The Garden's Impact | Fall/Winter 2024

The Garden's Impact

To ensure no native plant goes extinct on our watch, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden has built a conservation program that is up to the challenge. One that not only understands California’s native plants from genes to ecosystems but also knows how to protect and restore them.

With your support for nearly a century, the Garden has achieved some impressive milestones. While we celebrate these wins, we can’t slow down.

Now more than ever, we must do our part — from the tiniest seeds to sprawling landscapes — to harness the power of native plants to ensure biodiversity thrives across California’s central coast, and beyond. Will you join us?

3.7+ Million Seeds

Our Conservation Seed Bank protects 400 of California’s rarest native plant species, acting as an insurance policy against extinction.

1,301 Species

More than 20% of California’s native taxa have found refuge in our Conservation and Living Collection Seed Banks.

215+ Native Plants

Alice Keck Park Memorial Garden is welcoming California’s native flora into its displays via a new project in partnership with the City of Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation Department.

300 + Campers

More than 1,200 hours were spent connecting with nature during our 2024 Summer Camp season. Through 52 scholarships distributed, the Garden was able to offer camp at no cost to families in need.

Nearly 100 Grads

At the close of 2024, the Garden’s California Native Plant Landscaper Certification program graduates are ready to serve our community.

30% Native Plant Coverage

Join us in our goal of transforming 30% of the spaces where we live, work, and play into native plant habitats. Reaching this crucial milestone helps protect the health and well-being of people and the planet for generations to come.

50,000 Lichen

The Garden is home to California’s second largest Lichenarium, and we now have 15,602 of these specimens added into an online database, making them available to people around the world.

500,000 + Seeds Produced

The Garden’s Living Collection Nursery continues to produce native seed to support restoration projects across the central coast.

1 Rediscovery

Not seen since 1965, the Garden rediscovered a population of saints’ daisy (Erigeron sanctarum) thought to be extinct on Santa Cruz Island.

Published in 1988

“Seed Propagation of Native California Plants,” by Dara E. Emery, the Garden’s first on-site horticulturist and plant breeder, remains the gold standard in research on the topic.

31 Giant Sequoias

The Garden’s lichenologist, Rikke Reese Næsborg, Ph.D., climbed a lot of trees this year, including “General Sherman,” as part of a collaborative project examining bark beetle attacks.