LIVE OAK

Winter Garden Exchange, pest management workshop

Join fellow gardeners for the free monthly Santa Cruz Garden Exchange from 8 to 9 p.m. Saturday in the parking lot of Santa Cruz Live Oak Grange, 1900 17th Ave. Park in the northern rows of the parking lot away from the building. Gardeners are welcome to bring seeds, bulbs, succulents, houseplants, veggies, fresh flowers, informational material, manure or any garden-related items to trade within the garden community. You do not need to bring something in order to participate and you must take back anything not given out.

Winter workshops start off this month with pest management. Are squirrels causing chaos in your garden? Join Steve Chambers for an interactive workshop focused on creative and effective strategies for managing squirrel pests. Learn how to protect your plants, bulbs and garden supplies with practical, eco-friendly solutions. Chambers will cover everything from deterrents to humane traps, helping you regain control of your garden while respecting local wildlife. Bring your squirrel stories and questions for this hands-on, problem-solving session. Don’t forget your mug.

For questions, call 831-515-7162 or email santacruzgardenexchange@gmail.com.

SANTA CRUZ

Fungus Fair by Museum of Natural History

Join the fun in fungi for the 2025 Fungus Fair at the London Nelson Community Center, 301 Center St., for three days of exploration from 2 to 5 p.m. Jan. 10 and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Jan. 11-12 at The Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History will once again partner with the Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz with the support from the Peninsula Open Space Trust to host the mycology paradise. Stroll through a re-created woodland forest and discover hundreds of mushroom species. The fair will also feature a special room with interactive activities for kids, such as fungus exploration tables, clay mushroom crafting, face painting and more!

Advanced tickets are available at santacruzmuseum.org/1-10-12-2025-santa-cruz-fungus-fair.

WATSONVILLE

Create your own DIY Succulent Garden

Visit Annieglass from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday at 310 Harvest Drive to create a succulent garden. Bring your friends, make it a party! Create your succulent garden in a beautiful gold Annieglass piece. It’s easy and fun, and there’s no wrong way to do it. All the elements for a great arrangement will be provided including a custom Annieglass planter trimmed in 24K gold, a set number of succulents (additional plants will be available for purchase), moss and sea glass. Hands will get dirty. Tickets are $60. Call ahead with how many are in your party, at 831-761-2041, ext. 121.

FELTON

Tenants’ rights 1-on-1 counseling

Tenant Sanctuary offers one-on-one counseling 3:30-5:30 p.m. every other Wednesday by appointment at the Felton Library, 6121 Gushee St. This program is for renters in Santa Cruz County who would like one-on-one support from a tenant rights counselor to discuss an issue with housing. In your 25-minute session, you will learn about your legal rights and how to use these rights to address your situation. Some topics that can be addressed are unsafe or unsanitary housing conditions, rental increases, eviction, threats, harassment and communication with a landlord. This program occurs every other week.

Tenant counselors help renters understand their rights. They are not lawyers and do not provide legal advice, opinion or representation. Volunteer counselor Ciera is a renter and long-term resident of Soquel. She has been working with neighbors to address housing issues since 2018 and was a volunteer counselor with Tenant Sanctuary. As a member of the Santa Cruz County Renters Union, Ciera believes that renters can work together to gain safer and more affordable housing.

Call the Felton Branch Library at 831-427-7708 or visit santacruzpl.libcal.com/event/13042429 to register for your free, 25-minute appointment.

CAPITOLA

Housing Matters holds weekly outreach

The Housing Matters Outreach Team will be available 1-4 p.m. Tuesdays in the Barbara Gorson Multipurpose Room at the Capitola Branch Library, 2005 Wharf Road, for families and individuals experiencing homelessness to help them access resources, navigate housing and meet with Housing Matters representatives. This is a drop-in service; first come, first served.

For more information about this outreach, visit santacruzpl.libcal.com/event/12691252. For more information about Housing Matters, call 831-458-6020, housingmatterssc.org">contact@housingmatterssc.org or visit housingmatterssc.org.

The Garden Digest is compiled by Jesselyn Rego. To submit items for the calendar including events, meetings, resources or anything garden related, email sentinelhomeandgarden@gmail.com.