DonateImpact & Advocacy
Policy, Partnership, Programs
Advancing Our Mission Together
At Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, we are committed to advancing our mission through meaningful, measurable action. Through advocacy, we work alongside partners across our region to move policies forward that support California’s native plants and the ecosystems and communities that depend on them. We also look inward, challenging ourselves to grow as a more inclusive, accessible, and responsive organization.
Impact happens at many scales, from local ordinances to statewide initiatives to everyday decisions we make within our facilities. The Impact & Advocacy team is helping ensure native plants are not only valued, but also protected, prioritized, and planted for generations to come.
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Our native plant advocacy efforts are grounded in collaboration, science, & action.
45
Organizations signed onto a regional Biodiversity Vision and Policy Framework
15
Elected officials actively engaged in supporting the Garden’s mission
5
Municipalities within Santa Barbara County considering native plant and biodiversity policies
$6.3M
Dollars secured for statewide native seed conservation projects
Native Plant Advocacy in Action
Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing
This Biodiversity Working Group’s Habitat Connectivity Subcommittee, elected offices, and Santa Barbara County-based partners in connectivity to meet Lauren Gill from the National Wildlife Federation
Latino Outdoors Partners
Latino Outdoors regional leaders Mary Galindo, Martín Ceja Mejía, Vanessa Morales at the Ventura Bailamos Outdoors event in 2024.
Native Plants on State Street
Photo: Emily Hart-Roberts Photography
Isla Vista Recreation & Park District
Building Fire Resilience Across the Central Coast
Fire agency personnel and other guests at the Blaksley Library for a discussion about fire at the wildlands-urban interface with Congressman Salud Carbajal and Congresswoman Angie Craig
State Street Transformation
Volunteers and partners came together to transform the 1200 block of State Street in downtown Santa Barbara with native plants. (Photo: Molly Lofton)
Policy Advocacy
We work with elected officials, agency staff, and community organizations to advance policies that promote native plants and protect biodiversity throughout the region. The Garden is actively engaged in local, regional, and statewide efforts that strengthen ecosystem health and support the Garden’s broader mission.
Our policy work spans multiple scales, from defending federal education funding to securing statewide investments in native seed conservation. We are also engaged in local land-use and open-space planning.
Institute for Museum & Library Services Funding (Federal)
As part of a national alliance of museums (American Museums Alliance), the Garden and hundreds of partners successfully withstood the attempted dismantling of the IMLS by federal agencies, along with associated funding cuts, that would have directly impacted various Garden education programs.
$6.3M for Native Seeds (State)
The Garden and our partners successfully secured $6.3M in funding for the collection, identification, and seed banking of “G0” native seeds (the initial, first-generation seeds collected directly from wild plant populations) for research and restoration statewide. Coming from Prop 4 funds, the Garden played a leadership role, diligently engaging elected leaders in partnership with the California Institute for Biodiversity, California Crop Insurance Association, California Native Seed Supply Collaborative, and the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance to request and secure this funding to meet the increasing demand for native seeds.
Open Space, Redevelopment (County)
The County of Santa Barbara is updating its open space, recreation, and other policies as part of ongoing revisions to the County General Plan. The Garden and our partners are following these efforts – and engaging wherever appropriate – to ensure that native plants and biodiversity are part of planning and policy considerations.
Partnerships
Collaboration is essential to creating meaningful change. Through partnerships with municipalities, nonprofits, and businesses, we expand the reach of our work and engage new audiences in the power of native plants.
From regional biodiversity initiatives to downtown pilot projects and community-centered collaborations, our partnerships help grow the native plant movement while advancing solutions that protect local ecosystems.
Biodiversity Vision & Policy Framework
Since the beginning of the year, the Garden has secured the support of over 40 regional organizations as signatories to the Community Vision and Policy Platform in Support of Biodiversity on the Central Coast, established in 2024 by a community-driven process spearheaded by the Garden. A Biodiversity Working Group co-chaired by the Garden is now working to address a number of local issues tied to ecosystem health and biodiversity solutions.
Native Plants in Downtown Santa Barbara
In partnership with the City of Santa Barbara and Friends of State Street, the Garden successfully advocated for a native plant pilot project in downtown Santa Barbara as part of the State Street Redevelopment Master Plan project. This project on the 1200 block of State Street brings the vibrancy, color, and habitat value of 300 native plants to the heart of the city. Next time you’re downtown, scan one of the QR codes posted and let us know what you think!
Latino Outdoors, Latino Elder Outreach Network
As we continue to make the Garden more accessible to our neighbors, we’re forming unique partnerships with organizations like Latino Outdoors, the Latino Elders Outreach Network, and others to promote native plants and biodiversity to a broader audience. Our efforts connect staff and partner organizations through educational opportunities, onsite yoga experiences, youth hikes, and more.
Programs
The Garden’s programs offer powerful opportunities for cross-department collaboration and community impact. By viewing existing efforts through an advocacy lens, we strengthen connections between staff, partners, and campaigns and amplify results.
This work supports initiatives focused on fire resilience, landscape transformation, and offsite restoration, helping extend the Garden’s impact beyond our grounds and into the broader community.
Fire Resilience
The Garden continues to research native plants and their role in building fire resilience.
In 2025, the Garden hosted Congressman Salud Carbajal and Congresswoman Angie Craig in a stakeholder meeting to address fire risk and safety at the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI), with a focus on the Los Padres National Forest. The meeting was attended by local fire agencies and fire experts and was intended to provide elected leaders with insights into resource needs and constraints when considering fire resilience in WUI communities across the region.
The Garden also hosted its first virtual forum addressing fire resilience in our fire-prone communities. Entitled Ready for Wildfire: Smart Strategies for Fire-Safe Living, this resource and accompanying checklist are available on demand.
Landscape Transformations
The Garden is actively working to build and support habitat for birds, bees, butterflies, and more across the county. These Landscape Transformation projects are part of a larger Garden goal to ‘get off the hill’ and into the community. To ensure these projects continue to deliver long-term impact, the Garden is building a strategic plan for this initiative to give it more focus and intention.
Follow Advocacy Blog Updates
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Culture, Community & Conservation | How Mary Galindo of Latino Outdoors Inspires Change
I met Mary Galindo in early 2025 at Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, when we hosted a networking event for the South Coast Hispanic Chamber of…
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Native Plants Transform Downtown Santa Barbara in New Pilot Project
A unique collaboration between Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, Friends of State Street (FSS), and the City of Santa Barbara has resulted in the first-ever native plant pilot…
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The Garden’s New Impact and Advocacy Program is Taking Root
Although Santa Barbara Botanic Garden’s Impact and Advocacy Program is still in its infancy, the past nine months have seen our program make tremendous headway…
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Living with Fire: How Native Plants Can Help Build a Resilient Community
Southern California is no stranger to fire, but as we were all reminded in January 2025 with the Eaton and Pacific Palisades fires, they are…