Oct 6th – 7:00 PM Wonderful Milkweed w Antonio Sanchez @ Madrona Nature Center

Join us at 7:00 PM at the Madrona Marsh Nature Center for talk from Antonio Sanchez of the Santa Monica Mountains (SAMO) Fund – He’ll talk about milkweed, monarch butterflies, and the mission of the SAMO Fund.  Our plants are all sold out from Saturday’s plant sale, though we will have seeds to share prior to the meeting. Join us by Zoom, but we’d prefer if you join in person for the companionship and a chance at inexpensive plants from Saturday’s sale.

ZOOM:  https://cnps-org.zoom.us/j/87240812653?pwd=UHBERGxDVFlrNEFyK0JrNVhwMEJydz09

Antonio Sanchez is a force of nature, full of energy, unstoppable, and unforgettable. He’s built a unique program as the Rancho Sierra Vista Nursery Manager and Volunteer Outreach Coordinator for SAMO Fund. During the past four years, thanks to Antonio, the RSV Nursery has become a center for plant restoration for the Santa Monica Mountains, and known for its free plant giveaways to the public, seed conservation, educational internships, a robust volunteer base, training, workshops, community outreach and so much more.

Antonio: …[my path to this point] has been a long road. … Well the last job I had was at a non-profit nursery vocational training job training for folks who are either homeless or recovering addicts. It was basically horticultural therapy. We’re teaching them how to do propagation, how to grow plants, how to water, even a little bit of sales. We were growing probably about 50 percent natives, 25 percent maybe Mediterranean type like Proteas and Australian stuff, and then succulents too. I was there for about a year. And before that, I’ve been everywhere. I live for native plants. I’ve been working in native plants for 15 years now. I started at the Theodore Payne Foundation, so I worked there for a year. I used to own my own native plant nursery with a cousin and a friend in Ventura. People still ask us about it almost at least every month. If not once a week.  FULL INTERVIEW

SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS FUND works to protect and encourage appreciation and understanding of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.   SAMO Fund’s Monarchs and Milkweed Program has grown over 100,000 native milkweed plants to give away for free to the public, community gardens, and schools spreading native milkweed all over LA county.

Sign up at the meeting to plant milkweed November 2.