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Explore Together
Foster a Love of Nature
Santa Barbara Botanic Garden provides the perfect backdrop for school trips, small groups, and summer camps. Whether you’re looking to immerse your classroom in the natural world, expose your youth to lessons only nature provides, or treat your kids to fun activities all year long – the Garden has you covered.
From scavenger hunts you can pick up at the start of your visit to engaging outdoor programs, we’re committed to creating moments in and around that Garden that inspire the next generation of conservationists. So, let’s explore what the Garden offers!
Contact
Youth & Family Programs
805.682.4726, ext. 102
Summer Camps
Children ages 5 to 10 are invited to join us for a week of outdoor play, exploration, and connection in the Backcountry at Santa Barbara Botanic Garden. Campers will create, get dirty, ask questions, and seek answers in one of California’s premier native botanical landscapes.
School Field Trips
Interested in supporting your curriculum with a trip to the Garden? We are proud to offer both guided and self-guided options for visiting school groups.
Unsure which experience is best for you? Find more details below or check out our School Field Trips Options table.
Field Trips
Equally fun and adventurous as they are educational, our school field trips aim to inspire the next generation of stewards for our planet through inquiry-based explorations. Each tour aims to support in-class curriculum requirements aligned with California’s Common Core State Standards, California Education and the Environment Initiative, and Next Generation Science Standards.
Guided tour options are available for K-5th grade classes. See the detailed guide below for more information and pricing.
Self-guided School Visits
Moving at your own pace through the Garden might be what your school group prefers. If that’s the case for you, here are a few things to keep in mind. A reservation request must be received no later than 21 business days before your desired visit date.
Teacher Resources
To support a lifelong connection with the natural world, the Garden has several free tools available to support educators and enthusiasts to pass along an appreciation of native plants to the next generation.
Partnering with local teachers, we have developed lessons and unit materials that can be completed both synchronously and asynchronously. These units and activities support teachers’ science and environmental curriculum in the classroom, at the Garden, and online.
Backcountry Pathfinder Program
Children ages 8 to 13 are invited to become a Backcountry Pathfinder. A Pathfinder loves to explore, values nature, and inspires others through example and leadership.
Kids can grow skills and become leaders in caring for nature. With a focus on horticulture, biodiversity, and using natural resources, these mission-driven tracks strengthen children’s relationships, skills, and understanding of native plants and habitats to inspire them as future stewards of our planet.
Explore the Backcountry
Looking for something a bit less structured? Come explore the Backcountry, a 4.5-acre (1.8-hectare) section of the Garden opened every day. Designed for kids of all ages, this ever-evolving space invites guests to hike through different habitats as they climb on fallen trees, rock hop, look for critters under logs, build forts out of natural materials, and even navigate a maze.
