Plants aren’t sitting in the soil merely "being". Research shows that they are "doing", and much more than you might imagine. They can send out alarms, actively look for the best place to grow, take care of their "babies."

All this is shown in a PBS "Nature" episode called "What Plants Talk About."

Mariposa County Master Gardeners present this film and a post-film discussion for free Saturday, February 28, 2015 from 10 a.m. to noon at the county Board of Supervisors chambers, 5100 Bullion St., Mariposa. Please register by calling (209) 966-2417 or online at: cemariposa.ucanr.edu/Master_Gardener.

Here’s what PBS says about the film: "When we think about plants, we don’t often associate a term like "behavior" with them, but experimental plant ecologist JC Cahill wants to change that. The University of Alberta professor maintains that plants do behave and lead anything but solitary and sedentary lives.

"They’re actively engaging with the environment in which they live," Cahill insists. "They actively communicate. They actively respond to the nutrients, and the predators, and the herbivores that are around them. It’s a really dynamic system."

By exploring the fascinating behaviors of plant life, including the dodder vine, wild tobacco plant, and Douglas fir, "What Plants Talk About" teaches us all that plants are smarter and much more interactive than we thought."