Santa Ynez Valley Natural History Society

Dedicated to the study, exploration, and appreciation of natural history
in the Santa Ynez Valley region.

UCSB Trees

Thursday, June 18, 2026

Coast banksia (Banksia integrifolia) is native to the eastern coast of Australia and produces flowers year-round that attract insects, birds, and bats.  Photo by John Evarts.

Field trip with Larry Ballard

UCSB campus

Due to popular demand, we are once again offering a walking tour with Larry Ballard to visit a varied selection of trees on the campus of UCSB. With more than 250 species from six continents, UCSB is among the best locations in California to see both common and unusual trees in an urban landscape. The campus grounds also contain several rare or unusual trees not found elsewhere in the Santa Barbara area. Larry will be sharing some favorite specimens from past trips as well as adding some new species. He will also discuss the architecture of trees and identification tips. Along with more familiar trees, we’ll encounter some locally uncommon introductions, such as firewheel tree, giant fishtail palm, coast banksia, Guadalupe palm, banyan fig, and mallet flower.

The thick spongy bark of cork oak (Quercus suber) can be removed (by hand) about every nine years without killing the tree, which makes this oak a valued forest and plantation tree in the western Mediterranean.  Photo by John Evarts.

Groundskeepers, the staff of the UCSB 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 break between spring and summer classes, and we’ll find the campus to be more quiet than usual.

Strawberry snowball tree is (Dombeya cacuminum) native to the tropicl forests of Madagascar and takes its common name from its large round clusters of pink flowers. Photo by John Evarts.

 

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.

How to Register

Event date: Thursday, June 18, 2026, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Participation limited to 20.
Registration opens at 9:00 a.m. on May 18 for members and on May 27 for nonmembers at syvnhs@syvnature.org or 805/693-5683.
Field trip meet-up location and information will be sent to registrants.

East African yellowwood (Afrocarpus gracilior) is a conifer of higher elevations of equatorial Africa whose cone resembles a hard berry, similar to the junipers (Juniperus spp.) native to California.  Photo by John Evarts.

Hike difficulty is rated as easy.
Members $15 / Nonmembers $30 / Children $5

 

 

 

 

 

 

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