2013 ANNUAL REPORT Photo: John Wardlaw 1 FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 2013 was a year of changes at In education, Judy Sanregret departed as Director the Garden. of Education, and we combined our research and education programs under Denise Knapp, making Two important staff retired Frédérique Lavoipierre our Education Program from our Conservation Manager. Judy did a fantastic job of rebuilding our Program this year—Dr. education programs into a vibrant and engaging Dieter Wilken, Director of part of the Garden—a core component of how we Conservation, and Steve communicate our mission. Frederique and Denise Junak, our Herbarium continue to build on that foundation. Manager. Together, Dieter and Steve worked for more Also this year, we rebuilt the Campbell Bridge and than 60 years at the Garden raised over $2,500,000 towards the Seed the Future and their immense contributions leave an important Campaign, giving us the resources needed to not legacy. Happily, both remain engaged as Research only make the Meadow improvements, but also to Associates and they will continue to lend their passion clear the way for the construction of the new Pritzlaff and expertise to the Garden. Conservation Center, scheduled to begin construction in 2014. Our new Director of Conservation and Research, Denise Knapp, has great ideas about expanding our Across the board, the groundwork is laid to do some influence in the conservation of native plants. She has great things at the Garden in the coming years. Thank started research into documenting the value of native you to all of our volunteers, members, donors, and plants to pollinators and agricultural crops, as well staff who have made all of this possible. as more research on the Channel Islands – renewing a theme that has been important to the Garden for Sincerely, more than 50 years. In horticulture, we began the process of restoring the Meadow to its historic glory, and replanted the meadow oaks to watch over that transformation. While restoring the Meadow to its historic 1940’s Steve Windhager, Ph.D. and 50’s look will be wonderful, this means moving Executive Director away from a design that emphasized the ornamental uses of native California grasses. We anticipate being able to make the case for these wonderfully hardy and ornamental species in many of our other garden spaces, while focusing the Meadow on its historic, long-axis view up to the mountains, over a field of wildflowers. 2 Photo: Ron Williams CONSERVATION & RESEARCH The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden has been expand- ing beyond our successful rare plant conservation and biodiversity inventory projects to include ecological restoration projects. These projects use California native plants to solve current environmental problems such as pollinator decline and erosion. Our work reaches from farms in Buellton, Los Olivos and Santa Maria, to de- nuded hillsides on Santa Rosa Island, to rare plants and pollinators from Lompoc to Santa Cruz Island. We also worked close to home, with a fuel moisture monitoring program that will aid fire-prevention efforts. Native Habitat Buffers Native plants are four to six times more likely to sup- port lots of native bees than non-native plants. This makes sense, since they evolved together! The Garden Native habitat buffer has started a project to research, install, and promote native habitat “buffers” which, when planted adjacent to farmland, not only attract native pollinators, but also the bugs that provide important pest control services. This improves a farm’s sustainability (reducing the need to truck in honey bees or apply pesticides), and pays for itself by increasing production. Habitat Recovery The Island oak trees shown at right on Santa Rosa Island appear to be walking on stilts, a result of massive soil loss following overgrazing by introduced animals. After non-native deer and elk were removed from the Island in 2011, the Island began to recover. But human help may be needed to jump-start the recovery of severe- ly degraded areas such as this one. The Garden has teamed up with USGS and National Park Service ecolo- gists to learn how ecological networks – including soil, Habitat recovery on plants, and insects – rebuild themselves, and how much Santa Rosa Island of our intervention is needed. Endangered Species Lompoc yerba santa is known from only three locations in Santa Barbara County, and is Federally Endangered. One of the threats facing this species is low genetic diversity, and because it cannot self-pollinate, seed production is very low. This year, we collected cuttings from several different populations, and will grow these Photos: Denise Knapp together at the Garden to see if this boosts seed produc- tion. Next year, we will help to do this in the wild, and begin a study of its pollination ecology. Fuel Moisture Monitoring Program After burning in the 2009 Jesusita Fire, the Garden knows well the risk of this natural disturbance. This year, we began a cooperative effort with U.C. Cooperative Extension to create a live fuel moisture monitoring pro- gram on the front slopes of the Santa Ynez Mountains. This project will provide information that is critical to fire management planning and citizen preparedness in the communities of the Santa Barbara region, as well as data for several different chaparral species. Our volun- teers have found that this year a critical low (60%) was reached in June, two months earlier than normal. Ecological restoration including the 3 planting ofCalifornia native tree jewel-flower seedlings EDUCATION Education at the Garden continues to serve the com- in the region. In 2013 we graduated 27 participants, munity at large, offering classes, certificate programs many who continue as Garden volunteers in our edu- and public tours, and building on our well-established cational programs, and look forward to offering the School Tour Program. program twice in 2014. Serving Children and Adults Pritzlaff Conservation Award & Symposium In 2013, we served 31 schools, and 1,872 students in the We were proud to host the second annual symposium in area, from 4 schools in the Santa Barbara School District, conjunction with the Honorable John C. Pritzlaff Conser- 8 schools in the Goleta Union School District, and 19 vation Award. Dr. Bruce M. Pavlik, the 2013 recipient, is other schools in other districts, including Ventura Coun- a scientist whose research has focused on native plants ty and private schools. In addition, we offered Science of western North America, especially in the founding Nights at local schools, serving another 2,742 students. biology of plant communities. In addition to our school tours, our children’s program- ming includes classes and our popular Wildflower Camp. Our public tours are conducted by experienced docents, Program Number of Participants and are essential in sharing our mission with our visitors. School Tours – onsite 1,872 Our adult classes, while focused on native plants, offer a broad curriculum that includes horticulture, botany, arts School Tours – offsite 2,742 & letters and travel. We host regular meetings of the California Native Plant Society Channel Islands Chapter Classes 1,729 and an Environmental Book Club. Our Native Plant Tour, held in April, attracted 329 attendees. Public Tours 1,394 California Naturalist Program Native Plant Tour 270 In 2012, we launched the California Naturalist Program, intended to serve as a foundation for docent training, California Naturalist 27 both at the Botanic Garden and at other natural areas Photo: Kathy Castaneda 4 HORTICULTURE 2013 was another year of vibrant change on the Garden grounds. The restoration of the Meadow Oaks display was completed with the reestablishment of a shady bed on the north side of the area. Unfortunately the garden lost two huge oak trees, one on the north side of the Information Kiosk and one in the Manzanita section, that had been damaged by fire and drought. While we mourn the loss of these beautiful specimens, their loss opens light and space for new plantings. Staff traveled to Plumas County to attend the Native Orchid Conference symposium to gain insight into improving our Orchid Display. We observed eleven species of native orchids in habitat and collect- ed propagation material of many new orchid associates. Meadow Revival Project In 2013 the Horticulture staff embarked on a major project to renovate the Meadow display and return it to its historic condition. This two-year effort began with the removal of all vegetation in the interior of the Meadow including the two lawns, large grasses, and shrubs. Once we had reduced the Meadow to dirt we began an intensive effort to combat the weeds that had become so prev- alent. Through the summer and fall of 2013 we performed a series of grow-kill operations which in- volves watering bare soil to germinate weed seeds, tilling to kill the resulting seedlings, and repeating. Using historic photographs, we reestablished the original contours of the Meadow borders and will be redesigning them in a later phase of the project. The project will continue in 2014 and be completed in early 2015. Campbell Bridge Rebuilt The Campbell Bridge, which was originally built in 1941 as a means for getting visitors safety across Mission Creek, burned to the ground in the 2009 Jesusita Fire. In 2013 the Garden finally had the means – through the very generous fund-raising Photo: Randy Wright support of our members and community members – of rebuilding it. Because the bridge is a County landmark, great care was taken in developing a design that both met modern safety codes while recreating the look of the original. New abutments were built for the massive steel girders required to hold the bridge. This entire infrastructure was hid- den to maintain the rustic look of the bridge.