A proclamation in honor of Ganna Walska Lotusland’s 30th anniversary as a public garden was presented by Santa Barbara Mayor Randy Rowse on Nov. 17.

Mayor Randy Rowse and Janet Rowse hold up proclamation being presented to Lotusland Board trustees Laura Bridley and Jeanne Anderson.
Mayor Randy Rowse and Janet Rowse hold up proclamation being presented to Lotusland Board trustees Laura Bridley and Jeanne Anderson. Credit: Courtesy photo

On hand to receive the decree were Lotusland Board trustees Laura Bridely and Jeanne Anderson, and Lotusland staff.

The visit from the mayor and his wife Janet Rowse coincided with Lotusland’s Open Pathways Community Access Days, which provided reduced-rate entry to Santa Barbara residents.

The two-day program, supported by Lily Hahn, was designed to promote well-being and nature connection. Garden visitors took part in free mindfulness sessions and sound baths presented by Kind Mind and Palma Collective.

Operating under a conditional use permit restricting annual visitor access to 20,000 people, Community Access Days represents a commitment to Lotusland’s mission to promote education and enhance the community’s ability to experience this vital horticultural resource.

Since opening to the public in 1993, Lotusland is funded almost entirely by grants and donations.

To ensure the garden’s long-term future, the board launched Lotusland Forever, a multi-year capital and endowment campaign to raise funds for a number of programs including:

Restoration and preservation of its historic buildings; green upgrades to infrastructure; sustainable horticulture initiatives; and innovations such as a new plant nursery. The nursery assists in the conservation Lotusland’s 3,400 plant species, many of which are endangered or extinct in the wild.

Learn more at lotusland.org.