SBSanta Barbara
Field Guide

Local knowledge · thoughtfully edited

The field collection · Back to I’m Local

Chapter one · Mountains to Sea

The Natural World

Know the bird overhead.
The tree beside the path.
The life beneath the tide.

Gardens & streets

The planted
landscape.

Five plants photographed by Stuart—succulents, flowering shrubs, and familiar garden color—with careful identification notes.

Open the garden notebook →
Foxtail agave photographed by Stuart SchonwetterYellow flowering shrub photographed by Stuart SchonwetterPride of Madeira after flowering, photographed by Stuart Schonwetter

Wild encounters · Coast, canopy & tide pools

Begin with three recognizable neighbors, then follow each note into the larger habitat.

Coast Live Oak

Woodlands & neighborhoods

Coast Live Oak

Quercus agrifolia

A spreading evergreen canopy holds a small world of its own. Start with the leaves, then look for the life around them.

Open field note Photograph by Stuart Schonwetter