Are you looking for lawn alternatives with visual appeal, economic sustainability and the ability to survive the extended droughts of Southern California?

Cal State Northridge’s CSUN-al Gardening Series offers tips for homeowners interested in selecting the right plants for their gardens. The “Audubon Habitat” will take place on Saturday, Sept. 19, from 9 to 10:30 a.m. at the university.

The class will focus on the cultivation of drought-tolerant plantings, which can implement a mélange of color, texture and beauty in a garden while limiting water usage and benefiting local fauna.

“By converting a yard or lawn into an ‘Audubon Habitat,’ homeowners reduce water, fertilizer, and maintenance needs, and at the same time make it more welcoming to birds, butterflies, [and] humans,” said Brenda Kanno, manager of CSUN’s Botanic Garden.

The class will feature Alan Pollack, an expert on converting the resource-needy urban lawn into a bird and butterfly nurturing habitat. Pollack has presented similar programs to schools, garden groups and local chapters of the Audubon Society.

Confirmed registration is required for this free class. E-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to request a space in the class. Driving and parking instructions, as well as class location, will be sent with confirmation of registration.

For more information about the CSUN-al Gardening Series, e-mail the Botanic Garden at the address above.

The Cal State Northridge Botanic Garden is operated by the university’s Department of Biology and serves as a field site for botany, entomology, photography, painting and other classes. In addition to the natural landscapes of the Botanic Garden, there are greenhouses where noteworthy botanical specimens are grown.

For more information about the Botanic Garden, visit its Web site at http://www.csun.edu/botanicgarden