This page is a community effort to gather and share the stories of Ellwood. It’s a work in progress, and we’d love your help in shaping it—whether through memories, photos, or reflections.
Join us in telling the story of this special place.
2005-2024
This section is in progress.
This era has a lot of details and it is a work in progress. .
If you have a story to tell, please scroll down. Thank you!
Wings of Wonder
Video credit: Channel C
Fall 2024
In the Fall of 2004 volunteers came to Ellwood almost every Saturday to restore this cherished landscape. With support from UC Santa Barbara’s Cheadle Center, the City of Goleta, Your Children’s Trees, and a coalition of local organizations, over 500 volunteers from 30 groups have contributed more than 1,700 hours to clear brush, dig holes, and plant native trees and plants.
The final workday of the year, led by the Bucket Brigade on December 7, brought together more than 60 volunteers who planted 36 trees—an effort that directly supports one of the most critical overwintering sites for monarch butterflies in the country.
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Video credit: Channel C
2025
The 20th anniversary of the preservation of Ellwood Mesa—a once-threatened landscape now protected from development—marks two decades of serving as a vital sanctuary for monarch butterflies, native habitats, and public recreation.
