Santa Ynez Valley Natural History Society

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

Return Visit to the Magnificent Trees of UCSB

Sunday, December 28, 2025

Photo of an enormous tree with a broad, spreading canopy. About 20 people are standing under the tree. They all fit.
SYVNHS field trip participants gathered beneath a massive Moreton Bay Fig (Ficus macrophylla) at UCSB in 2023. Photo by John Evarts.

Field trip with Larry Ballard

UCSB campus

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.  Due to popular demand, we are again offering a walking tour to introduce the magnificent trees at UCSB with Larry Ballard. He will be sharing some species not seen on previous trips, and we’ll also revisit some favorite specimen trees. We will take a look at the architecture of trees, discuss identification tips, and introduce participants to many of our local urban trees.

Flower of the aptly named Firewheel Tree (Stenocarpus sinuatus). Photo by TopTropicals.com CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Along with more common species, we’ll see locally uncommon introductions, such 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.

Botanist and tree enthusiast Larry Ballard admires a Screw Pine (Pandanus sp.) on the UCSB campus. 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: Sunday, December 28, 2025, 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 at UCSB
Participation limited to 20.
Advance registration is required and opens at 9:00 a.m. on November 29 for members and on December 13 for nonmembers at syvnhs@syvnature.org or 805/693-5683.
Field trip meet-up location and information will be sent to registrants.
Hike difficulty is rated as easy.
Members $15 / Nonmembers $30 / Children $5
SYVNHS field trip participants gathered beneath a massive Moreton Bay Fig (Ficus macrophylla) at UCSB in 2023. Photo by John Evarts.

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