Museum of Natural History, a Santa Barbara Treasure

Greetings from the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. It is such a beautiful time of year at our Sea Center on Stearns Wharf and at our Mission Creek campus. And the creek is running after our recent storms! Beloved Blue Whale Skeleton Gets a Tune Up The first thing visitors see when they come to visit the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History is our incredible Blue Whale skeleton.  Blue Whales are considered to be the largest animal in the history of planet. The skeleton is a generational icon, so it was fitting that in 2010 Museum Trustee Doug Dreier and his family made a leadership gift to support the exhibit and named the whale “Chad,” which is the middle name of three generations of men in the Dreier Family. The 73-foot skeleton was originally installed at the Museum entrance after the young male washed ashore near Vandenberg Air Force Base in August, 1980. After a few decades of being on display in the open air, the skeleton had deteriorated and required some much needed "R&R" (repair and restoration) which took place in 2010. Keeping “Chad” in top shape takes some serious effort and more than a little creativity.  Chad is one of only five complete Blue Whale skeletons on exhibit in the United States. It is the most complete with 90 percent of the bones being real Blue Whale bones. Chris Orr was recently hired by the Museum to help us repair and maintain the whale. Orr has been doing research on improved methodologies and materials to lengthen the time between needed repairs. He is trained as a (human) prosthetic technician and has been building artificial limbs with epoxies and carbon fiber, aramid, fiberglass, and other fabrics for a number of years. After noticing that traditional materials used to protect the bones were prone to failure, Chris decided to try using materials from his prosthetic work to protect Chad. The repairs done to date are dramatically outperforming traditional materials! After painstakingly removing all the original protective materials, Orr utilizes a fabric called NSP (made from basalt) that is similar to carbon fiber but is significantly more resistant to ultra violet light. It also has a burst/tear strength that is significantly greater than that of fiberglass cloth. Where the original materials cracked as the ribs expanded and contracted, Chris’s solution holds together, keeping the bones protected from the elements. The restoration project is now about halfway complete and full restoration is expected by summer 2017. The next time you visit, take a closer look and check out our progress. If you are lucky enough to see Chris at work, thank him for all he’s doing to ensure that Chad delights and inspires visitors young and old for years to come. For more information on the fascinating history of the recovery, transport, preservation, assembly, installation, and restoration of this iconic symbol of the Museum of Natural History, visit our website at www.sbnature.org/exhibitions/234. With these monthly communications, I will be providing exciting updates about the renovations that will begin in selected spaces around the Museum this Summer. We have wonderful new programs and exhibitions lined up for this year. The Museum will remain open and vibrant at all times. Additional changes are in store for the Sea Center; the place where the Santa Barbara Channel comes into close view and touch.   Thank You Once again, thank you for your tremendous support of the Museum and Sea Center. Whether you are a volunteer, donor, visitor, or researcher, we couldn't do it without you! Warm regards, Luke J. Swetland President & CEO  for more information about the Museum of Natural History, click here

Return Investment Information from the California Association of Realtors

Carpinteria, California

The Enchanting Coastal Community In Southern California That Everyone Should Experience At Least Once

Southern California is a treasure trove of beach towns that are always a delight to explore. Although you may have explored many of SoCal’s coastal communities before, there’s one sleepy town that may not have been on your radar.

If you’re looking for a delightful place for an enchanting escape, you will fall in love with this quaint coastal setting where you can hike, spend the day at the beach, explore an abundance of natural settings, and stroll along the main street for some window shopping at local boutiques. So where is this little SoCal gem? Let’s take a tour.

The charming coastal town of Carpinteria, located in Santa Barbara County, is a quaint destination where you will feel like one of the locals.

for a virtual tour of this charming coastal town, please click this link



credit: this entire post is from YourState.com

Burglar Proof Your Home

Santa Barbara Film Fest Opens in Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara International Film Festival

For a full schedule of films and events, click this link

So excited for the screening of @chargedfilm as our Opening Night Film presented by UGG. We couldn't kick off the event with a more amazing movie!

Santa Barbara Film Fest Opens With Doc 'Charged,' a Tale of Survival and Human Resilience

The film follows a chef and TV personality who endured a near-fatal jolt of electricity — losing his hand and several ribs — before later being diagnosed…

Strutting For Red Santa Barbara Friday 2-3-2017

On National Wear Red Day, Friday, February 3, the Santa Barbara community will strut down State Street to shine light on the startling fact that heart disease is the #1 killer of women. 

Please join us as we rock our red to raise awareness of heart disease in women.

The strut will begin at the new Village Properties office on State Street, then end at Paseo Nuevo Mall, with Red Carpet photo opportunity, health educational booths and a complimentary appetizer reception hosted by California Pizza Kitchen. This event is free and open to the public, we just ask that you RSVP by January 30th.

For questions: Sbevents@heart.org or 805-963-8862

For information on the Santa Barbara Go Red For Women Luncheon please visit GoRedSB.heart.org

*Please note this event is weather permitting and will be cancelled if it rains. Thank you!

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Community Involvement is Important Good for Business!

Village Properties' Agents regularly contribute a part of their commission to this wonderful non-profit which helps local teachers get needed materials for their classroom, which are not normally in the school budget!  To learn about The Teacher's Fund, click here