Science & Tech
The Race to Save Golden Rockweed
Santa Barbara scientists are cultivating restoration sites to get ahead of climate change.
Outdoors
Circling San Miguel
Braving wind and swell, a kayaker circumnavigates his favorite of the Channel Islands.
Animals
Western Snowy Plover: The Hardiest Shorebird
The threatened species has been aided by successful agency partnerships.
Animals
The Long-Tailed Weasel: Cute but Fierce
These Carrizo Plain residents are one of North America’s most voracious predators.
Outdoors
Lost Coast Sojourns
Santa Barbara has its own unique rugged coastal topography within relatively easy reach.
Outdoors
Strolling Among the Rarest
From Santa Cruz Island to Carpinteria Avenue, Torrey pines loom large.
Animals
Tracking Frosty the Orca
This apex predator has become one of the most recognizable killer whales in our ocean.
Animals
Return of the Flying Penguin
Common murres make their way — in their own way — back to the Channel Islands.
Animals
Ghost Herd
Sespe Wilderness’s desert bighorn sheep numbers are on the rise as wildfires make them safer from predators.
Outdoors
Hike and Ramble On | It’s a Great Time to Get Outside and Enjoy Santa Barbara’s Trails
From Guadalupe to Carpinteria, Montecito, the Channel Islands, and more, there’s no shortage of great spots to enjoy nature.
Animals
A Mugging in the Santa Barbara Channel
Whaling away with the humpbacks is a rare and wonderful occurrence in this area.
Outdoors
Hugging the Big Sur Coast
Paddling and kayaking the rugged coast is a challenging but enticing adventure.
Animals
Capturing Leviathans
Santa Barbara–based wildlife cameraman Adam Ernster on documenting the planet’s largest animals.
Animals
Adorable Rodents on the Highveld Beat
Giant kangaroo rats are the eco-gardeners of California’s grasslands.
Outdoors
Backcountry Ramble
Trekking with a group of Carpinteria lifeguards and Channel Islands guides.
Animals
Newtified
What’s newt? Our expert outdoorsman expounds on these Santa Barbara creek dwellers.
Animals
Island Foxes Are Back at the Channel Islands on Santa Barbara’s Coast
Flora and fauna work together to help restore population.
My Quest for Badger
I’ve spent years scouring the Carrizo Plain for these hoarders of the high veld.
Capturing the Natural Moment
Wildlife Cinematographer Mark Romanov delves deep underwater and high in the air to explore the natural world on film.
Gone Wildflowering
Santa Cruz Island is where the wildflowers are this spring.
Outdoors
Unleashing Winter’s Fury — and Beauty — on the Carrizo Plain
Grassland turns into arctic snow at the Carrizo Plain National Monument.
Animals
The Secretive Island Skunks of Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa Islands
Chuck Graham spots the stripes of the secretive island skunks of Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa Islands.
Animals
The Channel Islands’ Bald Eagle Brothers
A-04, the shyest of the siblings, is spotted at San Miguel Island.
Ocean Havens: 50 Years of National Marine Sanctuaries
Protections have led to many species returning to the Santa Barbara Channel.
Outdoors
Bridging the Gap: Construction Begins on Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Corridor
The crossing, which will be the biggest in the world, will link critical Southern California habitats.
Animals
A Visit to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, America’s Last, Best Place
The threat of oil drilling still looms over the fragile expanse.
Outdoors
How to Shoot Wildlife Photography from a Kayak
Here are some tips and tricks for capturing bald eagles and better around Channel Islands National Park.
Animals
San Simeon’s Rookery on the Rise
Pinnipeds proliferate at second-largest northern elephant seal colony in the world.
Animals
Where Do Sandhill Cranes Winter in a California Drought?
Finding Safe Harbor by moving from a dry Soda Lake to a wet Pixley Refuge.
Animals
White Whale and Dalmatian Dolphin Spotted in Santa Barbara Channel
The orca and bottlenose both have “leucism” that lightens their skin.