Green Wednesday: Fall Gardening Fun and Youth Climate Advocacy
By Cindy Watter, U.C. Master Gardeners of Napa County / Chris Benz, Napa Climate NOW!
Starting this week, Napa Valley Features will be expanding its Wednesday posts with occasional contributions from Napa Climate NOW!, a local nonprofit advocating for smart climate solutions. These posts will complement the ongoing series by the U.C. Master Gardeners of Napa County, who share research-based horticultural advice. Together these organizations will offer valuable insights into sustainable gardening practices and climate-related topics that are crucial to our region.
This week, "Come Learn and Have Fun at the Fall Faire" by Cindy Watter highlights the U.C. Master Gardeners’ Fall Faire, a community event featuring sustainable gardening techniques, hands-on demonstrations and activities for the whole family. In "Meet a Home-Grown Student Climate Activist," Chris Benz introduces Allison Bencsik, a young leader advocating for climate action in Napa County through her work with Napa Climate NOW!
Come Learn and Have Fun at the Fall Faire
By Cindy Watter, U.C. Master Gardeners of Napa County
NAPA VALLEY, Calif. — Most organizations have mission statements, but how often do you see one put into action? The U.C. Master Gardeners’ mission is “to extend research-based knowledge on home horticulture, pest management, and sustainable landscape practices to the residents of California and to be guided by our core values and strategic initiatives.”
Now is your chance to see that mission enacted. The U.C. Master Gardeners of Napa County is putting on its 4th Annual Fall Faire on Saturday, Sept. 28, from 1 to 4 p.m. behind the office buildings at 1710 Soscol Ave. in Napa.
Even the most accomplished gardeners will learn something new, and a taco from the La Condesa truck can’t hurt.
Billed as “Where Science Fair Meets Carnival,” the fair will include hands-on demonstrations, workshops, activities for children, lectures and giveaways of books, seeds, bulbs and succulents. Visitors can vote in a scarecrow contest, enjoy live music, eat at a taco truck and take their picture with an enormous mechanical carnivorous plant. Yes, Audrey the Venus Flytrap is back in all her menacing yet alluring glory.
Best of all, the event is free. In keeping with the UC Master Gardeners’ practice of recycling, please bring your own water bottle (you can refill it at the fair) and your own bags and boxes for carting away any treasures you might find. There will be temptations galore. At the last Fall Faire I scored several plants and a book on composting, and I learned about a weed-puller that works while the human operator is standing, not kneeling. That was a life changer.
You may even have an opportunity to meet a U.C. Master Gardener columnist at the fair. Several will be there. Bob Niklewicz, who is a physical therapist as well as a Master Gardener columnist, will have a booth to showcase ergonomic tools that make gardening chores easier. He will also give a talk about ways to garden that leave you energized, not exhausted.
In another booth, you can learn how to make tisanes from Barbara Campbell and Dianne Weyna. These drinks are made from herbs or other plants infused in hot water, and they can be refreshing, relaxing and delicious.
At the Las Flores Learning Garden booth, learn more about this educational garden and the U.C. Master Gardeners of Napa County who spearheaded its installation at the Las Flores Community Center. It is a teaching tool as well as a neighborhood beautification project.
The UCMG compost team will teach you how to improve your soil with compost you can make yourself from garden and yard scraps. Master Gardeners Penny Pawl and Sue Helms can answer your compost questions.
Julie Thompson of Charsaw Farms will tell you all about lavender: how to grow it and what you can do with it.
Pat Hitchcock will show you how to have a year-round vegetable garden and have activities for children as well as adults.
At the Bee-utiful Bees booth, Ingrid Harder will teach you about bees’ importance as pollinators.
One thing I have learned from my years as a Master Gardener: People never tire of succulents. They are fascinating plants and perfect for our climate. Linda Garland and her daughter, Tonja Mehelis, will give you tips on how to keep your succulents healthy.
The ever-popular scarecrow alley is returning, so you can vote for your favorite. These creations are very clever and mostly made of recycled and found materials. Maybe you will be inspired to make your own for Halloween.
Several community partners are joining the Master Gardeners for the day. The Resource Conservation District’s Miguel Garcia will tell fairgoers about why less tilling is better for soil. The Dirt Girls’ Carrie Strohl will educate you about monarch butterfly conservation. Carol Boykin of the Napa-Solano Audubon Society will have hummingbird feeders made from water bottles. Brent and Patti Ihli from the Napa Bonsai Club will demonstrate techniques for growing bonsai.
Along with those, Napa Climate NOW! will tell you about the City of Napa leaf-blower rebate program. Susan Bontempo of Plant Harmony will answer your questions about efficient water usage and integrated pest management, meaning controlling pests without poison. The Friends of the Napa Library will sponsor a book giveaway, and the California Native Plant Society will have a native plant display as well as information about its fall plant sale. You can also learn about fire-wise landscaping, Napa parks, recycling and more.
Many more booths will also be at the Fall Faire, and one of them is bound to answer your most pressing questions about gardening or the environment. This is the time of year when some of us need inspiration, and I know I will get it on the 28th at the fair. Even the most accomplished gardeners will learn something new, and a taco from the La Condesa truck can’t hurt.
Library Talk: Join UC Master Gardeners of Napa County and Napa Public Library for a free talk on “Thirsty Lawn to Low-Water Succulents and Perennials: A Step-by-Step Guide” on Thursday, Oct. 3, from 7 to 8 p.m., via Zoom. Don't let analysis paralysis stop you from achieving your new climate-appropriate garden. Join the UC Master Gardeners of Napa County on a step-by-step journey from weedy, labor-intensive lawn to a garden of succulents and perennials with year-round color. Register here.
Become a Master Gardener Volunteer: UC Master Gardeners of Napa County is now accepting applications for the Class of 2025. Visit napamg.ucanr.edu to read the informational brochure, then register to attend a mandatory information session for applicants. Application deadline is 5 p.m. on Sept. 25.
Help Desk: The Master Gardener Help Desk is available to answer your garden questions on Mondays and Fridays from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the University of California Cooperative Extension Office, 1710 Soscol Ave., Suite 4, Napa. Or send your questions to mastergardeners@countyofnapa.org. Include your name, address, phone number and a brief description. For best results attach a photo.
If today's garden-focused story captured your interest, explore these related articles:
Transform Your Garden — Embrace Low-Maintenance Native Plants
Weekender Encore: Nature’s Sweet Treasure — The Blackberries of Napa Valley
Cindy Watter is a UC Master Gardener of Napa County.
Meet a Home-Grown Student Climate Activist
By Chris Benz, Napa Climate NOW!
NAPA VALLEY, Calif. — On July 31 Supervisor Belia Ramos presented Allison Bencsik with a commendation from the Napa County Board of Supervisors for “Exceptional Leadership and Commitment to Climate Advocacy as Co-President of Napa Schools for Climate Action.”
Bencsik, 18, an American Canyon resident and 2024 graduate of American Canyon High School, plunged into climate advocacy as a sophomore. She learned about the climate crisis first from a presentation by Napa Climate NOW! member and climate educator Jim Wilson.
“That was my wake-up call,” Bencsik said. “I didn’t see that we were actively doing anything about the climate crisis at my school or in the city or the county.”
She connected with ACHS senior Emily Bit, co-president of Napa Schools for Climate Action, and began to learn about the group’s work. In August 2022, as a junior, Bencsik took on a leadership role with S4CA, becoming co-president with Napa High sophomore Liliana Karesh.
Once your heart starts pumping and the adrenaline is going, then it feels like you’re unstoppable.
Bencsik was the lead organizer and emcee for the February 2023 ACHS student rally to support its Napa County Climate Challenge contest. The Napa County Climate Challenge is a web platform with simple, everyday actions that reduce pollution and save money. The contest at the school was between classrooms to see who could cut the most carbon emissions by their actions.
“This was a big event with about nine student presenters, a Kahoot game, gourmet veggie canapés from our Culinary Club and local government leaders attending,” Bencsik said. “The great turnout boosted the number of students who took part in the challenge.”
She also spoke at local government meetings to advocate for S4CA priorities: an end to new or expanded fossil-fuel stations; pushing jurisdictions to meet their commitment to a 2030 goal for net-zero climate pollution; and maintaining and enhancing protection for mature trees as our most efficient carbon sinks.
“At first, I was nervous,” she said, “but once your heart starts pumping and the adrenaline is going, then it feels like you’re unstoppable. It was very exciting to be presenting in person, especially after COVID.”
Her steadfast work with Karesh led to an offer for both to work as interns for Rep. Mike Thompson and resulted in S4CA being recognized as Napa’s 2024 Climate Crisis Champion by the congressman. Thompson described the group as “a shining example of the power of youth voices in combating the climate crisis.”
As a congressional intern, Bencsik had the opportunity to view the challenges of working on climate actions from a different perspective. She saw that climate action was just one of the issues the congressman and his staff were working on, and that made climate advocacy by students even more necessary.
She was appointed to the City of American Canyon’s Open Space, Active Transportation and Sustainability Commission in October 2023.
“Serving on the commission let me expand my professional network and meet community leaders,” Bencsik said. “I provided a wake-up call for the commission because I put on a climate lens and pushed them to create more ambitious goals. I think I left a unique and impactful legacy.”
She currently works as a business development intern in the Public Affairs department of MCE, Napa County’s electricity provider, and she plans to get a degree in communications.
“Being out there, meeting new people and sharing the work I’ve done with S4CA was so exciting,” she said. “I’m a people person, and I see so much room for growth in community educators in the climate world.”
Bencsik’s commendation from Napa County reads: “Your commitment to fighting against climate change has set an example of the power that youth voices can have in creating a more sustainable future for us all. Your tireless work engaging at local, state, and federal levels has resulted in tremendous progress towards a fossil free future and climate restoration.”
We join the county in saluting Allison Bencsik.
If today's climate-focused story captured your interest, explore these related articles:
Under the Hood: Climate Change's Growing Impact on Napa Valley
Pruning and Climate Adaptation Tips for Home Vineyards in Napa Valley
Dan Berger's Wine Chronicles: The Evolution of Wine in a Warming World
Black Sears Family Donates Land to Help Create Wildlife Corridor
Chris Benz is a retired winemaker and co-founder of Napa Climate NOW! a local nonprofit citizens’ group advocating for smart climate solutions based on the latest climate science, part of 350 Bay Area.