Larkspur Library Habitat Garden

Larkspur Library Habitat Garden

Monday, August 24, 2026 10 – 11:30 am

Leader: Dana Swisher, Helen Jenkins, and Catherine Wolfers, Refugia Marin

Register for this event on Meetup.

Come explore the native habitat garden at the new Larkspur Library. Stay for refreshments as well as a tour of the Refugia Marin gardens at Hall Middle School and Laura Lovett’s Memorial Garden at the Central Marin Police Station, only steps away. Refugia Marin will lead an introduction, provide a plant list and garden layout map, and offer tours of the gardens.

The newly-planted habitat garden at the Larkspur Library was designed to provide food and shelter for birds, bees, butterflies, and other wildlife as well as a welcoming public space for library visitors of all ages. It was designed in partnership with landscape architecture firm RHAA Landscape Architects and installed by California Native Landscapes (CNL). More than a decorative planting, the project reflects a growing movement to weave biodiversity into public spaces. The garden showcases earth-friendly gardening: sustainable landscaping that benefits the broader environment, while making things easier for the gardener. Earth-friendly gardening protects biodiversity by supporting pollinators and natural enemies, minimizes pollutants, saves water and energy, improves soil and recharges groundwater, and mitigates climate change.

The Marin Chapter of the California Native Plant Society provided meaningful support for the project, helping to make the garden a reality. The late Laura Lovett, a Marin CNPS board member and passionate advocate for native plants, was deeply involved in shaping the habitat garden into the vibrant space it is today. The gardens (Library, Hall Middle School, and police station) showcase the larger Larkspur Habitat Corridor, a series of nearby native plant gardens designed to help restore biodiversity by linking fragmented spaces into a thriving ecosystem.

Future plans for the library garden include community habitat stewardship work parties, the installation of interpretive educational signage about native plants and pollinators, as well as outdoor environmental learning opportunities through library programming.

The new Larkspur Library is closed on Mondays, so we will share this special space with mostly the brave wildlife.

Links:

Dana’s article on CNPSMarin.org

Refugia Marin Larkspur Library Project page

Larkspur Library Habitat Garden Plant List

Directions: Larkspur Library 10 Rose Lane, just off Doherty Dr. in Larkspur. Traffic can be heavy on school days, so give yourselves plenty of driving time.
Please:

• Sign the Waiver for Marin Chapter 2026, if you have not done so already.
• Sorry, no dogs on this trip.
• Contact Ann Elliott with questions.
• Text for day of tour issues: 530-521-4402