Santa Barbara Botanic Garden Celebrates Latino Conservation Week with Bilingual Outdoor Events

Starting Saturday, September 14, guests are invited to bilingual Garden Tours, a Guadalupe Island Conservation Talk with “GECI” speaker, “CNPLC” Open House, a Story Walk with Santa Barbara Public Library, and a Native Plant Bike Tour with Boom Boom Bike Room

Santa Barbara, CA – August 27, 2024 – In celebration of Latino Conservation Week, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden is excited to host a range of bilingual events from September 14 to September 22, 2024. These events are an invitation for the Latino community and others to enjoy the outdoors together and participate in activities that help preserve our natural resources. In 2014, the Hispanic Access Foundation, through its Latino Conservation Week celebration, has recognized the Latino community’s vital contributions to conservation and environmental stewardship while expanding opportunities for outdoor engagement.

Among the week’s highlights are a free 6.5-mile native plant bike tour through downtown Santa Barbara, led by Gardener Lead Abraham Lizama in partnership with local business Boom Boom Bike Room, and a bilingual Open House for the Garden’s California Native Plant Landscape Certification (CNPLC) program.

“Working alongside my parents in landscaping from a young age, some of my earliest memories involve touching plants and jumping in leaf litter. These formative experiences sparked my appreciation and curiosity for nature–and ultimately led me to pursue my career as a horticultural educator,” said Alejandro Lemus, horticultural educator and CNPLC program instructor at the Garden. “Conservation requires all of us to work together, which is why I aim to inspire a deeper connection with nature through my work. This week, I’m excited to recognize and celebrate my Latino community’s role in conservation and bring everyone together to grow the native plant movement along the central coast.”

The celebration continues with an online Conservation Talk hosted by Luciana Luna-Mendoza, Ph.D, Director of Ecology at the Grupo de Ecología y Conservación de Islas (GECI) in Ensenda, Mexico. This talk will focus on Guadalupe Island’s vegetation recovery, highlighting the ongoing collaboration with the many institutions doing the same conservation work in the Channel Islands. Visitors can also register for a bilingual Docent Tour, offered free with admission, and take part in a self-led bilingual Story Walk in the Garden’s kid-centric Backcountry Section, presented in partnership with Santa Barbara Public Library.

While most events during Latino Conservation Week at the Garden are free, some require admission. To ensure everyone can participate, the Garden offers several programs designed to reduce or eliminate admission fees. Through our partnership with Museums for All, Electronic Benefit Transfer
(EBT) cardholders and their families can enjoy discounted admission. With a valid ID and EBT card, general admission is $3 per person, or families can purchase a $20 annual membership. These options can be obtained at the Garden’s Entrance Kiosk or by contacting our Membership Team.
Additionally, in partnership with Santa Barbara Public Library, families can ‘check out’ a one-week Garden membership using any library card. This membership grants admission for two adults and any accompanying children under 18, allowing families to easily participate in the Garden’s activities during Latino Conservation Week and beyond.

Please note that some events have limited space and reservations may be required. For more details and registration information, see below.

2024 Latino Conservation Week at the Garden
Bilingual Docent Tours
Saturday, September 14, from 10 to 11 a.m. | Led by Alejandro Lemus
To register, visit https://sbbotanicgarden.org/classes-events/bilingual-docent-tour-in-celebration-of-latino-conservation-week/
Monday, September 16, from 10 to 11 a.m. | Led by Susan Spector
To register, visit https://sbbotanicgarden.org/classes-events/bilingual-docent-tour-in-celebration-of-latino-conservation-week-2/
Sunday, September 22, from 10 to 11 a.m. | Led by Abraham Lizama
To register, visit https://sbbotanicgarden.org/classes-events/bilingual-docent-tour-in-celebration-of-latino-conservation-week-3/
The Garden is excited to offer bilingual guided walks for the community to explore and immerse themselves in the beauty of California native plants. These walks will be led by Spanish-speaking guides, including the Garden’s Horticultural Educator Alejandro Lemus and Lead Gardener Abraham Lizama. Tours are free with Garden admission, but registration is required. Please ensure to reserve your Garden admission for the date of your tour in addition to completing your registration.

CNPLC Open House
Saturday, September 14, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Join the Garden for an open house to learn all about the California Native Plant Landscaper Certification program and meet other professional landscapers in the area. The CNPLC Open House offers Spanish-speaking landscapers an opportunity to learn about the program, connect with a network of landscaping professionals, and access Spanish-language resources. Event is free and open to landscapers interested in learning more about native plants. For more details, visit https://sbbotanicgarden.org/classes-events/sesion-informativa-de-cnplc/

GECI Conservation Talk
Thursday, September 19, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. | Online Zoom Lecture
Join the Garden for a lecture in celebration of Latino Conservation Week. Hosted by Luciana Luna-Mendoza, Ph.D., the Director of Ecology at GECI in Ensenada, Mexico.
In front of the Baja California Peninsula, Guadalupe Island and its islets share many plant species with the Channel Islands, including the Catalina Nightshade (Solanum wallacei) and the Island Oak (Quercus tomentella). Historically, they also shared similar threats such as the presence of non-native herbivores. This talk will focus on Guadalupe Island’s vegetation recovery, highlighting the ongoing collaboration with the many institutions doing the same conservation work in the Channel Islands.
This event is free, but registration is required. A Zoom link will be sent to all registrants prior to the lecture date. To register, visit https://sbbotanicgarden.org/classes-events/collaboration-across-borders-recovery-of-the-vegetation-of-guadalupe-island-and-its-shared-history-with-the-channel-islands/.

Native Plant Bike Tour
Saturday, September 21, starting at 2 p.m.
Join Boom Boom Bike Room and the Garden’s Lead Gardener Abraham Lizama on a native plant bike tour through downtown Santa Barbara. Bike 6.5 miles through downtown Santa Barbara with notable stops at Oak Park, Alice Keck, and Chase Palm Park before ending at Night Lizard Brewing Company. Abraham will be stopping to point out key native California plants along the way. All riders and all bikes are welcome. This is a very calm, gradual ride, completely paved, accessible and friendly for all abilities.
This ride will meet at Boom Book Bike Room located at 1924 De La Vina Street and is completely free to attend. No registration is required. To learn more, visit https://sbbotanicgarden.org/classes-events/native-plant-bike-tour-in-celebration-of-latino-conservation-week/

Story Walk with Santa Barbara Public Library
This story walk will be up in the Backcountry Section during our regular business hours from Saturday, September 14 to Saturday, September 21.
Enjoy a bilingual story walk through the Garden’s Backcountry in celebration of Latino Conservation Week. In partnership with Santa Barbara Public Library, the Garden will be sharing the story “It Is (Not) Perfect” by Anna Kang.
This story walk will be up in the Backcountry Section during our regular business hours from September 14 until September 21. This activation does require admission to the Garden. To learn more, visit https://sbbotanicgarden.org/classes-events/backcountry-bilingual-story-walk-in-celebration-of-latino-conservation-week/. To make your reservation to the Garden, visit https://sbbotanicgarden.org/visit/.