The Tarzana Community & Cultural Center will be hosting the 4th Annual Tarzana Native Plant Fair this Sunday, February 23, from 11 am to 4 pm in their beautiful native plant garden.
This event is designed to educate the community about the importance and function of California native plants: how they help us to conserve water, support wildlife, beautify and enhance our own residential gardens and our entire urban landscape. Native plants can also serve an important role in fire-defensive landscaping, as Cassy Aoyagi, past board president of the Theodore Payne Foundation and President of FormLA Landscape, will explain to visitors at the event. As part of a small group of expert guest speakers, Ms. Aoyagi will be speaking on the timely topic of fire defensive design principles and maintenance. Other guest speakers include Charles Miller, who serves on the USGBC-LA’s Urban Landscaping Committee, and Antonio Sanchez, manager of the Rancho Sierra Vista Nursery.
More than 30 environmental organizations in Southern California will host informational booths at the event, including the Santa Monica Mountains Fund, California Native Plants Society, Theodore Payne Foundation, SFV Audubon Society, SFV Climate Reality Project, the Xerxes Society, and many more. The event will also feature free planting and watercolor workshops for kids, seed-bomb stations, plant and seed giveaways, and a native plant sale.
Other special guests at the event will be Captain Mike Holt of Fire Station 93, who will be available to meet with attendees to answer any questions or concerns they might have, and City Councilmember Bob Blumenfield.
For those affected by the recent fires in Los Angeles, non-perishable food donations will be collected on behalf of the LA Food Bank at the TCCC information booth. Go to lafoodbank.org for a list of acceptable food items to donate. The Food Bank has also set up a Disaster Relief Fund Campaign for financial donations which will be available at the TCCC booth, along with fire-relief donations to the American Red Cross.
In addition to all this, live music will be performed throughout the day by some of LA’s best local singer-songwriters and bands. Guests can enjoy a free all-day concert as veteran musicians Tracy Newman, Severin Browne & Friends, The Eldermen, John Zipperer, JaKL, Great Willow and Eyeball Cowboys take the stage, each performing a 20-minute set of songs.
The Tarzana Community & Cultural Center is located at 19130 Ventura Blvd. in Tarzana. Free parking is available in the back and on the surrounding streets. For information visit mytarzana.org.
