Director's Message

With each new issue of Ironwood, I have had the pleasure of opening this dialogue with you, our growing community of native plant advocates and friends. Historically, I’ve used this space to look back and celebrate the progress we’ve made together toward our mission of conserving native plants and habitats. Santa Barbara Botanic Garden membership recently passed 6,000 households, which is an all-time high, and our attendance continues to top out at our county-imposed 110,000 annual guest capacity limit. We have seen significant growth in our staff, which has come with continued improvements to the Garden itself, including the introduction of the Backcountry a year ago this month! Alone, all of these achievements are incredible, but together they are setting the stage for the Garden’s future. Thank you so much for your support on this journey.

Without you, we never could have accomplished so much — and we certainly wouldn’t be ready to set into motion one of the biggest initiatives in the Garden’s history!

If we’re to continue to make progress in achieving our mission, we must refine our focus and look at new ways to extend our impact beyond the boundaries of the Garden’s 78 acres (31 hectares).

And I’m excited to say that our road map is ready and we’re already underway. Recent research tells us that with enough of the right plants in our landscapes, our urban, suburban, and rural zones can provide critical habitat to ensure that the widest number of species are able to survive, despite stressors of a highly variable climate and continued development pressure. Based on this research, the Garden has set a goal — and is developing strategic programs — to achieve 30% coverage of native plants in residential, commercial, and public landscapes across the central coast, which will support local ecosystems and healthy biodiversity. To maximize our impact, we’ll be launching a multilayered Plant With Purpose initiative, which will enable us to broaden our outreach by offering programs that bring the Garden’s expertise directly to you in several different ways.

1. Training landscape professionals and the general public in the selection and care of native plants

2. Working with volunteer groups and regional parks departments to establish native plant habitats in city and county parks throughout Santa Barbara County

3. Improving the Garden’s online resources and outreach efforts

4. Expanding our efforts to promote native plant use through local and regional policy initiatives

Together, the components of our Plant With Purpose initiative will help us overcome many of the barriers to native plant adoption and lead to greater utilization of native plants in all types of landscapes in our region. Ultimately it will create a community where the health and well-being of people and the planet thrive.

In this issue of Ironwood, we’re exploring the idea of plants with a purpose by looking closer at ecology and some of the nuanced connections that support the web of life, from our research on pollinator networks, a spotlight on the island mallow (Malva assurgentiflora), and the unseen ecology in the “dirt” to some of the processes we use to study all of this and why our Living Collection matters. We hope this issue inspires you to join us as we work together to Plant With Purpose — ultimately, healing and protecting the planet so we can leave it better than we found it for future generations.

Are you ready to grow?

Steve Windhager, Ph.D.

Executive Director