We haven’t yet seen high numbers of monarchs in Ellwood this year, but we are celebrating the success of multiple projects that will contribute to restoring the habitat they need to overwinter here.
Drainage and Erosion Control
November brought a lot of rain to our area – about 9 inches over seven days! We were pleased to see the Ellwood drainage, erosion and trail improvements held up well. The Santa Barbara Shores culvert was undamaged, the new trails reduced erosion and are safer when muddy than the previous trails, and the drainage pools beneath the main butterfly viewing area slowed and held water as they were designed.
Fire Related Tree and Vegetation Work
Fire crews worked from May through October removing and chipping dead and downed logs and twigs, removing ladder fuels (tall grasses, shrubs, and low-hanging branches that create a vertical path for wildfire to climb from the ground into tree canopies and structures), removed non-native shrubs and trees, and felled standing dead or unhealthy high risk trees. They used heavy equipment and hand tools to complete 60 acres of work. Reducing the risk of wildfire in the forest and adjacent neighborhoods is an ongoing responsibility. Fire-related vegetation work will resume in 2026.
Volunteer Stewardship
What an amazing year it’s been for habitat restoration in Ellwood Mesa! In 2025, we had over 1,000 sign ins for 29 volunteer work days. Together we planted more than 550 trees, 2500 plants, laid irrigation, watered, mulched, weeded and generally showed love and appreciation for this special place. Thank you to everyone who showed up. Find out about future volunteer opportunities at CityofGoleta.org/Ellwood-now.
Seasonal Monarch Counts are Low
Our bi-weekly counts of monarchs in Ellwood are low again this year. As of December 1, the highest count was 20. This is similar to last season, when the highest count was 34 in mid-November 2024. This isn’t the lowest we’ve seen, though. In 2020-2021, only 10 monarchs were seen in a single day. Then, during each of the next three seasons (October 2021 through March 2024), we counted tens of thousands of monarchs. This gives us hope. Follow our bi-weekly counts at GoletaButterflyGrove.com.
Monarchs in Ellwood – Maximum Population per Overwintering Season* 2015-2025
*Maximum population is the greatest number counted on a single day during
the overwintering season (October-March).
