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The public is invited to join conservation experts in a day-long exploration of successful ecological recovery efforts on California’s Channel Islands at Santa Barbara Botanic Garden’s 10th Annual Symposium, “Celebrating Recovery on the Islands of the Californias.” Three conservation “heroes” are honored, speakers from conservation organizations and agencies recount programs spanning decades and current activities, and the day culminates in a panel discussion with the experts about the future actions to support the recovery of the Islands’ unique flora and fauna.

The Symposium is held Saturday, February 25 from 10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. at the Santa Barbara County Education Office at 4400 Cathedral Oaks Road in Santa Barbara. Advance registration is required, and admission is $30 for the public, $25 for Garden Members, and $15 for students with a valid ID. Lunch and snacks are included. It is also available to view online for free. Register at https://sbbotanicgarden.org/classes-events/10th-annual-conservation-symposium.

The annual Santa Barbara Botanic Garden Conservation Symposium, established in 2012, addresses topics that are critical to environmental conservation in the region, as well as nationally and internationally. Established in 2007, the Honorable John C. Pritzlaff Conservation Award recognizes conservation achievements in California and around the world. It honors the former Garden Trustee’s life-long commitment to conservation and serves to inspire others to understand the importance of conservation and to take action.

Beginning with monoprints and photography from the 1980s, this exhibition follows the lineage of Nixson Borah’s practice towards his recent digital composites.

– Continuing its book launch series, the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum (SBMM) is pleased to host the local launch of Coyote Rescues Hawk, Chumash Elder Puchuk Ya’ia’c (Alan Salazar)’s latest book. This special event on Saturday, February 11, 2023, at 1:00 pm, will take place on the museum’s patio. It will include a reading from the book followed by a workshop with Salazar and illustrator/artist Mona Lewis for participants to create their own traditional Chumash seaweed rattles. As a founding member of the Chumash Maritime Association, storyteller, researcher, and knowledge keeper of Chumash history, Salazar will share some of the stories in his book and answer any questions audience members may have. Cost is $25 and includes all the materials to make a traditional seaweed rattle. Register at: https://sbmm.org/santa-barbara-event/alan-salazar-at-sbmm/ or by phone at 805-456-8747.

About Alan Salazar
Puchuk Yaʼiaʼc, Alan Salazar, is a tribal elder in both the Chumash and Fernañdino Tataviam Band of Mission Indians. As a founding member of the Chumash Maritime Association and a member of the California Indian Advisory Council for the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, he helped build the first traditional Chumash plank tomol (canoe) in modern times and has paddled in all the historic crossings from Oxnard to Santa Cruz Island. At 71, Salazar is still paddling tomols and has the honor of mentoring many of the young Chumash paddlers, including his son and grandson.

About Mona Lewis
Mona Lewis’s family comes from the United Kingdom, France, and Scandinavia. She studied art at Santa Monica College, is a watercolor artist and has taught handwork in Waldorf schools since 1996. She is co‐director of the Waldorf Practical Arts Teacher Training program associated with the Southern California Waldorf Teacher Training Institute.

Lewis teaches artists of all ages, teachers, and home‐schooling families in the plant‐dye arts, making earth pigments, and the practical arts of the Waldorf curriculum. Mona is the author of Nature’s Paintbox: Colors from the Natural World for the Young Artist and Those Who Are Young at Heart) and has illustrated three books for Alan Salazar: Coyote Rescues Hawk, A Chumash Story; A Tataviam Creation Story; and Tata, the Tataviam Towhee, a Tribal Story. All four books are available online at: www.sunspritehandwork.com.

Employment law firm LightGabler is presenting a free employment law webinar, “The Weather's Great, Wish You Were Here--Handling Employee Absence, Use and Misuse of Paid Time Off and Related Disciplinary Issues.” The webinar is Wednesday, February 22 from 10:30 a.m. to noon.

Providing state-mandated sick leave, vacation or combined paid time off to employees is the easy part. Figuring out how to handle employees' use and misuse of that time is a far bigger challenge. What is an excused absence? When can you ask the employee to provide a doctor's note? How do you address excessive absenteeism without inviting a disability discrimination lawsuit?

In this webinar for employers, supervisors and human resource professionals, LightGabler employment law attorney Karen L. Gabler will discuss a variety of issues related to employees' use and abuse of paid time off policies and related legal risks for the employer.

Reservations are required. Attendance is limited to no more than two logins per company. Login instructions will be provided upon registration and again via email the day prior to the webinar. To register, go to https://www.lightgablerlaw.com/seminars.

For more information about LightGabler, visit www.LightGablerlaw.com or call 805-248-7208.

Santa Barbara will again join with Women’s March sisters nationally to remind our representatives (and each other) that Women’s Rights are Human Rights! Community gathering in De La Guerra Plaza at 11am, with music and dancing, will include tables from many local organizations with ways to take action locally, and to make signs.

Speakers will start at noon, followed by march up State St. and back.

Bring friends! Visit our Women’s March Santa Barbara Facebook page for more information, or contact us at womenmarchingsb@gmail.com

The Lobero Golden Eagle flies again! Join us the evening of February 2 at the Museum to view a short film, which tells the saga of the Lobero Golden Eagle. Recovered from an 1854 shipwreck, the eagle graced the stage of the Lobero Opera House for years before disappearing. Learn of its recovery and restoration just in time to celebrate the Lobero Theatre’s 150th anniversary.

Southern California based pianist, Jason Stoll, will draw on his wide-ranging repertoire
in a concert designed to lift the spirits of the audience. The eclectic program includes “Fantasy on Themes from Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story,” by young composer Andy Villemez, along with works by Granados, Ravel, Chopin, and Beethoven, among others.

The concert will also showcase the talent of classical violinist Kaitlyn Greenwood, a local high school student.

Simi Valley Environmental Services Director Stratis Perros will appear at a meeting on Saturday, Feb. 18 to discuss with community members a pathway to more affordable housing in a city where many lower income workers cannot afford to live or must endure overcrowded conditions or work at multiple jobs to reside there.

The meeting, organized by the local nonprofit organization Buen Vecino, will be held from 10 a.m.to noon at Nueva Esperanza Covenant Church, 4680 Alamo St. in Simi Valley. The session will provide a space for community members to learn, share their experiences, ask questions, and share what they wish to see change with regards to housing.

Perros heads a city agency that coordinates the city's development, including land use planning and affordable housing programs. Its Housing Resources Section's mission is to create a strong, sustainable, inclusive community with quality housing for all of the city's residents.

Buen Vecino Community Organizer Guadalupe Jasso will also speak at the event about the needs and benefits of affordable development and grassroots community advocacy.

Among topics to be covered are the city's General Plan Housing Element, inclusive affordable housing, accessory dwelling units, and community engagement, including the City Council's agendas relating to housing. The meeting offers an opportunity for affordable housing supporters to address plans and projects that they deem most crucial to be high on the city's priority list.

In addition to Buen Vecino, several other community organizations will be present.

The event will be bilingual and fully accessible to English and Spanish speakers. Registration for this free event is available online at: www.bit.ly/simihousing

For information, contact Buen Vecino at (805) 283-9828.

It's Free Family Day-- the day of the month when admission to the garden is waived all day for all guests! Help us celebrate by bringing your family down to SLOBG to explore the beautiful plant collection, talk to docents and plant experts throughout the garden, and participate in fun family activities!

This month, join us and our community partners, including Cuesta College, The IDEA Project, and the Marine Mammal Center, for our very first STEAM Fair! We will be presenting fun activities in science, technology, engineering, art and math throughout the Children's Garden!

After a three-year hiatus due to challenges brought on by the pandemic, the 37th Annual California Strawberry Festival will take place Saturday and Sunday, May 20-21. For the first time, the event will be held at the Ventura County Fairgrounds (10 W. Harbor Blvd., Ventura, CA 93001). Festivalgoers can indulge in strawberry treats from over 50 food and beverage booths. The festival features artists and crafters, a Ninja Nation obstacle course, live entertainment on two stages, Strawberryland for kids and "build-your-own" strawberry shortcake.

An estimated 1.5 million strawberries will be consumed over the two-day festival. Vine-ripened strawberries grown in the Oxnard Plain are considered by many to be the juiciest strawberries in the world. Since its inception, the nonprofit California Strawberry Festival has donated over $5 million to Southern California charitable organizations. Hours are 10:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., both days. Admission is $15, active military with ID and family and seniors 62 and over, $10, youth ages 5 to 12, $8, children 4 and under, free. Limited parking onsite, Free shuttles. Amtrak station across the street. For more information, go to www.CAStrawberryFestival.org or email info@castrawberryfestival.org.