Field trip with Larry Ballard

Sunday, December 17, 9:00 to 11:30 a.m.
UCSB campus
Participation is limited to 20. Advance registration is required for this field trip and will open at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, November 17 for members and on November 27 for nonmembers at syvnhs@syvnature.org or 805/693-5683.
Members $10 / Nonmembers $25 / Children $5
Directions and meet-up location will be emailed to registered participants.

The UCSB campus boasts more than 250 tree species from six continents, including several rare or unusual trees not found elsewhere in the Santa Barbara area. In this walking tour with Larry Ballard, we will take a look at the architecture of trees, discuss identification tips, and introduce participants to many of our local urban trees. Along with more common species we’ll see such locally uncommon introductions as firewheel tree, giant fishtail palm, coast banksia, Guadalupe palm, banyan fig, and mallet flower. The tour will also visit a national champion Big Tree!

Groundskeepers, the staff of the biology greenhouse, a variety of faculty, and a former UCSB Chancellor have all contributed to the establishment of this dynamic botanical diversity. Our trip is timed for the holiday break at the university, and we’ll find the campus to be relatively quiet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Larry Ballard is a natural history educator with a focus on botany and has been a popular field trip leader for the SYVNHS and other organizations for over 25 years. He has offered past tours of the famous collection of trees at UCSB, as well as educational walks to introduce the trees of Alameda Park in Santa Barbara and the street trees in the valley communities of Los Olivos, Santa Ynez, and Solvang.