“The Earth Laughs in Flowers”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Wildflower Class

Saturday, April 2, 8:30 to 10:15 am, $35

A PowerPoint show followed by a nature walk through the garden
with Pinau Merlin. *CLASS FULL*

In special springs, when the winter rains have been plentiful, nature throws an exuberant party with wildflowers as the guests of honor. Although this spring the party may be smaller, we can still experience the beauty and wonder of our Sonoran Desert wildflowers in the irrigated Mission Garden and in this intriguing presentation, where we’ll peek deeper into the secret lives of our enchanting wildflowers. Discover which favorite flower is a parasite, diverse germination and pollination strategies, and much more.

After the show we’ll meander the garden on a nature walk to admire the wildflowers, look at birds and their nests, find desert holes and discuss the various uses of some of our native plants.

Pinau Merlin Bio:

Pinau Merlin is a nationally known speaker, naturalist, and writer. She is the author of several books (including the Field Guide to Desert Holes) and is a contributing author to the Natural History of the Sonoran Desert, and has written over 80 articles about the wildlife, natural history, and ecology of the Desert Southwest.

Pinau taught natural history at the U of A and was the Outreach Coordinator for the UA/USFWS Jaguar Project. She has also worked on numerous nature documentary films as a natural history consultant and critter wrangler. Pinau has designed natural history centers, interpretive exhibits, nature trails and wildlife habitats for a variety of organizations in the Southwest. Her insights and observations about the natural history of the Sonoran Desert have been featured on NPR, PBS and in Smithsonian, Outside and National Wildlife magazines, among many others.