Gentry have been keeping bees in Tucson, AZ for 7+ years. They met while doing research on honey bee biology at the University of Arizona and the USDA Carl Hayden Bee Lab. Their shared passion for bees led them to start a beekeeping business focusing on local honey production and live honey bee removal services in Tucson and surrounding communities In celebration of World Bee Day on May 20th, this special day acknowledges the critical role of bees in our ecosystems and economies around the globe. Refund & Cancellation PolicyNo refund will be issued less than 15 days prior to any Community Class. A $10 cancellation fee will be applied to all refunds. No refunds will be issued for special events. We reserve the right to cancel Community Classes due to insufficient registration, garden closure, or inclement weather, in which case, participants will receive a full refund. People with disabilities should make requests for accommodation as early as possible to allow time to make appropriate arrangements. Upcoming ClassesFamily Garden Story TimeApril 30 @ 10:00 am – 10:30 am Classes, Art Introduction to IkebanaMay 1 @ 10:00 am – 12:00 pm Classes, Nature & Ecology Salamanders: Secretive, Diverse, and Threatened *New class!May 2 @ 10:00 am – 12:00 pm Classes, Art Butterfly Jewelry for Mother’s DayMay 9 @ 10:00 am – 12:00 pm

Porter Hall

Learn to Draw Anything: Tips & Tricks

Compost Awareness Week Pop-UpRegister Here$30 Non-Member / $24 Member With these basic drawing tips and a little practice you will be able to draw just about anything you see. Please provide your own art materials. Recommended Art Supplies: Paper Pencils – both graphi......More

Compost Awareness Week Pop-UpRegister Here$30 Non-Member / $24 Member With these basic drawing tips and a little practice you will be able to draw just about anything you see. Please provide your own art materials. Recommended Art Supplies: Paper Pencils – both graphite and colored pencils (a variety if possible) Ink pen Eraser Instructor Devon MeyerAs an artist, Devon is constantly inspired by nature. The elaborate patterns and gorgeous colors seen in plants, birds or flowers are reflected in the work she does. Watercolor is her favorite medium but she also works in oil, charcoal, pen and ink and colored pencil. Refund & Cancellation PolicyNo refund will be issued less than 15 days prior to any Community Class. A $10 cancellation fee will be applied to all refunds. No refunds will be issued for special events. We reserve the right to cancel Community Classes due to insufficient registration, garden closure, or inclement weather, in which case, participants will receive a full refund. People with disabilities should make requests for accommodation as early as possible to allow time to make appropriate arrangements. Upcoming ClassesSpecial, Talks The Buzz about Bees: From Pollination to HoneyMay 17 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm Special Frida & Fifty GalaOctober 10 @ 5:30 pm – 9:00 pm

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It’s Too Darn Hot – The Desert’s Monsoon Season in Your Container Garden

Compost Awareness Week Pop-UpRegister Here$36 Non-Member / $29 Member Desert summer heat and plants — You AND your plants are not looking forward to what’s coming. But you want something colorful to look at from your air-conditioned chair. Join Marylee, the desert’s po......More

Compost Awareness Week Pop-UpRegister Here$36 Non-Member / $29 Member Desert summer heat and plants — You AND your plants are not looking forward to what’s coming. But you want something colorful to look at from your air-conditioned chair. Join Marylee, the desert’s potted garden expert, for this colorful program on container gardens for your desert home. In this jam-packed presentation, Marylee shares how to plan for the summer and monsoon seasons to keep your pots thriving. Instructor Marylee PangmanMarylee Pangman founded The Contained Gardener in 1998 as a niche business in the desert community of Tucson, Arizona.  Since then, Marylee has been compelled to share all that she has learned about container gardening over 3 decades of blistering summers and record breaking winters. Marylee sees container gardening as a way to have an oasis garden while conserving water as the demands of pots are far less than heavily planted areas and beds. You can find Marylee’s books, Getting Potted in the Desert, and Riley’s Garden Oasis at the Garden Gift Shop. These two books are excellent resources for creating and caring for potted gardens, advice on container selection, plant lists and much more. https://thepotteddesert.com Refund & Cancellation PolicyNo refund will be issued less than 15 days prior to any Community Class. A $10 cancellation fee will be applied to all refunds. No refunds will be issued for special events. We reserve the right to cancel Community Classes due to insufficient registration, garden closure, or inclement weather, in which case, participants will receive a full refund. People with disabilities should make requests for accommodation as early as possible to allow time to make appropriate arrangements. Upcoming ClassesSpecial, Talks The Buzz about Bees: From Pollination to HoneyMay 17 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm Special Frida & Fifty GalaOctober 10 @ 5:30 pm – 9:00 pm

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Watercolor Birds

Compost Awareness Week Pop-UpRegister Here$30 Non-Member / $24 Member We will explore birds and get a basic understanding of their structure and anatomy in order to better draw these wonderful creatures. Then we will paint them! Please provide your own art materials. R......More

Compost Awareness Week Pop-UpRegister Here$30 Non-Member / $24 Member We will explore birds and get a basic understanding of their structure and anatomy in order to better draw these wonderful creatures. Then we will paint them! Please provide your own art materials. Recommended Art Supplies: Water container Watercolors Paintbrushes (small and medium) Pencil and eraser Watercolor paper Printer paper Paper towels Instructor Devon MeyerAs an artist, Devon is constantly inspired by nature. The elaborate patterns and gorgeous colors seen in plants, birds or flowers are reflected in the work she does. Watercolor is her favorite medium but she also works in oil, charcoal, pen and ink and colored pencil. Refund & Cancellation PolicyNo refund will be issued less than 15 days prior to any Community Class. A $10 cancellation fee will be applied to all refunds. No refunds will be issued for special events. We reserve the right to cancel Community Classes due to insufficient registration, garden closure, or inclement weather, in which case, participants will receive a full refund. People with disabilities should make requests for accommodation as early as possible to allow time to make appropriate arrangements. Upcoming ClassesSpecial, Talks The Buzz about Bees: From Pollination to HoneyMay 17 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm Special Frida & Fifty GalaOctober 10 @ 5:30 pm – 9:00 pm

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Botanical Art in Watercolor: Carnivorous Pitcher Plant

Compost Awareness Week Pop-UpRegister Here$30 Non-Member / $24 Member This class is a great introduction to watercolor. We will explore the carnivorous Sarracenia Pitcher plant as our subject but with a relaxed and creative approach. In the first 30 min of the workshop......More

Compost Awareness Week Pop-UpRegister Here$30 Non-Member / $24 Member This class is a great introduction to watercolor. We will explore the carnivorous Sarracenia Pitcher plant as our subject but with a relaxed and creative approach. In the first 30 min of the workshop, we will explore basic drawing & watercolor techniques to get us warmed up. The remaining portion of the class will focus on creating an illustration focused on the Sarracenia Pitcher Plant. Main Concepts: Basics in drawing, watercolor application, design and composition. List of recommended art materials: •            2H, 4H, 2B or Color pencil w/ eraser, eraser (Streader), kneaded eraser & ruler •            Plain paper, printer paper or sketchbook for drawing warmups •            Any Size, 140lb, cold press watercolor paper. Final Illustration will be created in a 5”x7” format •            Watercolor – Winsor & Newton Assorted Colors 6-12pk (Any variety of watercolor brand and colors are okay) •            Assorted colored pencils for detailing (Optional) •            Paint Brushes: #4 Long Round, #3 Long Round #6 Long Round, & Synthetic inexpensive brush for mixing. •            2 water jars/cups, towel, or paper towel •            Mixing palette •            A few reference photos will be emailed out before class begins •            Optional/additional: small spray bottle or eye-dropper  Instructor Adela AntoinetteAdela Antoinette (She/Her) is a published illustrator, designer and makeup artist. As a southwest born desert dweller, Antoinette’s work primarily centers on Sonoran Desert flora but fluctuates within botany through visiting different regions across the states. She specializes in various traditional mediums including her favorite, watercolor in which she has taught in workshops and classes at the Denali Education Center and The Drawing Studio. Her work has been displayed in various galleries in Arizona, Alaska, and California. Antoinette studied illustration and design at the University of Arizona, receiving her degree in Visual Communication. She is a Tucson, Arizona artist currently living in New York City. Refund & Cancellation PolicyNo refund will be issued less than 15 days prior to any Community Class. A $10 cancellation fee will be applied to all refunds. No refunds will be issued for special events. We reserve the right to cancel Community Classes due to insufficient registration, garden closure, or inclement weather, in which case, participants will receive a full refund. People with disabilities should make requests for accommodation as early as possible to allow time to make appropriate arrangements. Upcoming ClassesSpecial, Talks The Buzz about Bees: From Pollination to HoneyMay 17 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm Special Frida & Fifty GalaOctober 10 @ 5:30 pm – 9:00 pm

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