Santa Barbara Botanic Garden Premieres Four-Part Video Series on Landscape Transformation at Elings Park
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Santa Barbara, Calif. – January 7, 2025 – As the new year begins and we reflect on ways to make a positive impact on the world, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden is inviting everyone to make native plant conservation a part of their 2025 New Year resolutions with the launch of its new video series. Focused on its Elings Park Transformation project taking place in collaboration with Channel Islands Restoration, the series highlights how individual actions contribute to a more sustainable future by supporting biodiversity and restoring local ecosystems.
Set against the backdrop of Elings Park, the largest privately-funded park in America, the four-part series explores the vital role of native plants in promoting biodiversity and how collective efforts are key to creating change in our communities. Viewers gain insight into the science behind native plant conservation, including experimental approaches to building climate resilience, invasive plant control, and the cultivation of native plant species essential for maintaining local biodiversity.
“Elings Park’s transformation serves as a powerful example of how native plants restore ecological health and inspire communities to come together and work toward a shared future,” says Denise Knapp, Ph.D., Director of Conservation and Research at Santa Barbara Botanic Garden. “Through our video series, we hope to ignite a sense of urgency and hope—showing that by embracing native plant conservation, we can help mitigate the impact of climate change and foster vibrant ecosystems for generations to come.”
The first episode, “Recovering Nature: A Story of Biodiversity and Community,” premieres today, January 7, 2025, on the Garden’s YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/@SBBotanicGarden) with new episodes releasing weekly through January 28. Running approximately 12 minutes, each episode covers a unique perspective on conserving native plants and habitats and aims to inform and inspire action.
- Episode One, Available Now
“Restoring Nature: A Story of Biodiversity and Community at Elings Park” delves into the importance of native plants, emphasizing the intersection of biodiversity and community engagement as the Garden’s transformation site transforms from invasive weeds into a thriving habitat supporting people and the planet. To watch episode one. visit https://youtu.be/QpVxu01XA7M
- Episode Two | Premieres Tuesday, January 14
“Invaders of the Wild: Understanding the Threat of Invasive Plants” unravels the historical and modern-day impacts of invasive plants, focusing on their devastating effects on local ecosystems and ways in which the community can combat these threats.
- Episode Three | Premieres Thursday, January 23 (shift due to inauguration)
“Adapting to our Changing Climate: The Science of Native Plant Conservation” offers a deep dive into the scientific methods guiding the Garden’s restoration work at its site in Elings Park. This episode highlights groundbreaking research that can inform climate resilience efforts across the region.
- Episode Four | Premieres Tuesday, January 28
“Planting Seeds of Change: How Community Action is Growing a Brighter Future” celebrates grassroots activism and the power of community engagement, showcasing how volunteers and partners are actively supporting the Garden’s transformation efforts and spreading awareness about the importance of native plant conservation to grow a movement of more beneficial landscape practices.
With a portfolio that includes Emmy-nominated productions such as Mister Rogers: It’s You I Like and multi-camera PBS specials like Liza’s at the Palace, Santa Barbara-based film producer Sven Nebelung of Pioneer Pictures Productions led the Garden’s video series. Leveraging his extensive expertise in producing high-quality content, Nebelung managed the production largely on his own, maximizing resources to deliver a compelling series within the Garden’s modest budget.
“Through our landscape transformation projects, we’re bringing the Garden’s horticultural and conservation know-how directly into our community to make an impact,” says Jaime Eschette, the Garden’s Gerry Rubin Director of Marketing and Communications. “With these videos, we’re able to bring the message of conservation and the importance of native plants to life in a way that words alone cannot – inspiring everyone to get involved and grow more native plants.”
Beginning with its work at Elings Park, the Garden’s Landscape Transformation efforts aim to transform thirsty and barren invasive landscapes into native habitats supporting both people and the planet in open spaces across Santa Barbara County. Including Elings Park, transformations are also underway at Alice Keck Memorial Gardens and in Cuyama Valley thanks to the generous support of funders and donors including the USDA National Resource Conservation Service, the Amon Foundation, the John S. Kiewit Memorial Foundation, Edison International, the Walter J. and Holly O. Thomson Foundation, Santa Barbara Foundation, Manitou Fund, and the Smart Foundation.
About Santa Barbara Botanic Garden:
As the first botanic garden in the nation to focus exclusively on native plants, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden has dedicated nearly a century of work to better understand the relationship between plants and people. Growing from 13 acres in 1926 to today’s 78 acres, the grounds now include more than 6 miles of walking trails, an herbarium, a seed bank, research labs, a library, and a public native plant nursery. Amid the serene beauty of the Garden, teams of scientists, educators, and horticulturists remain committed to the original spirit of the organization’s founders – conserve California native plants and habitats to ensure they continue to support life on the planet and can be enjoyed for generations to come. Visit www.SBBotanicGarden.org.
About Elings Park
Elings Park is the largest privately funded, public park in the United States. More than two times the size of Disneyland, this scenic park on the Santa Barbara Mesa features sweeping views, picturesque oak groves and has been Santa Barbara’s gathering place for recreation, arts, nature, and inspiration since 1985. Elings Park is made possible by community donations and receives no regular government funding. Visit www.ElingsPark.org.
About Channel Island Restoration
Channel Islands Restoration (CIR) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Santa Barbara, California, dedicated to safeguarding rare and endangered plants and animals through habitat restoration. Focused on the unique ecosystems of the California Channel Islands and the adjacent mainland, we work to revitalize and preserve these sensitive natural areas. Our mission extends to fostering environmental education by engaging local communities through lectures, volunteer restoration projects, and service trips. Additionally, we conduct research and monitoring to guide future conservation efforts, ensuring the ongoing protection of native habitats for generations to come.
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