Carol Bornstein is one of Southern California’s most highly respected native plant specialists. Throughout her career, she has championed the landscape value of California’s native plants and the benefits of designing gardens in harmony with nature. Carol co-authored two books, the national award-winning California Native Plants for the Garden and Reimagining the California Lawn: Water-conserving Plants, Practices, and Designs. As the former Director of the Nature Gardens at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, she oversaw the long-term care and development of this 3.5-acre habitat for urban wildlife. For nearly 30 years, she was a horticulturist at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden. She continues to advocate for sustainable, regionally appropriate landscaping and to share her knowledge of plants native to California and other Mediterranean and dry-climate regions through her teaching, writing, and design work.