November 18, 2026 – Homegrown Habitat and Keystone Species

Wednesday, November 18. Program at 5:30, plant sale at 4:30
Location: General Gomez Arts, 808 Lincoln Way, Auburn

Learn to Create Homegrown Habitat

Homegrown Habitat is a nationwide grassroots campaign to restore those species—one home garden at a time. This endeavor calls on individuals to convert “ecological dead zones” such as turf lawns and non-native gardens into functional vibrant ecosystems by planting native plants.

When you plant native plants, you save everything else! Come learn about these very important native plants, their specialized relationship with insects and birds and how they support the food web and genetic diversity. You’ll also learn about the keystone plants that act as the foundational ecological engines. Such plants feed the local caterpillars and insects required to support birds and the broader food web.

Our Presenters

Monica Finn is a plant ecologist, with a 30-year career in state government doing botanical surveys, native plant restoration, revegetation and mitigation planting. She is a grasslands specialist and a widely recognized educator for native plant and insect interactions. She serves on the Redbud Chapter Board of Directors and is the chair of Redbud’s horticulture program. She is a docent for the Placer Land Trust and presents programs for Master Gardeners, among other organizations, and has spearheaded development of native plant restoration on PLT properties.

Jill Birchell is an attorney and retired Special Agent In Charge from the US Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement where she worked to protect wildlife and plant species from illegal trafficking and industrial take. She is a Master Gardener and native plant educator who propagates and cultivates native plant species on her Newcastle property.