Free Nature Walks of Elings Park are returning for the third year with a slate of new topics about the 230-acre park’s biodiversity.
Led by Santa Barbara Botanic Garden experts, the guided walks begin Saturday, March 8 focusing on the topic Botanical Shapes: Drawing in the Field, and continue monthly through December.
The walks are part of an on-going collaboration between the Botanic Garden and Elings Park, and each walk includes a visit to the one-acre California-native plant restoration project in South Park.
Nature walks are held at 9 a.m. the second Saturday of the month, starting at the Elings Park Softball Fields parking lot. No reservations are needed.
To learn more, visit https://sbbotanicgarden.org/classes-events/nature-walks-at-elings-park.
“These walks are the perfect introduction to the park’s natural side,” said Dean Noble, Elings Park executive director Dean Noble.
“Though we host softball, BMX, concerts, and more, much of the park is undeveloped,” he said. “Here’s a chance to learn about the plants, birds, and bugs that live here, and see how we can work together to make it even more conducive for wildlife and for humans.”
New topics include three walks with garden bug specialists, such as July’s Flower Visitors and Other Insect Residents; August’s Fantastic Flies and Other Bugs You Didn’t Know You Love; and October’s Spiders and Other Weird Critters.
History and Restoration at Elings Park in June offers an overview of the park’s past and current restoration efforts.
Two walks focus on iNaturalist, an online social network for sharing nature observations: April is Exploring Plants and Bugs using iNaturalist; and May’s walk subject is Introduction to the iNaturalist Plants for those interested in the garden’s pollinators project.
Hands-on experiences include Botanical Shapes in March, and the Inside Scoop on Preparing Press Planted Museum Specimens in November.
Bird walks in September and December take advantage of the Western fall migration along the Pacific Flyway.
“We’re not just building habitat and conducting research at Elings Park and elsewhere, we’re building a community of people who want to help nature,” said Denise Knapp, director of conservation and research at the garden.
“When we walk the park together, we explore interconnections of the natural world, from the tiniest insects to bees, birds, and other wildlife,” she said. “If we can inspire someone during a morning walk in a place they already love, they can carry that experience into their own backyards and landscapes across Santa Barbara – and beyond.”
In addition to offering the free walking events, Elings Park is looking for volunteers to help with ongoing garden maintenance and research. Learn more here.