In 2003, with support from former 2nd District County Supervisor Susan Rose and partially funded by the Southern California Wetlands Recovery Project, we built our third nursery with the mission of propagating native plants for the benefit of Santa Barbara county residents. The nursery was sited on 30-acres of property adjacent to the County Campus Foothill Open Space. Over the last 15 years, with help from area students and volunteers, thousands of plants were grown for hundreds of projects. This enabled the region to retain the biological diversity for which the Santa Barbara area is renowned. As times have changed, so have the needs of the community and the nursery is now being decommissioned. The nursery is currently being recycled into other Santa Barbara-area projects. The hoop house is going to SBCC where it will continue to be used by students practicing their horticultural skills. The irrigation and benches will be used at our other nursery, either expanding tabletop space or replacing aging benches.
