Author Read Aloud with Collin Pine + Backyard Pollinator Garden Workshop

The Garden is excited to be hosting this official Roots & Wings Festival Event! The Roots & Wings Festival is held from Saturday, October 22, through Saturday, November 5, and is a community-wide celebration honoring Arbor Day and Monarch Appreciation Day in Austin. Join us in celebrating the Roots & Wings Festival on October 30th, 2022 at the Zilker Botanical Garden, or attend online for a special hybrid live read-aloud of Collin Pine’s new children’s book The Garden Next Door.

Collin’s new children’s book, The Garden Next Door (River Horse Books), is about creating native habitats for backyard wildlife. The book, illustrated by Tiffany Everett, reminds readers, young and old, that by planting a tiny patch of native plants, we can make a big difference for our smallest neighbors. The Garden Next Door was inspired by Collin’s childhood summers spent putting tomatoes into colanders and raspberries directly into his mouth. His love of nature led him to get a degree in environmental science, before serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Cameroon. Come hear Collin read The Garden Next Door and ask questions about starting your own backyard pollinator garden. We will end the presentation with a container seed planting and transplanting demo to help apartment and beginner backyard gardeners create their own pollinator-friendly backyard gardens.

For in-person participants, we will provide one free plant to the first 50 participants to demonstrate how to transplant plants at home. We will also provide flower seeds and demonstrate how to plant pollinator plants in your own container or backyard garden from seed.

Register in advance for this free reading of the brand new children’s book, The Garden Next Door. Author Collin Pine will debut this new release virtually and participants can tune in online or join in person at the Garden Center Auditorium.

Zilker Botanical Garden offers multiple special events during the Roots & Wings Festival, which are included with the price of admission and free for members.  

This event is part of the Roots & Wings Festival, Austin’s annual celebration of Arbor Day and Monarch Appreciation Day. The Roots & Wings Festival is held each fall and is sponsored by the City of Austin and partners. This year’s Festival runs through November 5th. You can learn more and find more related events by visiting www.rootsandwingsfest.com.