Nestled within the thirty acres of one of the most beautiful zoos sits a small parcel of land dedicated to education, conservation and promotion of gardening at the Santa Barbara Zoo. The idea of an onsite garden had been bounced back and forth among
Nestled within the thirty acres of one of the most beautiful zoos sits a small parcel of land dedicated to education, conservation and promotion of gardening at the Santa Barbara Zoo. The idea of an onsite garden had been bounced back and forth among staff for a number of years. After the completion of a new education facility, the dilapidated education-trailer which served as a makeshift office was demolished and there was now 165 square meters of empty space. With this space surrounded by our California Trails, animal exhibits native to California, and several public pathways there was no better spot to start development of an educational space to teach our guests, staff, and zoo campers about EVERYTHING gardening.
As you walk the pathways into the garden it begins with two spaces dedicated to the world of pollinators featuring a variety of wildflowers and flowering shrubs leading to the heart of the garden an above ground planter showcasing a variety of citrus trees, pomegranates, tomatoes, herbs, tomatoes, and squashes all which grow food to help feed our 600-plus animals. To the right, our “living wall”, a simple hydroponic vertical garden growing a multitude of leafy greens, herbs and topped with pollinator-friendly flowering plants showcases how to become creative with space in our developing urban environment. Along the back of the garden sit our compost bins, rain collection barrels and worm bins which lead to the last plot featuring our native plants endemic to our unique Channel Islands.
This project is truly a community effort, being a non-profit organization our garden was generously supported by our local donors who agreed with our mission to create a garden space that would function to help feed our animals and educate the public. Our rain barrels, worm, and compost bins are all part of our local city and county’s programs to sell these at discounts to the residents. 