MEDIA RELEASE

CSUN-al Gardening Series to get Buggy

(NORTHRIDGE, Calif., May 29, 2008) — Cal State Northridge’s CSUN-al Gardening Series will get buggy next month as it offers a class on the creepy-crawly critters that inhabit a garden.

The class, "Busy Backyard Bugs," is scheduled to take place on Saturday, June 28, at 9 a.m.

Led by Hartmut Wisch, a long-time volunteer at the Huntington Botanical Garden as well as the Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, the class will explore the denizens of the suburban “jungle” and answer questions about their habits and habitat.

Wisch will share his insights into the activities of the industrious inhabitants of local yards and gardens in a presentation that combines his interest in natural history and his hobby of macro photography.

"Insects, spiders and other arthropods (animals with segmented bodies and appendages) play key roles in assuring the health and productivity of gardens, whether it’s pollinating flowers to produce fruit, or eating harmful insects like aphids," said CSUN Botanic Garden Manager Brenda Kanno. "Hartmut’s presentation will enlighten us on the activities of these garden inhabitants."

While the class is free, registration is required. To register, e-mail botanicgarden@csun.edu. Driving and parking directions as well as the classroom location will be sent upon registration.

Cal State Northridge’s Botanic Garden is operated by the university’s Department of Biology and serves as a field site for botany, entomology, photography, painting and other classes. In addition to outdoor landscapes and natural botanic environments, the garden also features greenhouses where noteworthy botanical specimens are grown.

The garden is open to the community. For more information about the Botanic Garden, visit its Web site: www.csun.edu/botanicgarden/. For more information about the CSUN-al Gardening Series, call (818) 677-3496.