Tickets

All visitors who aren’t members must buy a general admission ticket.

Hours
9am–7pm daily


Nature Lab: Living in a Wildlife Corridor

Join naturalist Tim Martinez of Arroyos & Foothills Conservancy for an engaging exploration of Descanso Gardens as part of a thriving wildlife corridor.

RSVP


Discover how native habitats connect mountains, canyons, and urban landscapes, allowing wildlife to move, forage, and survive.

Learn about the remarkable animals that call this region home—including black bears, bobcats, coyotes, deer, and countless birds—and the important role Descanso Gardens plays in supporting biodiversity.

Through stories, science, and local ecology, gain a deeper understanding of how wildlife navigates shared landscapes and explore practical ways we can help protect and coexist with the wild neighbors just beyond our backyards.

Meets in the Gathering Room A.

Included with admission or membership. RSVP required.


About Tim Martinez

Tim Martinez graduated from Cal State University, Northridge with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Urban Studies and Planning, with an emphasis on environmental planning and sustainability.  He served on the Board of Directors of the Arroyo Seco Foundation, and is a founding member of Pasadena Eco Advocates. 

Tim works to help AFC more actively engage and connect its protected lands and conservation efforts with the communities we serve.  A lifelong Pasadena resident, Tim is passionate about preserving native habitat and creating a world free of plastic pollution. 

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Nature Lab: Monarchs, Milkweed and Migration

Join ecological educator Kristy Brauch for an immersive adventure that transforms the garden into a living laboratory.

Space is limited. RSVP required.

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In this interactive workshop, move beyond observation to become participatory scientists as you explore monarch ecology, their remarkable life cycle, migration, habitat needs, and the fascinating relationships they share with milkweed, nectar plants, predators, parasites, and other wildlife.

Through community science, gain practical monitoring skills and discover meaningful ways to contribute to monarch conservation.

Meets in the Rose Garden Tent.

Included with admission or membership.


About Kristy Brauch

Kristy Brauch is a UC California Naturalist Instructor and founder of Cynergetic Learning Lab. With over 25 years of experience connecting science and community, she inspires people of all ages to transform curiosity into meaningful conservation through immersive, hands-on learning.

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Japanese Screen Art Workshop (FULL)

Join artist Yumiko Glover for a free, hands-on art workshop inspired by the Sound of Water exhibition.

Please note that this workshop is full. Visit our calendar to explore our other workshops!


Create your own miniature folding screen in the style of a traditional Japanese byōbu, layering colors to reveal hidden water rings and delicate patterns that echo the peaceful rhythm of raindrops on a still pond.

No previous experience is needed. Each participant takes home their finished screen as a unique keepsake.

Meets on the Main Lawn.

Free with admission or membership. RSVP is required.


About Yumiko Glover

Yumiko Glover draws inspiration from her hometown of Hiroshima, exploring themes of transformation, memory, beauty, and loss. Her paintings combine Japanese imagery—such as water, koi carp, and shoji screens—with Western architecture and contemporary abstraction, using layered forms and deep blues to evoke the fluidity of memory and the fleeting nature of life.


Sound of Water: Feminine Expressions of Fluidity and its programs are generously funded, in part, by Perenchio FoundationPasadena Art Alliance, and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Department of Arts and Culture.

 

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Nature Lab: California Bumble Bee

Join ecological educator Kristy Brauch for an immersive adventure that transforms the garden into a living laboratory.

Space is limited. RSVP required.

RSVP


In this hands-on workshop, move beyond simple observation and become vital participatory scientists.

Gain the practical skills needed to document local biodiversity, featuring a specialized introduction to the California Bumble Bee Atlas.

Through transformative experiential learning, explore the “hidden” lives of our hardest-working pollinators and leave with a sense of awe and the knowledge to take positive action for local conservation.

Meets in the Rose Garden Pavilion.

Included with admission or membership.


About Kristy Brauch

Kristy Brauch is a lifelong Californian and founder of Cynergetic Learning Lab with over 25 years of experience bridging the gap between research and the public. Her work focuses on turning curiosity into conservation through inclusive, shared adventures in nature.

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