Amid the holiday rush before winter season, nourish your whole being with an afternoon wellness and creativity boost at the enchanting Taft Gardens and Nature Preserve, curated by Michelle Chua, Root 2 Rise Yoga Founder.  After grounding in reflection and meditation, freely explore intuitive flow and somatic play through Soul Movement dance, capped with guided Yin Yoga to thank your body instrument. Then, rest deeply with Reiki energy healing while serenaded by Hunter Hawkins' soothing live jazz vocal soundscape.  Finally, set the tone for conscious closure of the fall season and lunar cycle with a community art-making experience.  Integrate your afternoon journey with community conversation over tea and healthy snacks.

Join us for a unique nature education experience as we explore the trails of the Nature Preserve, only accessible through guided tours! With Lanny Kaufer leading the way, we'll identify native plants, observe birds, and examine animal tracks within our local ecology. Lanny's mission is to help people connect with the natural world, starting with plants. As the author of "Medicinal Herbs of California: A Field Guide to Common Healing Plants," he has been leading herb walks, nature hikes, and workshops in Southern California since 1976. Don't miss this chance to learn from a seasoned expert and deepen your understanding of nature. Grab your tickets now and join us for an insightful journey through our local ecosystem!

Taft Gardens invites you to explore the night sky with visiting artist and astronomy enthusiast Russell Crotty, along with assistance from his wife Laura Gruenther.

Perched above the renowned Gardens, the Mesa is the perfect locale for night sky observing. Take in the beauty of the site as dusk falls. Once it gets dark, we will look through an array of Russell's telescopes: an 8-inch diameter Newtonian, a 9.25 diameter Celestron Schmidt-Cassegrain, and a 12.5-inch diameter Dobsonian.

Taft Gardens invites you to explore the night sky with visiting artist and astronomy enthusiast Russell Crotty, along with assistance from his wife Laura Gruenther.

Perched above the renowned Gardens, the Mesa is the perfect locale for night sky observing. Take in the beauty of the site as dusk falls. Once it gets dark, we will look through an array of Russell's telescopes: an 8-inch diameter Newtonian, a 9.25 diameter Celestron Schmidt-Cassegrain, and a 12.5-inch diameter Dobsonian.

Postponed due to rain

Join Cassandra C. Jones, Artist and Arts Chair of our Residency Program at Taft, for a unique look at the property from a creative perspective. Jones will guide guests through the South African and Australian Gardens to the art studios to meet the artists-in-residence and see what they are working on. She will offer an oral history of Taft, stories and education about botanicals in bloom, and insight into how the space inspires regional artists. This walking tour would benefit anyone interested in contemporary art, unusual plants, and local history. 

Join us for a unique nature education experience as we explore the trails of the Nature Preserve, only accessible through guided tours! With Lanny Kaufer leading the way, we'll identify native plants, observe birds, and examine animal tracks within our local ecology. Lanny's mission is to help people connect with the natural world, starting with plants. As the author of "Medicinal Herbs of California: A Field Guide to Common Healing Plants," he has been leading herb walks, nature hikes, and workshops in Southern California since 1976. Don't miss this chance to learn from a seasoned expert and deepen your understanding of nature. Grab your tickets now and join us for an insightful journey through our local ecosystem!

Taft Gardens invites you to explore the night sky with visiting artist and astronomy enthusiast Russell Crotty, along with assistance from his wife Laura Gruenther.

Perched above the renowned Gardens, the Mesa is the perfect locale for night sky observing. Take in the beauty of the site as dusk falls. Once it gets dark, we will look through an array of Russell's telescopes: an 8-inch diameter Newtonian, a 9.25 diameter Celestron Schmidt-Cassegrain, and a 12.5-inch diameter Dobsonian.

Join us for a unique nature education experience as we explore the trails of the Nature Preserve, only accessible through guided tours! With Lanny Kaufer leading the way, we'll identify native plants, observe birds, and examine animal tracks within our local ecology. Lanny's mission is to help people connect with the natural world, starting with plants. As the author of "Medicinal Herbs of California: A Field Guide to Common Healing Plants," he has been leading herb walks, nature hikes, and workshops in Southern California since 1976. Don't miss this chance to learn from a seasoned expert and deepen your understanding of nature. Grab your tickets now and join us for an insightful journey through our local ecosystem!

Join us to welcome the Monarchs back to Ojai Monarch Fest on Friday October 18, 2024, at the Taft Amphitheatre with food, libations and music by Sonic Butterfly, a 60ft long-string harp and instrument of transformation designed by local Ojai artist, Andrea Brook. Enjoy the gardens, learn from local organizations about habitat restoration and purchase milkweed to create your own Monarch habitat at your home. 

**10% of all proceeds from the Monarch Fest event series will go directly to support NativeMonarchs.org, a local organization created by Chris Amendt to increase the supply of California Native Asclepias (Milkweed) varieties and other California native nectar plants for large-scale Monarch conservation programs and restoration projects**

Lead by local avian biologist, Peter Larramendy. Participants will learn the basics of birding, such as common birds of the Ojai Valley, diagnostic field marks, important habitat types of the Ojai Valley and those around Taft Gardens, and much more! Peter has over ten years of professional experience working in avian studies around southern California. Whether you're new to birding or a seasoned enthusiast, our event will deepen your connection to nature and enhance your understanding of bird conservation. Join us for an informative and enjoyable adventure through Taft Gardens as we explore the diverse avian life that calls it home. Don't miss this chance to learn and appreciate the fascinating world of birds! 

This event will take place in the Taft Nature Preserve. 

Join Cassandra C. Jones, Artist and Arts Chair of our Residency Program at Taft, for a unique look at the property from a creative perspective. Jones will guide guests through the South African and Australian Gardens to the art studios to meet the artists-in-residence and see what they are working on. She will offer an oral history of Taft, stories and education about botanicals in bloom, and insight into how the space inspires regional artists. This walking tour would benefit anyone interested in contemporary art, unusual plants, and local history.

Honoring ancient human practices of nature connection that are reflected in ancestral Indigenous Knowledge all over the world. A slow, immersive nature connection walk or gathering. You will be given directions, in the form of an invitation, that is meant to assist you in relaxing, and observing with all of your senses. Unlike a naturalist walk, it isn’t so much about knowing all of the names of the plants, as it is about noticing which plants that you feel pulled to. It is more about being “here” in the present moment, then it is about being “there”. An integrative mindfulness practice that can help us to let all of the miscellaneous fall away. Experience the health benefits of Forest Bathing. It is a kind of nervous system “reset”, and has been shown to lower stress hormone production, anxiety, influence immune defense, elevate mood states, creativity, and cognition.

In celebration of "OAKtober" this Nature Immersion event will conclude with a ceremonial tree planting in the Taft Nature Preserve Oak restoration area. 

Lead by local avian biologist, Peter Larramendy. Participants will learn the basics of birding, such as common birds of the Ojai Valley, diagnostic field marks, important habitat types of the Ojai Valley and those around Taft Gardens, and much more! Peter has over ten years of professional experience working in avian studies around southern California. Whether you're new to birding or a seasoned enthusiast, our event will deepen your connection to nature and enhance your understanding of bird conservation. Join us for an informative and enjoyable adventure through Taft Gardens as we explore the diverse avian life that calls it home. Don't miss this chance to learn and appreciate the fascinating world of birds! 

This event will take place in the botanical section of Taft Gardens. 

The “Walk With the Oaks” Event is guided by David White of Once Upon a Watershed with readings by Melina Watts from her book “Tree” under Taft’s Heritage Oak Trees. "Tree" is the story of 229 years in the life of a California live oak from the point of view of... the tree. This event is a part of the “OAKtober”, a month long celebration of Oaks presented by Dr. David White and Once Upon a Watershed. 

"Walkabout" is a term rooted in traditional Australian culture, symbolizing a temporary return to a simpler way of life, often undertaken during intervals between modern societal obligations. This is the essence of what Kaufer has orchestrated for you in observance of the Fall Equinox. Commencing in the Australian section of Taft Gardens and ascending into the Nature Preserve towards a vista point adorned with a four-directions stone circle, you will embark on a three-hour respite from contemporary existence to embrace nature, bask in the sunlight, and reconnect with the timeless wisdom of our forebears.

Taft Gardens invites you to explore the night sky with visiting artist and astronomy enthusiast Russell Crotty, along with assistance from his wife Laura Gruenther.

Perched above the renowned Gardens, the Mesa is the perfect locale for night sky observing. Take in the beauty of the site as dusk falls. Once it gets dark, we will look through an array of Russell's telescopes: an 8-inch diameter Newtonian, a 9.25 diameter Celestron Schmidt-Cassegrain, and a 12.5-inch diameter Dobsonian.

SOLD OUT!

Taft Gardens invites you to explore the night sky with visiting artist and astronomy enthusiast Russell Crotty, along with assistance from his wife Laura Gruenther.

Perched above the renowned Gardens, the Mesa is the perfect locale for night sky observing. Take in the beauty of the site as dusk falls. Once it gets dark, we will look through an array of Russell's telescopes: an 8-inch diameter Newtonian, a 9.25 diameter Celestron Schmidt-Cassegrain, and a 12.5-inch diameter Dobsonian.

SOLD OUT

SAGING THE WORLD SCREENING

July 20th, 2024 5PM-8PM

We invite you to watch Saging the World, an award-winning documentary by Rose Ramirez, Deborah Small, and California Native Plant Society to foster understanding and inspire action for white sage.

Metric tons of white sage (Salvia apiana) are being poached to supply an international demand. This plant is deeply rooted in the cultures and lifeways of the Indigenous communities of Southern California and northern Baja, the only region where white sage naturally occurs in the world. The devastating theft and the appropriated trend that it fuels stand in sharp contrast with the values and traditional practices of regional native communities. 

This screening will be held at the Taft Gardens Pavilion House, an intimate indoor venue, followed by a panel discussion with the filmmaker Rose Ramirez, Chumash Elder Julie Tumamait-Stenslie and Diego Cordero from the Environmental Office of the Santa Ynez Band of Indians.

July 20th, 2024 - 5PM-8PM

SOLD OUT

Taft Gardens invites you to explore the night sky with visiting artist and astronomy enthusiast Russell Crotty, along with assistance from his wife Laura Gruenther. Stargazing starts at 8:15pm. You may arrive as early as 7pm if you wish to enjoy a picnic in the gardens. Taft Gardens is excited to expand our Art in Nature offerings, with Russell, showing us how to explore the relationship between humans and their environment through understanding the celestial bodies that surround us.

Tickets!

Taft Gardens and Nature Preserve welcomes ethnobotanist, writer, and gatherer Kat Anderson, author of Tending the Wild, for an informative presentation: Connecting to Ancestral Ways of Relating to the Earth: What Native California Elders Share about Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Stewardship Practices. This lecture will explore California's ancestral past to illuminate the vast wealth of human experience with nature that lies in our history and prehistory and is still practiced by Native Americans in parts of California today. Anderson has lectured widely, intent on restoring indigenous practices to the land by bridging Native knowledge and Western science and healing our cultural divides.

TICKETS

Join Cassandra C. Jones, Artist and Arts Chair of the Taft Gardens Residency Program, for a unique look at the property from a creative perspective. Jones will guide guests through the South African and Australian Gardens to the art studios to meet the artists-in-residence and see what they are working on. She will offer an oral history of Taft, stories and education about botanicals in bloom, and insight into how the space inspires regional artists. This walking tour would benefit anyone interested in contemporary art, unusual plants, and local history.

Tickets

Join us for a unique nature education experience as we explore the trails of the Nature Preserve, only accessible through guided tours! With Lanny Kaufer leading the way, we'll identify native plants, observe birds, and examine animal tracks within our local ecology. Lanny's mission is to help people connect with the natural world, starting with plants. As the author of "Medicinal Herbs of California: A Field Guide to Common Healing Plants," he has been leading herb walks, nature hikes, and workshops in Southern California since 1976. Don't miss this chance to learn from a seasoned expert and deepen your understanding of nature. Grab your tickets now and join us for an insightful journey through our local ecosystem!

Tickets

DAYTIME Artist Residency Exhibition Openings (Free but Ticketed)

11 am - 3 pm

Fundraiser Dinner, Exhibition Openings, and Performance ($100 Fundraiser Ticket)

5 - 8 pm

Join Cassandra C. Jones, Artist and Arts Chair of the Taft Gardens Residency Program, for a unique look at the property from a creative perspective. Jones will guide guests through the South African and Australian Gardens to the art studios to meet the artists-in-residence and see what they are working on. She will offer an oral history of Taft, stories and education about botanicals in bloom, and insight into how the space inspires regional artists. This walking tour would benefit anyone interested in contemporary art, unusual plants, and local history.

Tickets

Join us for a unique nature education experience as we explore the trails of the Nature Preserve, only accessible through guided tours! With Lanny Kaufer leading the way, we'll identify native plants, observe birds, and examine animal tracks within our local ecology. Lanny's mission is to help people connect with the natural world, starting with plants. As the author of "Medicinal Herbs of California: A Field Guide to Common Healing Plants," he has been leading herb walks, nature hikes, and workshops in Southern California since 1976. Don't miss this chance to learn from a seasoned expert and deepen your understanding of nature. Grab your tickets now and join us for an insightful journey through our local ecosystem!

Tickets

Lead by local avian biologist, Peter Larramendy. Participants will learn the basics of birding, such as common birds of the Ojai Valley, diagnostic field marks, important habitat types of the Ojai Valley and those around Taft Gardens, and much more! Peter has over ten years of professional experience working in avian studies around southern California. Whether you're new to birding or a seasoned enthusiast, our event will deepen your connection to nature and enhance your understanding of bird conservation. Join us for an informative and enjoyable adventure through Taft Gardens as we explore the diverse avian life that calls it home. Don't miss this chance to learn and appreciate the fascinating world of birds! This event will take place in the botanical section at Taft Gardens.

Tickets

Join Cassandra C. Jones, Artist and Arts Chair of the Taft Gardens Residency Program, for a unique look at the property from a creative perspective. Jones will guide guests through the South African and Australian Gardens to the art studios to meet the artists-in-residence and see what they are working on. She will offer an oral history of Taft, stories and education about botanicals in bloom, and insight into how the space inspires regional artists. This walking tour would benefit anyone interested in contemporary art, unusual plants, and local history.

Tickets

Join Sacred Sisters in celebrating the magic of spring and all its wondrous offerings at the enchanted Taft Gardens- a divine setting in its most abundant season. This highly curated experience will give you the opportunity to blossom, rejuvenate, and expand through creativity, mindfulness, breathwork, and playful movement. We’ll end your journey with a nourishing sound bath designed to unlock your heart and embrace the magic that surrounds us this spring and for days beyond.

TICKETS

Experience a slow, immersive nature connection walk that honors ancient human practices found in Indigenous Knowledge worldwide. Unlike a typical naturalist walk, our gathering focuses on relaxation, sensory observation, and being present in the moment rather than on plant names. This integrative mindfulness practice allows you to notice things in new ways, letting go of distractions. Discover the health benefits of Forest Bathing as we reset our nervous systems, reduce stress hormones, and enhance mood, creativity, and cognition. Through this experience, we reconnect with the Interconnection of All Things and our relationship with the Earth. The event concludes with a soothing tea made from native plants and wholesome snacks, offering a nourishing end to our journey. Join us for a profound exploration of nature's wisdom and our place within it.

Tickets