Beach Homes in Paradise!

Caravan Beach Properties with Carla

Wednesdays is Broker Tour in Montecito and Carpinteria.  This Wednesday was a particularly gorgeous day.  After a week of pretty heavy rain storms the skies were a magical BLUE!  A perfect day to look at beach properties! Come along with me and dream....

Fernald Point in Montecito

listed at $13,250,000

 built in 1929 this Monterey Colonial is truly a "beach house".

 located in the historic gated enclave of Montecito's Fernald Cove

property is +/- 6700 s.f. of living space complete with cabana and guest house

magnificent Ocean Vistas

 This luxurious Padaro Lane compound includes 175 ft of beach frontage

located between Montecito & Carpinteria

situated on 1.95 acres beachfront property includes 9,000+/- s.f of luxury

including a guest house listed at $26,900,000

Beautiful Butterfly Beach located right in front of the historical

Four Seasons Biltmore Hotel and Spa on Channel Drive in Montecito

Nestled in the exclusive Seaside enclave of Sea Meadow at Miramar Beach

French Normandy Estate built in 2001 

$11,950,000

These properties are currently listed for sale in the Santa Barbara Multiple Listing System.

for complete access to all listed properties go to 

http://www.santabarbaradreams.com/

Zoo News

The Santa Barbara Zoo......a major local treasure

Young Otter Pups Thrive

On your next visit to the Zoo, make sure to stop by the otter exhibit. The five pups, born in August to Bob & Jillian (named by donors Peter & Pieter Crawford-van Meeuwen), recently received access to the "big" pool in their exhibit. Not only are they nearly as big as their parents now, but they're also very active - they play, dive, swim, and run all over the exhibit.

The Zoo's newest arrival has yet to make his public debut. Daniel (named by donors Chad & Ginni Dreier), the Masai giraffe calf born in January, is doing well and continues to grow. We anticipate he'll join the other giraffes out on exhibit this spring.

Celebrate with Us at These Upcoming Events

Elephants' 40th Birthday Celebration

Saturday, February 26th - 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 pm.

Asian elephants Sujatha and Little Mac are feted as "fit and fabulous at 40" at an upcoming birthday celebration at the Santa Barbara Zoo. The two females, who recently lost a total of more than 3600 pounds, are to enjoy a "spa day" of pedicures, grooming and brushing, snacks of health-conscious foods, some painting, and jumbo-sized birthday cakes and piñatas. Keeper talks reveal the special care received by the Zoo's elephants (like daily pedicures) and the challenges facing their endangered counterparts in the wild. Check the event calendar for the full schedule of activities.

Princess Day
Saturday, March 12 - 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Meet Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Cinderella in person as princesses from around the world unite for frog conservation on Princess Day. There will be special shows...with princesses. Photo opportunities...with princesses. Games with princesses and...lots of princesses. There are frog-inspired crafts, games, and special animal appearances. Plus, find out how zoos and aquariums around the world are working together to save amphibians.

It’s B.Y.O.T. (Bring Your Own Tiara), and costumes are encouraged…frog kissing is optional. Princes, cowboys, and superheroes are also welcome.

Zoo-To-Do

Saturday, March 5 - 8:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

You Belong in the Zoo!

Volunteer at Zoo-to-Do or Find Your Summer Job at the Job Fair

Community members help with a Zoo improvement project during this one day, Zoo-to-Do. Past projects include beautification of the Zoo gardens and exhibits. Volunteers receive lunch and two Zoo guest passes.

Cost: None, volunteer event. Pre-registration is required and participants must be 13 years of age or older; please email the Conservation Education Department or call (805) 962-5339, ext. 152 for more information.

Santa Barbara Zoo Annual Job Fair

Tuesday, March 15 - 4:00 – 6:00 p.m.

Discover the "wildest" summer jobs in town for anyone aged 14 and over. Meet the staff and learn about the many job and volunteer opportunities at the Zoo. Refreshments and special animal encounters for those filling out applications. Teen applicants are encouraged to bring their parents. Please contact Corinne Santini at (805) 962-5339, ext. 108 for more information.

California Condor Nest Monitor Training

Registration Required - R.S.V.P. Now!

The Santa Barbara Zoo, in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, will be training nest monitors for the 2011 season as part of the California Condor Recovery Program. During the 2007-2010 nesting seasons, we fledged 11 chicks in southern California! This is an unprecedented accomplishment and we invite you to join us as we undertake our fifth season of nest guarding. The trainings will cover topics including an introduction to the project, observation protocols, and our ethogram.

Training Part 1 of 2: The Egg StageWednesday, February 23rd, 6:30PM-8:30PM

Training Part 2 of 2: The Chick StageDate/Time TBA at Training Part 1

Prerequisite: Training Part 1

Register Now for Spring Zoo Camp!

Monday - Friday, March 28 - April 1

Monday - Friday, April 4 - 8

9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Join us for some wild spring break fun! The Santa Barbara Zoo's award-winning Zoo Camps for ages 3 - 9 introduce kids to the wild world of animals and science. Campers will enjoy learning about the Zoo's animals through games, crafts, up-close animal encounters, and behind-the-scenes tours.

Cost per day: SB Zoo Members $40; Non-members $45
(Register for five or more days and get $20 off your total!)
Optional Lunch Package: $8.50/day (vegetarian options available)

Santa Barbara Zoo
500 Niños Drive, Santa Barbara, CA 93103

(805) 962-5339

www.sbzoo.org

zooinfo@sbzoo.org

all information, including photos from SB Zoo Newsletters

The Monarchs Are Back!

Monarch Butterfly Preserve in Goleta

a magical sight to see

Off Coronado Drive at the far end of Goleta near the Sandpiper Golf Course is the Ellwood Butterfly Preserve, where thousands of Monarch Butterflies cling together in an amazing mating ritual  in the grove of Eucalyptus Trees.  They come to visit from the Western US, from  November through February to seek our temperate climate.

 Traveling from South to North on Hwy 101 take the Glen Annie/Storke Road off-ramp towards the Ocean, turn right on Hollister Avenue and follow Hollister until you see the sign at the left.  You will be almost at the Sandpiper Golfcourse and the Bacara Destination Resort.  Wear comfortable shoes and clothes, bring a jacket or sweater.  It is a short hike to get to the actual preserve, the path is uneven and the large Eucalyptus Grove creates cool shade.

There is free parking and signs mark the observation trail at the Preserve.

The Preserve is owned and maintained by the Land Trust of Santa Barbara and supported by donations.

Apparently this year Santa Barbara County had the highest population of all sites with more than 27,000 butterflies per Gilbert Perleberg, caretaker of the Preserve. (Can you imagine counting the butterflies?)

(pictures and information from the Santa Barbara Newspress 2/12/2011)

Butterfies can be seen mating on the pathways as one walks to the preserve, so be cautioned to be observant and careful.

The best time to visit is around 3-4 pm.  The afternoon sun brings out the reds and oranges in the wings of the butterflies.  It is an amazing and magical sight to see. Local children often visit the Preserve with their schools, and of course the site draws many visitors each season. 

Our family has become so enamored by the Monarchs that we plant many species of plants which attract butterflies.  We have also planted the Milk-Weed plants all over our gardens so that the caterpillars come to eat.  A couple of caterpillars can devour an entire plant in a couple of days.  Milk Weed plants are available by seed or plant at local nurseries and re-seed themselves very easily...in fact prolifically if they like your garden.  Once you have an established food source for the Caterpillars you will have a garden of mature Monarchs dancing in your flowers.  Here are some pictures taken by our son, Jon of a Pupea and a Monarch taking nectar from a flower in our garden.

photos by Jon Reeves