Please note the annual Fall Plant Sale is this Saturday, November 7. Reservations are required to visit the Garden.

Category: Conservation & Research

October 26, 2026
14th Annual Santa Barbara Botanic Garden Conservation Symposium

Cutting-edge Conservation: Innovative Solutions to the Biodiversity Crisis  Presented by the Nakashima-Rennie Family Santa Barbara Botanic Garden’s 14th Annual Conservation Symposium explores the rapidly evolving frontier of native plant conservation and the tools reshaping how we understand, protect, and restore biodiversity. As environmental challenges grow more complex, so too does the science and practice behind…

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Two people climbing rocky cliff near ocean with boat.
July 30, 2026
Exploring Off-Trail on the California Channel Islands: Botanical Adventures 

Details: Join us for an engaging look at botanical exploration across California’s Channel Islands. Drawing from fieldwork on Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, San Clemente and San Nicolas islands, Annie Lamont-Ayers will share stories from her work in some of California’s most biodiverse landscapes. A highlight of the talk will be botanical collections on Santa Rosa…

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Coastal cave view overlooking secluded beach and ocean waves.
July 20, 2026
Santa Cruz Island Day Trip: Scorpion Cove

Details: Join us for a special trip to Scorpion Cove on Santa Cruz Island. Christina Varnava Romo and Sabina Thomas, PhD will lead our guests on a scenic walk on the trails to see and learn about the unique island flora and geology. After departing from Ventura Harbor a short boat trip will take our…

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Coastal cave view overlooking secluded beach and ocean waves.
June 1, 2026
Santa Cruz Island Day Trip: Prisoner’s Harbor | Sold Out

Details: Join us for a special trip to Prisoners Harbor on Santa Cruz Island, one of the more remote and historically significant areas of the island. Holly Huff will lead our guests on a scenic walk on the trails near the harbor to see and learn about the unique island flora on the north side…

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Coastal cave view overlooking secluded beach and ocean waves.
April 20, 2026
Santa Cruz Island Day Trip: Scorpion Cove

Details: Join us for a special trip to the Scorpion Cove on Santa Cruz Island. Alejandro Lemus will lead our guests on a scenic walk on the trails near the harbor to see and learn about the unique island flora on the north side of the island. After departing from Ventura Harbor a short boat…

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Yellow daisies against clear blue sky viewed from below.
March 11, 2026
Day Trip to Figueroa Mountain | Canceled

Details: Join Director of Education, Scot Pipkin, on an excursion to Figueroa Mountain, located in San Rafael Mountains of the Los Padres National Forest. This is the ideal time of year to experience the pastoral views and spring wildflowers growing just outside of Santa Barbara. Participants will meet in Los Olivos then carpool together and join our leaders as they make note of the unique…

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Coastal cave view overlooking secluded beach and ocean waves.
March 11, 2026
Santa Cruz Island Day Trip: Prisoner’s Harbor

Details: Join us for a special trip to the Prisoner’s Harbor on Santa Cruz Island, which is on the border of the Nature Conservancy property. Steve Junak will lead our guests on a scenic walk on the trails near the harbor to see and learn about the unique island flora on the north side of…

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Two people planting small pine tree in soil.
February 19, 2026
Torrey Pine Conservation Grove Now Open

Details: Come visit a new chapter in conservation at the Garden with the debut of the Torrey Pine Conservation Grove, opening March 21, 2026. More than a scenic hillside, this newly planted grove represents a long-term commitment to protecting one of North America’s rarest native trees, the Torrey pine (Pinus torreyana ssp. insularis). Found naturally…

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