Between the rugged montane wilderness of the San Gabriel Mountains and the densely populated basins below, lie the foothills. Blanketed in chaparral, studded with scrubland and oak and walnut woodland—these uniquely Southern Californian ecotones, where human and wild worlds often meet and mix, are home to some of the region’s most recognizable and resilient plants, many of which are also potent natural dyes.

Oak, sagebrush, toyon, black walnut, laurel sumac—we may know these plants from our time on the trail or in our garden, but working with them as dyes allows us a unique look into their ecology, chemistry, history, and natural color potential.

Join Erin Berkowitz of Berbo Studio—a natural dyer and certified naturalist—for a workshop exploring the plant dyes of the San Gabriel foothills. Together we’ll brew pots of dye from freshly harvested plants, which we’ll use to dye silk bandanas (two per participant) in two to three colors. In class we’ll cover the whole step-by-step dyeing process, and discussion will include the array of locally available dye plants, how to work with their colors, and ethics and guidelines for harvesting them.

Our local palette of natural dyes is as unique and varied as the ecology and plant life which produce them. This workshop will be interesting to any plant lover, regardless of their level of knowledge or experience with plants (or natural dyes). Recommended for adults (or mature kids, 12+, accompanied by an adult).

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‍Pricing:

Public | $120

Member | $100

Important Note About Materials: All material needed will be provided for this class.