Santa Clara Valley Native Plant Press Workshop: Roberto Adobe & Sunol House

Join us for a hands‑on Native Plant Press Workshop on Saturday, May 2 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

During the workshop, attendees can enjoy plant samples from the museum garden, tables and seating for up to thirty‑five participants, a microphone speaker for clear instruction, three microwaves for pressing demonstrations, and the use of an antique wooden plant press. Microwave flower pressing rapidly removes moisture, reducing oxidation and enzymatic browning, the primary causes of color loss during slow air‑drying. As a result, multiple guides note that microwave‑pressed flowers consistently retain brighter, more stable pigments than those dried by traditional methods.

This program honors the long standing relationships Indigenous people have maintained with native plants and the ethnobotanical knowledge carried forward to our present. The workshop will center on plants native to the Santa Clara Valley while also recognizing that some species have ranges that extend across North and South America and even the wider Northern Hemisphere, reflecting the homelands and trade networks of diverse Indigenous communities whose stewardship and knowledge shaped their cultural uses. The public event welcomes all ages and skill levels to learn, create, and connect with local biodiversity.

This event is open to the public and designed to bring our community together around biodiversity education, creativity, and the joy of learning from the land. Whether you’re passionate about native plants, interested in ethnobotany, want to take a tour of the museum, or simply looking for a fun and meaningful weekend activity, we welcome you to join us. Let’s celebrate our region’s natural heritage and create something beautiful together!

We will provide charcuterie style refreshments. Participants are encouraged to bring additional native plant samples and any knowledge of plant morphology or anatomy they’d like to share, though no experience is required, curiosity is more than enough.

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Afterwards, tour the Roberto Adobe and Sunol House, which is a historic museum certified as an Interpretive Site of the Anza Trail and included in the Passport 2 History program. The site remains an important landmark focusing on Indigenous, Spanish, Mexican, and United States histories.

If you have any questions, suggestions, or interested in sharing your knowledge, please email our grants and garden manager at [email protected]. Thank you for your time and consideration.

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Host or Publisher California Pioneers of Santa Clara County