Plant sale to feature oak trees

The Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains will present its annual Native Plants Sale from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sat., Nov. 5 at the California Department of State Parks and Recreation parking lot in front of the Topanga Ranch Motel, at Pacific Coast Highway adjacent to Topanga Canyon Boulevard, in Malibu.

Among the selection will be coast live oaks, valley oaks, willows, sycamores, sages, colorful native plants such as sticky monkey flower, grasses, plus wildflower seed.

Staff and volunteers will provide planting information, tips, techniques and plant lore.

Included in the day’s activities will be a vermi-composting workshop at 10:30 a.m., with a chance to win a pet worm farm. At 11:30 a.m., author/biologist Rosi Dagit will read from and sign her book “Grandmother Oak,” an event geared towards children. Chumash leader Mati Waiya will give a blessing ceremony at noon. Docents from the Children’s Nature Institute will be on hand throughout the day to entertain youthful attendees and their folks.

Live music, lemonade, cookies and pizza are also part of the event, as is a visit from a tame mustang named Teazel, whose appearance will coincide with a demonstration of the benefits of composting horse manure. Botanists and landscape designers will man question-and-answer booths.

For more information, call Steve Williams, conservation biologist, at (310) 455-1030, ext. 212.