Santa Barbara Botanic Garden to Hold Final Meeting for Strategic Planning Process

The public is encouraged to attend a community meeting to be held on Tuesday, May 17th from 6:00 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History’s Fleischmann Auditorium. These public meetings are a key element of an extensive strategic planning process for future programmatic elements of the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden. The feedback received from the first two meetings has been incorporated into the Garden’s strategic plan and has been invaluable.

There are many exciting things happening at the Garden. This year marks the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden’s 85th year serving the community. While celebrating the storied past of this local gem, the Garden also looks toward a vibrant future. With recently appointed

Executive Director Steve Windhager, Ph.D. leading the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, it is hoped that the public will voice their support and concerns, and create an open and collaborative process to help to guide the organization in writing the next chapter of its long history.

Steve Windhager is guiding the Garden to create a vision for the future and identify the programs and efforts whereby the Garden can best serve the community. Over the last several months, a group designated to work on this planning process (composed of staff, volunteers, and Trustees) will determine the programs and initiatives needed to best achieve the Garden’s mission. At the May 17th meeting, Dr. Windhager will explain the process SBBG is using to develop the plan, discuss the current status of the process, and provide an update on the direction the Garden is moving. This is an opportunity for the public to ask questions and provide input.

“We received valuable feedback from the first two meetings held in February and April, and have incorporated these comments into the roadmap we will use to guide our future activities,” Windhager stated. “Throughout this process, we have used this information to focus on what our priorities are now, and what they should be going forward, in the areas of research, education, and our gardens. Input from the public has already been very helpful in refining the plan. We are looking forward to their continued involvement to conserve this beautiful garden for many generations to come.”