The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden fosters the conservation of California's native plants through our gardens, scientific resea ... rch, and education programs, and serves as a role model for sustainable action. Established in 1926, the Garden is one of the nation’s oldest native plant gardens and is renowned for its naturalistic landscapes. Located in the foothills of the Santa Ynez Mountains, the Garden’s 78 acres of living collections feature more than 1,200 taxa of California native plants from all regions of the state. The Garden has helped safeguard 34 highly endangered plant species, imparted the value of plant and ecological conservation to thousands of visitors, and served as a critical resource for botanists worldwide. We are accredited by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) as a living museum, certifying we maintain the highest standards of collections management, research and educational programs. read more