:: Education & Programs ::

Education & Programs

Adult Education Programs

The Garden offers an array of workshops, classes, and seminars for the home gardener and horticulture/green industry professional. These programs range from special tours of The Garden with Garden Curator Brian Kemble to all-day Dry Garden Design Seminars. You will find listings of upcoming events on this webpage.

Register for events by calling the office at (925) 944-9352 or by faxing the registration form with credit card information to (925)256-1889. You may also mail this form with a check to 1552 Bancroft Rd., Walnut Creek, CA 94598.

2012 Education Schedule will be available soon. In the meantime, please take our survey to help us determine what classes and workshops you would like to see offered!

Children's Tours

The Garden offers a two-hour field trip program that meets the California curriculum standards for the third grade. When students arrive they are divided into small groups and rotate through a series of stations that introduce them to local history, flowers and pollinators, propagation, and water storage in plants. Afterward the students take a stroll through the garden to learn about ethnobotany. Each student plants a seed and a succulent cutting to take home. Field trips are offered in the spring and fall. The cost is $5 per student.

Classrooms of all ages are encouraged to schedule field trips to The Garden. We also offer tours for childrens groups (i.e. Scout groups). Please call the office at (925)944-9352 to make arrangements for your group.

College Internship Program

Garden Intern' The Garden offers internships to college students in the areas of horticulture, landscape architecture or design, botany, scientific illustration, and related fields. Interns will receive hands-on training and experience in the areas of plant propagation and nursery production, greenhouse management, landscape management, interpretive education, and plant inventory and/or database management. Interns are needed all year!

We will work with your college or university so you can earn credit for your internship.

Download Internship Overview
Download Internship Application

Please send the application to our Education Coordinator Sophie.

The Docent Training Program

Our Docent Training program is an opportunity for community members to learn more about drought tolerant gardening and plants, interpretive skills and public speaking, and contribute to The Ruth Bancroft Garden as a docent. Trainees will be learning from renowned local specialists in the fields of succulents, natives, trees, ethno-botany, interpretation, and natural history.
Upon conclusion of the training, docents are certified to lead tours through the garden, and introduce the public to the water conserving plants, geology, and local history. The docents at the Ruth Bancroft Garden play a vital role, interpreting the flora of The Garden to thousands of visitors per year. The benefits of becoming a docent include a free garden membership and ongoing docent enrichment educational opportunities.


Docents Leading Tours in the Garden

Instructors:
Ted Kipping, Certified Arborist, Tree Shapers

Stew Winchester, Horticulture Instructor, Diablo Valley College/Merritt College
Jim Hale, Wildlife Biologist and Ethno botanist

Brian Kemble, Curator, The Ruth Bancroft Garden
Freya van Dien, Volunteer and Communications Manager, The Ruth Bancroft Garden

Sophie Damerel, Education Coordinator, The Ruth Bancroft Garden

All sessions will take place at The Ruth Bancroft Garden, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Nov. 19	Introductions History of The Garden Interpretation
Dec. 10	Introduction to Botany Plant Family Cactaceae Geology
Jan. 7	Plant Families Agavaceae & Nolinaceae Ethno-botany
Jan. 21	Plant Family – Asphodelaceae Plant Family Crassulaceae Please Note Change
Feb. 11	Trees Please Note Change
Feb. 25	Natives and Shrubs Plant Family Euphorbiaceae Miscellaneous Plant Families
Mar. 10	Plant Families Bromeliaceae & Aizoaceae Interpretation and practice tours
Mar. 24	Presentation Tours of the Garden Docent Graduation

The cost of the docent training is $100. Scholarships are available, students can earn college internship credit for becoming a RBG docent, and no one will be turned away for lack of funds.

For an application and/or more information email Volunteer and Communications Manager Freya van Dien freya@ruthbancroftgarden.org

Water Conservation Tips!

In order to celebrate Earth Day, RBG put together some water conservation tips. Learn more here!

Mission Statement

The mission of the Ruth Bancroft Garden, Inc. is to preserve this exceptional example of garden design and to continue to develop its collection of water-conserving plants for the education and enjoyment of the public.

Grant Funders

The Ruth Bancroft Garden would like to recognize the following grant funders:

The Quest Foundation for funding our Education Coordinator’s position

The Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust for funding our directional signs.

The California Horticultural Society for funding towards our restoration projects.