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Due to our continuing water shortage (and to mitigate skipping 2025 Big Bloom), we’ve created the “WATER-SMART Plant Sale & Garden Fair,” 10 am-5 pm, Saturday, April 25—a $2 Community Day! Featuring plant and art vendors, it also includes traditional butterfly and ladybug releases, animal ambassadors, membership specials and food trucks. Raptor Project presentations and Exhibitor Tent offers more entertainment from “Birdiest Festival in America!” We’ve “re-shaped” the usual concentration of thirstier landscape plants to a water-thrifty inventory of natives, blooming nectar and larval pollinator plants, cacti, succulents, other low-water perennials; plus plumeria and orchids. Members enter FREE at 9 am. “People are going to buy plants; we’re teaching them the water-smart choices!”

This is a first! The Botanical Gardens is looking for VOLUNTEERS to work with Grounds Staff helping with daily hand-watering, mowing, weeding, edging! Coastal rains made the grass grow, and watering restrictions still make us hand-water! We’ll work with your schedule, except (watering must be done before 10 am), other work between 9 and 6. Please call Kathie for details, 361-852-2100, x 225.

REGISTRATION and FULL SCHEDUE is now online, for Corpus Christi’s ninth BIRDIEST FESTIVAL in AMERICA, April 22-26! Birders have traveled from Alaska, Australia, Canada and the Netherlands for this festival, with species counts from 250-284 not counting 2 Pre-Trips or 1 Post-Trip! We proudly announce
personable veteran birder, author, guide and photographer DAVID SARKOZI as keynote speaker, April 24! Explore six exclusive Full Day field trips, 13 Half-Day trips, four U-Drives, guided bird walks, presentations, workshops and events at www.BIRDIESTFESTIVAL.ORG
and register today! Proudly presented by FLINT HILLS Resources.

We’ve redesigned our PRIVATE ENCOUNTERS a bit for flexibility, and different animals! Small groups can enjoy fun interactions with THREE Animal Ambassadors, bird or reptile, with guests holding each animal, giving them snacks, taking photos in private setting. A great party, birthday, anniversary treat! Funds go to Animal Enrichment and Emergency Funds

For your convenience, we’re providing a schedule of SATURDAY MORNING Horticulture & Environmental Education classes! All begin at 9:30 am, Education Station classroom, with spaced seating for 40. Unless noted, all are covered by that day’s general admission, membership, or $5 each. Educational, fun, meet new friends. Make your reservation at 361-852-2100.

Tears flowed like “rain” realizing we shouldn’t have the annual BIG BLOOM Plant Sale this
year, due to drought-caused water shortages and resulting watering restrictions! New Plants take lots of water. What if people couldn’t keep their plants alive? If sponsors weren’t interested? If attendance was down? What would public perception be if we had the fundraiser? We conserve our natural resources! Ignoring our critical water situation is not the image we want to project. No BIG BLOOM, but SEE MORE for how we make it up to you!

MOONLIGHT & MARIPOSAS in the GARDENS entertained more than 500 people, with comments like: “This is my all-time favorite event;” “What a perfect, enjoyable evening;” “So glad we came again after missing a couple of years;” “Congratulations, you did it again;” “We’ll definitely be back next year!” The Botanical Gardens thanks Presenting Sponsor CITGO, plus dozens of supporting sponsors you’ll see on large signs in the Gardens until MOOONLIGHT ‘26! Click SEE MORE for those generous sponsors, entertainers, our Event Chair Kitty Hommer, restaurant and beverage sponsors, plus volunteers. . . with new Moonlight slideshow in the works!

Guests visiting Saturdays or Sundays are treated to REP-TALES,10:30 am, on the Festival Lawn. Meet and learn about some our Reptile Animal Ambassadors including tortoises, iguanas, snakes and other creatures (specific animal ambassadors and species vary daily). Included with membership or general admission. Feed these reptiles for additional fee.

PRIVATE ANIMAL ENCOUNTERS—parrots back! PRIVATE ENCOUNTERS now for longer time periods, either parrots or reptiles! Small groups can enjoy fun interactions with either THREE parrots or THREE reptiles with guests holding each animal, giving them snacks, taking photos in private setting. A great party, birthday, anniversary, or friend treat! Funds go to Animal Enrichment and Emergency Funds.