Category: Education

Green title page reading, "Native Plant Tool Kit, How to support the health and well-being of people and the planet"
January 8, 2026
The Native Plant Tool Kit

This is Santa Barbara Botanic Garden’s resource guide for knowing and growing biodiversity through gardening with native plants. Here, we present a list of tools, ideas, and practices that have been curated to inspire hope and empower stewardship of the ecosystems that sustain us, and the planet. Whether you’re a seasoned native plant ambassador, or someone who is just getting acquainted with the power of native plants, you’ll find helpful tips, tricks, and opportunities in this toolkit.…

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December 31, 2025
The Joy of Native Plant Gardening | How Liz Barnitz is Making a Difference

Getting started with native plants can feel overwhelming – so many species, so many choices. Should you hire a designer, or go DIY? Does that ceanothus shrub look better here, or there? If you’ve felt this way, congratulations, you’re a gardener! I recently spoke with Liz Barnitz, president and landscaping coordinator of a Santa Barbara…

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December 31, 2025
Three Reasons Native Plants Are Essential

It is difficult to overstate how important plants are to our existence. Their ability to turn the sun’s energy, water, and carbon dioxide into sugar and oxygen is what makes plants one of Earth’s most precious resources. This life-giving power of plants is one of the fundamental reasons why gardening is such a quintessentially human…

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November 24, 2025
Introducing Ironwood Issue 38

Stories Rooted in Conservation, Community, and Connection The newest digital edition of Ironwood, the Garden’s biannual magazine, has arrived, offering a journey into the world of California’s native plants and the people working every day to protect them. Issue 38 is an invitation to explore how native plants shape our landscapes, our communities, and our…

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A large lawn section being planted in the Garden. Mountains in the background on a clear blue day.
November 17, 2025
The Garden’s Native Lawn Laboratory 

The lawn at the Pritzlaff Conservation Center (PCC) sees thousands of visitors and serves as a heavily used event space every year — from personal picnics to private wedding receptions. Due to this impact, we are always striving to find a balance that is both beautiful and functional. Since its unveiling in 2016, the lawn…

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Mapping recovery after Thomas Fire_Manzanita
July 21, 2025
Key Resources for Fire-Safe Living

As we face a warmer, hotter planet, wildfires are an increasing reality across the nation, which is why the Garden is actively researching how native plants can help us better manage fire risk. But, did you know there are also things you can do today — at your home, in your landscape, and around your…

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July 7, 2025
Ironwood 37 is Here

The latest issue of Ironwood, the Garden’s biannual magazine, has arrived — and it’s rooted in hope. Issue 37 invites you to dig deeper into what it means to care for our planet, starting in your backyard. Whether you’re a longtime native plant enthusiast or just starting to explore their value, this issue offers stories…

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A spotted lanternfly with beige wings spotted with black dots and six long legs on a green leaf.
June 25, 2025
Tiny Bugs, Big Mission: Biocontrol Research in the Garden

If you’ve seen people sweeping bushes with nets or tapping tree branches around the garden lately, you’ve caught a glimpse of a fascinating project in action. Greg Simmons from USDA APHIS and Mari West from UC Riverside have been busy collecting tiny insects called planthoppers, and it’s all part of an important effort to stop…

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