Celebrating Community Stewardship of Ellwood Mesa

2oth anniversary of Ellwood Mesa’s Protection on May 17, 2025 | At the podium

Ellwood Mesa has faced development threats several times throughout its history, but twenty-five years ago, those concerns reached a new peak when the Mesa—one of the most important monarch butterfly overwintering sites on the West Coast—was at serious risk of being developed. The community rallied, and the newly established City of Goleta, along with a developer, embraced their vision for a protected open space alongside a smaller footprint development. This gem of the Santa Barbara coast was protected and transferred to city ownership. Goleta Mayor Pro-Tempore Stuart Kasdin said of the protection effort, “There was no reason, no inevitability, no certainty that Elwood Mesa was going to be preserved. Yet some people, average people, ordinary people and yet exceptional people, stepped in to make it happen.”

The Need for Restoration

Since then, the city has done its best to steward the open space and its critical habitat for monarch butterflies. However, the eucalyptus trees that butterflies use for habitat on are dying and falling, posing challenges for the butterflies and increasing wildfire risks for the community. Ellwood Mesa needed a restoration plan, and Goleta's Parks and Open Space Manager George Thomson stepped up to lead the effort, raising critical funding from the Coastal Conservancy and engaging some of the world’s best butterfly and habitat biologists in support. But change is challenging. Despite the sound science and urgent need for action, there was significant community opposition to making any changes to Ellwood Mesa. 

2oth anniversary of Ellwood Mesa’s Protection on May 17, 2025 | Presentation

Engaging the Community

Thomson approached LegacyWorks for support in engaging the community and a broader set of partners in the restoration effort. He asked us to authentically engage community leaders and initiate public conversations focused on reshaping public perception and restoring trust. He also shared his hope to engage the community much more actively to enable community-driven stewardship of Ellwood and parks throughout Goleta. Goleta has a wealth of parks, but the Parks Department did not have the capacity to broadly engage the community. Our team’s Bill Leahy and Megan Miley got to work with the dual purpose of advancing community engagement in the Ellwood restoration and doing so in a way that would set the stage for real community stewardship of Ellwood and, we hope, parks throughout the region. 

Building Support for Ellwood Mesa

Over the course of more than a year, our team partnered with the City and other organizations like the Santa Barbara Bucket Brigade, the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, the Cheadle Center at UC Santa Barbara and others to engage the community, gather input, and build support for the restoration of Ellwood Mesa. Those efforts were a huge success, with convenings and a wide range of communications efforts, including a new website for Ellwood Mesa. More recently, our Central Coast Project Director, Melissa Fontaine, led the community-driven launch of Ellwood Friends, a fiscally-sponsored program of LegacyWorks. Ellwood Friends was established to promote public engagement, enhance communication between the City of Goleta and its residents, and foster community involvement in the stewardship of Ellwood Mesa. Ellwood Friends creates opportunities for dialogue with the City about the stewardship of Ellwood Mesa and enables direct action through volunteer service days, inviting community members to play a vital role in all aspects of stewardship.

2oth anniversary of Ellwood Mesa’s Protection on May 17, 2025 | Happy Attendee

Celebrating Community Commitment

On May 17, the community gathered to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the protection of Ellwood Mesa. Just as importantly, we celebrated Ellwood Mesa’s bright future thanks to strong community engagement and support for the ambitious restoration work underway.

Reflecting on the celebration, Ellwood Friends steering committee member Chuck Flacks shared that "The day was a powerful display of the community's role in the past preservation and ongoing stewardship of Ellwood Mesa." It was not merely an event; it was a declaration of the community’s love for and ongoing commitment to stewarding this treasured landscape.

The Path to Lasting Stewardship

The story of our work supporting the restoration and stewardship of Ellwood Mesa mirrors the stages of nurturing a garden. Initially, barriers to connection and trust between stakeholders had to be removed. As relationships were fostered between the city and its residents, the groundwork for community-driven stewardship in partnership with the city was laid. "Stewardship is not about doing everything," stated George Thomson. "It's about doing something, consistently, lovingly, and together." This sentiment reflects the essence of Ellwood Friends and the opportunities it offers for individuals to participate in the work that enables Ellwood Mesa to thrive.

Looking Ahead

With the community embracing its role as the steward of Ellwood Mesa, it becomes a collective responsibility, an open invitation to participate in the ongoing journey. As we look toward the future, the goal is clear— continue to inspire and expand community stewardship of this special place and other important parks and open spaces in the city and region. Please join Ellwood Friends, the City of Goleta, LegacyWorks, and all of our partners on this journey.