Wednesday, February 19: Rare Plants of Santa Barbara County: Why Uncommon Plants Matter and What We’re Doing to Save Them
Free lecture with Heather Schneider
Late-blooming Mariposa Lily, Calochortus fimbriatus. Photo by George Williams [CC by SA 3.0]
Wednesday, February 19, 7:00 p.m.
Los Olivos Community Organization Hall
2374 Alamo Pintado Avenue, Los Olivos
Santa Barbara Jewelflower, Caulanthus amplexicaulis var. amplexicaulis. Photo by Dr. Schneider
With more than 6,500 kinds of native plants, California is the most botanically diverse state in the nation. However, more than one-third of those plants are considered rare. The Santa Barbara area is home to more than 150 kinds of rare plants. But why should we care about rare plants? Dr. Schneider will answer that question while highlighting some of the unique and beautiful rare plants found in Santa Barbara County. She’ll also tell you what to look for while hiking this spring and share some of the work that the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden is doing to advance rare plant conservation. There will be a very brief Annual Members’ Meeting before the lecture; please see the previous post.
Dr. Heather Schneider of the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden. Photo courtesy of Dr. Schneider
Dr. Heather Schneider is the Rare Plant Biologist at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden where she is involved in research, conservation, and outreach, and also manages the Garden’s conservation seed bank. She earned a PhD in botany from the University of California, Riverside and has worked across California and the American West on topics such as ecology, evolutionary biology, conservation, invasive plants, and desert tortoise biology.
