April 13, 2025
Plant Identification Workshop
Unlock the secrets of the natural world with the tools of plant identification. Knowing how to identify plants we see in the wild (and in landscapes) helps us create trail-inspired gardens, homegrown habitat, collect and label seed properly, and more. Join this extraordinary opportunity to learn from Professor Shawna Martinez on Sunday, April 13 at the Loomis Library.
What You’ll Learn
• Techniques for using field guides and apps to identify plants in the field
• How to identify common local flowering plant families
• Key characteristics of those plant families
• The basics of botanical terminology and plant anatomy
Through lecture, discussions and hands-on activities, you’ll gain skill using appropriate resources, tools and scientific language to overcome common challenges in plant identification. You will practice using dichotomous keys and be trained to recognize the characteristics so you can identify the most common plant families.
Bring With You
• Spiral-bound notebook and pen/pencil
• Snacks and lunch
• Water
• Hand lens (if you have one)
• Recommended books: Peterson Field Guide to Pacific States Wildflowers and Wildflowers of Nevada and Placer Counties (optional)
This program, sponsored by the California Native Plant Society’s local Redbud Chapter, will take place Sunday, April 13 from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Loomis Library at 6050 Library Dr, Loomis. Class will start indoors, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Following a lunch break, we’ll take a walk in the demonstration garden to practice our new skills from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Registration Limited, So Register!
Class size is limited to 20 students. Registration and tuition payment can be completed via Eventbrite. Class tuition is $30, with all proceeds going towards the CNPS Redbud Chapter Scholarship Fund.
Please email questions to Monica Finn at monicsfinn[at]gmail[dot]com OR Chris Catlin at ChrisSignIn[at]gmail[dot]com. Include your phone number if you would like a return call.
Shawna Martinez is Professor Emerita in Botany from Sierra College, where she spent 33 years teaching Forestry, Biology, Botany, and Environmental Science. She spent the earlier part of her career working for the U.S. Forest Service as a rare plant botanist.
She has led many ecology-based field trips over the years for Sierra College, both locally and abroad. She also has spent time leading wildflower and naturalist hikes for California Native Plant Society, other non-profits, and several local land trusts. Currently, she volunteers at U.C. Davis in the Plant Diversity Lab (Herbarium) identifying plants.
She earned her B.S. degree from U.C. Davis in Natural Resource Science and completed her M.S. in Conservation Biology and Botany from Sacramento State University which included a thesis on Giant Sequoia ecology. Shawna is an active gardener, hiker, nature enthusiast, and tree-hugger.