When Santa Barbara High Students Lana Lilienstein and Julian Gaede reached out to the Garden, you could almost hear the passion and optimism in their voices. As students of the school’s Multimedia Arts and Design Academy, affectionally referred to as MAD on campus, they were tasked with creating a documentary. The topic of their choice…
THE GARDEN’S ONLINE TALKS ADDRESS BIODIVERSITY, CLIMATE CHANGE, AND CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANTS AND ANIMALS This summer, the Garden hosted a series of talks called Summer Virtual Lecture Series. In the series, our team of scientists presented information and research about the twin threats of biodiversity loss and climate disruption as a result of human activities,…
To Inspire the Next Generation of Stewards of Our Planet… Our program strives to support California’s Common Core State Standards, California Education and the Environment Initiative, and Next Generation Science Standards by aligning our tours with in-class curriculum requirements. Classes with over 50% of students on free or reduced lunches are eligible to receive a…
Garden Activities for your Classroom We are collecting information to see which resources are most valuable for educators! We’ve created units and activities to support teacher’s science and environmental curriculum both in the classroom, at the Garden, and virtually. If you are interested in getting access to any of the educator resources listed below, please fill out…
I’ve been told tales of people who can hear things in nature that most of us would call “silent.” It’s not just that they have acute hearing and are capable of registering very low decibel levels. It’s a skill that gets developed through deep observation of the natural world and time spent opening oneself to…
Native plants support a wide diversity of insects. With a little bit of searching, you will be amazed at the number of insects that emerge from your own backyard. Engage in these tricks to discover more about the insects found in our local area: 1 See which insects are on your plants by using a…
In southern California, the shift between seasons can be to which birds are and are not present in our yards, Gardens, subtle. With freezing temperatures and snow limited to and open spaces, we can build our seasonal fluency in southern high elevations and an abundance of evergreen trees/shrubs California. For much of North America, winter…
The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden is constantly renewing its commitment to connecting people with the remarkable native flora of California and specifically the Central Coast. Mounting evidence over the last decade indicates that young people spend less time learning from the natural world, lowering overall environmental literacy and our communal sense of connection to nature.…
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