Docent leading agroup from a school tour
Photo by Teresa LeYung Ryan
School classes and other groups may schedule free private docent-led tours of the Botanic Garden by special arrangement. Tours can be tailored to suit the group’s specific needs or interests. A minimum of 4 weeks advance notice for all docent-led tours is required.
Docents are trained to give a General Tour of the Garden. These tours focus on the history and collection of the Garden. Explore California’s native plants from different regions of the state: desert, mountains, coast, valleys, and islands. With additional preparation time, docents can give tours focused on a particular interest requested by a school or group.
Docents are also trained to give specific themed tours for schools. Currently we offer a number of themed tours:
- California Native People and Plants (90 minutes required) – Grind acorns, wash your hands with soap root, and play the staves game. See artifacts and the plants that were used to make them. What is pinole?
- Habitat Adaptation – See plants in a wide variety of habitats from desert to high mountains. Learn how plants adapt to different amounts of sun, wind, water, and varying temperatures. Why do some plants have big fleshy leaves while others are tiny and leathery?
- Sensory – Explore the garden with hands, nose, ears, and eyes. Smell the sages, feel soft hazel leaves, listen to quaking aspen, look for crayfish in the creek and newts in the pond.
- Pollination – Dissect a California poppy, watch pollinators at work, learn how seeds disperse. Spring flowers erupt in the garden calling all butterflies, birds, beetles, and bees.
For more information, click one of the following links. For general questions, call (510) 544-3169.
School Tours
Group Tours
Weekend and Holiday Tours
