2026 Plant Identification Workshops

Discover the hidden wonder inside native plants we see every day!

Gain valuable skills using appropriate resources, tools and scientific language to overcome common challenges in plant identification.

Through lecture, discussions and hands-on activities, Emerita professor Shawna Martinez will show you how to identify native plants and to see botanical relationships. You’ll practice using dichotomous keys and be trained to recognize the characteristics so you can identify the most common plant families.

This workshop series is a partnership of the Redbud Chapter of the California Native Plant Society and Sierra College’s Natural History Museum.

Schedule of Workshops

Plant ID workshops in this series can be enjoyed as a whole or individually, in no particular order. Registration is now open for the next two workshops. As registration opens for each future workshop, you’ll find an active registration link on the page for that workshop. Mark your calendar now!

• January 31, 2026, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.  Identifying Trees & Shrubs, Part 1. (Class has been held.)
• March 28, 2026, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.  Identifying Trees & Shrubs, Part 2. (Class has been held.)
• May 30, 2026, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.  Perennial Herbs, Part 1. (Class has been held.)
• July 25, 2026, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.  Perennial Herbs, Part 2. (Class has been held.)
• September 26, 2026 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.  Grasses and Deciduous Trees. Registration is open. Click Register on the Sierra College Natural History Museum page for this event.
• October 31, 2026 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.  Ground Cover and Vines. Registration is open. Click Register on the Sierra College Natural History Museum page for this event.

What You’ll Learn

• The basics of botanical terminology and plant anatomy
• 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

Bring With You

• Spiral-bound notebook and pen/pencil
• Snacks and lunch
• Water
• Hand lens (if you have one)
• Recommended books: A Manual for Plant Identification and Classification by Dena Grossenbacher (optional)*

Location: Sewell Hall, Room S-112, Sierra College Rocklin Campus

Registration: Fee: $40.00 per workshop. Thank you! Your ticket(s) fees support both Redbud and Sierra College Natural History Museum!

* Book ISBN: 979-8-89771-015-7. May be print on demand, available only via Amazon