SOUTH BAY

Wildlife day for kids. The Santa Clara Audubon Society's 18th annual Wildlife Education Day at McClellan Ranch Park in Cupertino will feature family activities (birdhouse building, nature-inspired arts and crafts); live animals (birds of prey, snakes, insects); an 8 a.m. shorebird walk; and environmental presentations by a dozen groups. If there's heavy rain, the event will be canceled. Free admission. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Oct. 24. Free shuttle from Monta Vista High School, 21840 McClelland Road, to the ranch. Disabled parking is the only parking at the ranch. Details: 408-252-3740, www.scvas.org.

Gardening basics. Workshop will cover garden design and maintenance basics, plus how to make "bay-friendly" choices at the nursery. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Oct. 24. Campbell Community Center (E-42), 1 W. Campbell Ave. Free, but preregistration is required; 408-918-4640 or www.reducewaste.org.

Fall Festival at Summer Winds. Learn about native plants at 10 a.m., local wildlife at 1 p.m. (meet an albino crow who lives at the Wildlife Center in Silicon Valley) at Summer Winds Nursery's Fall Festival. Plus: arts and crafts, refreshments. Free. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Oct. 24. Summer Winds Nursery, 1491 S. DeAnza Blvd., Cupertino. 408-996-8355, www.summerwindsca.com/ca/promotion3.asp.

Dahlia

Society. Monthly meeting open to prospective members. Speaker, cuttings from unusual dahlia varieties, refreshments. Free. 7:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. Oct. 28. JES Dahlia Society, 464 N. Winchester Blvd., Santa Clara. 408-736-1975, www.jesdahlias.org.

Sustainable vegetable gardening. Master Gardeners of Santa Clara County are offering a six-week adult education class on year-round gardening, with a focus on sustainable practices such as mulching, efficient watering methods, on-site composting and use of organic fertilizers and soil amendments. 6:30-8:30 p.m. Mondays, Nov. 9-Dec. 14, through the Sunnyvale-Cupertino Adult and Community Education program. Fremont High, 1279 Sunnyvale-Saratoga Road, Sunnyvale. $70; course code is 227272. Sign-ups: 408-522-2700, ace.fuhsd.org.

PENINSULA

Holiday arrangements. Sara Rouhani of Colorburst Flowers in Palo Alto will demonstrate holiday floral arrangements at a meeting of the Garden Club of Los Altos. $10 for guests. 1:30 p.m. Oct. 27. Christ Episcopal Church, 1040 Border Road, Los Altos. 650-964-7614, gardencluboflosaltos.org.

Tips for an energy-efficient remodel. Suzanne Emerson of Emerson Environmental will speak and answer questions about energy-efficient home remodeling projects. Free. 5 p.m. Oct. 27. Kepler's Books, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park. 650-324-4321, www.keplers.com.

Fall garden maintenance tasks. Learn from Master Gardeners about planting new perennials, pruning, cleaning up from the past season, and dividing bulbs and making cuttings for propagation. Free. 7 p.m. Oct. 27. Los Altos Library, 13 S. San Antonio Road, Los Altos. 408-282-3105, www.santaclaracountylib.org/losaltos.

Master Gardeners' plant clinic and hot line. Master Gardeners host a weekly walk-in plant clinic and hot line on Fridays. Free. 1-4 p.m. Oct. 30. Elizabeth F. Gamble Garden Center, 1431 Waverley St., Palo Alto. 650-329-1356, extension 205, www.mastergardeners.org.

SANTA CRUZ/MONTEREY

Monterey County Home Show. More than 100 home and garden exhibitors, designers, plus live music and food. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 24-25. Monterey County Fairgrounds, 2004 Fairgrounds Road. Free admission. 805-772-4600, www.montereycountyhomeshow.com.