Author Archives: Jaime Shaw

Holiday Closures

City Hall, Goleta Valley Library and Goleta Community Center

The City of Goleta would like to wish our community a happy holidays! We would also like to remind you about our upcoming holiday closures. 

We look forward to a great 2026 in the Good Land!

New Mayor Pro Tempore Selected

Congrats to Councilmember Jennifer Smith (District 3) for being selected by the City Council as the next Mayor Pro Tempore at the December 16 Goleta City Council meeting. She will serve a one-year term. With this appointment comes a new seat next to the Mayor at Council meetings and an important leadership role representing the City.

As Mayor Pro Tempore, she will step in for Mayor Perotte at events or meetings during her absence. Thank you to Mayor Pro Tempore Jennifer Smith for stepping up to serve in this leadership position.

2026 Winter Bird Count 4 Kids

January 24, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. at Lake Los Carneros

Santa Barbara Audubon’s Society (SBAS) 12th Annual Winter Bird Count 4 Kids is Saturday, January 24, 2026, at Lake Los Carneros. Registration is from 9:00 – 9:30 a.m. in the Stow House parking lot – participants must register before 9:30 a.m.

The Winter Bird Count 4 Kids introduces young people to the fun of bird watching! Here’s what to expect:

  • A free birding basics event for kids 8-16 with a responsible adult
  • Guided walk around the lake with an experienced naturalist
  • Binocular Boot Camp – bring binoculars or borrow from SBAS
  • Free souvenir bird list and t-shirt (for the first 75 kids)
  • Record and tally the bird species you see

For more information, or to volunteer, go to https://santabarbaraaudubon.org/events/wbc4k/.

#TeamGoleta Job Opportunities

Are you looking for a rewarding career in local government? The City has a variety of positions available including:

  • Community Center Event Monitor/Building Attendant – part-time
  • Senior Engineer
  • Department Aide in Neighborhood Services – coming soon

Learn more about each position and how to apply here. Check back regularly for new listings.

Groundbreaking Monarch Research Takes Flight

Watch Video to Learn More  

For the first time on the Central Coast, cutting-edge monarch butterfly research is taking place right here in Goleta. Scientists from Althouse & Meade, in coordination with the City of Goleta, with funding from the USFWS and support from Ellwood Friends, are deploying ultra-light tracking tags on monarchs, offering an unprecedented look at how these iconic butterflies move, migrate, and survive. Watch this short video to learn more and see for yourself how exciting this research is!

The tags weigh about as much as a grain of rice and transmit data via Bluetooth through the Project Monarch app and the Motus network. This allows tagged butterflies to be detected as they travel through the landscape, providing detailed insights into migration patterns. Once the monarchs are tagged and active, the public can follow them on the Project Monarch app created by Cape May Point Science Center and Cellular Tracking Technologies.

Ellwood Mesa has long been a critical overwintering site for monarchs. With fewer butterflies arriving this season, scientists are expanding the study north and south along the Central Coast to collect more comprehensive data on overwintering movement and spring dispersal. The work is fully permitted and science-based, contributing directly to long-term habitat protection and species recovery.

Monarchs naturally experience variable survival during the overwintering season, and some butterflies will not survive the overwintering season. Every tagged butterfly, however, provides meaningful data to help scientists better understand and protect the species. Tags were recently deployed and activated, with the possibility for more tagging in January/February as monarchs disperse the overwintering sites. 

This project represents a rare and inspiring moment in conservation science, bringing cutting-edge research to Goleta and giving the public a chance to connect with monarchs in a meaningful way.

Learn more about monarch radio-tagging technology through a Monarch Joint Venture webinar and a recent New York Times article:

Photo above: A monarch butterfly wearing a tiny ‘backpack’ radio transmitter, photo by Charis van der Heide, Althouse and Meade

Year End at Ellwood Mesa

It’s been a busy year at Ellwood Mesa, check out all that has been going on:

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).

 

Free Christmas Tree Recycling

Give your Christmas tree a second life! MarBorg will be collecting trees free of charge after the holidays. To have your tree recycled, simply place it at the curb on your regular yard waste collection day. If you don’t have yard waste service, set it out on your regular trash collection day instead. Be sure to remove all ornaments, lights, and stands before placing your tree out for recycling.

Christmas trees can also be dropped off at the following locations for free through January 17, 2026:

  • South Coast Recycling & Transfer Station open Monday-Saturday 7:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. at 4430 Calle Real in Santa Barbara
  • Santa Ynez Valley Recycling & Transfer Station open Tuesday-Saturday 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. at 4004 Foxen Canyon Road in Los Olivos

Please remove all tree stands, lights, tinsel and ornaments, and cut any trees that are over 6 feet in length so that they will fit in MarBorg’s trucks.

For more information about Christmas tree recycling or for tips on preventing and reducing waste during the holiday season, visit the County’s waste reduction website www.LessIsMore.org.

California Lions Student Speaker Contest

The Goleta Santa Barbara Lions Club is seeking students in grades 9–12 who are ready to showcase their public speaking skills and compete for scholarship awards. This year’s topic is Youth Mental Health: Overcoming Barriers to Well-Being.

Contest Details:

  • Open to students in grades 9–12
  • Participants must deliver a 5–10 minute speech
  • State-level winner receives a cumulative $21,000 in scholarships

The registration deadline is January 31, 2026. To register, email jmhergert@yahoo.com.

The 2025 Student Speakers Contest winner was Reese Large of San Marcos High School, who advanced through both the club and zone levels. This is a great opportunity to build confidence, develop valuable skills, and compete for meaningful scholarships.

For more information, visit: https://goletasantabarbaralions.org/.


The three student finalists for the 2025 Student Speaker Contest from Left to Right: Angel Hernandez from Santa Barbara High School, Reese Large (Winner) from San Marcos High School, and Marshal Graham from Laguna Blanca School

Goleta’s Finest Wrap-Up

Goleta City Councilmembers and several staff members were honored to be part of a memorable evening put on by the South Coast Chamber of Commerce on December 5 celebrating the 75th Anniversary of Goleta’s Finest and our 2025 honorees. The gala featured inspiring speeches, heartfelt moments, and special recognition for the remarkable individuals who have made a lasting impact on the Goleta community.

The 2025 Goleta’s Finest Award recipients are:

  • Man & Woman of the Year – Ron and Patricia Caird
  • Lifetime Achievement Award – Anant Yardi
  • Educator of the Year – Sarah Ashton
  • Education Impact Award – Dos Pueblos Mock Trial Team
  • Student of the Year – Kennedy Fick
  • Student Leader of the Year – Reese Large
  • Nonprofit of the Year – The Friendship Paddle & Keiki Paddle
  • Health Impact Award – Arie DeJong
  • Volunteer of the Year – Jeff Zamora
  • Nonprofit Leader of the Year – Ernesto Paredes

These outstanding honorees capture the spirit of the Good Land. Learn more about each recipient here: https://tinyurl.com/3mh67f6f.

View photos from the event at https://tinyurl.com/3rsccy8d.

We are so proud of all of this year’s recipients and thank the Chamber and all the generous sponsors for putting on this wonderful event every year!


Group Photo


Goleta City Council and Staff, pictured left-to-right: City Manager Robert Nisbet, Community Relations Manager Kelly Hoover, Councilmember Jennifer Smith (District 3), Councilmember James Kyriaco (District 2), Councilmember Luz Reyes-Martín (District 1) and Assistant City Manager Jaime Valdez


Audience

Winter Reading Program Begins Dec. 20

Community members of all ages are invited to participate in the Goleta & Santa Ynez Valley Libraries’ 14th annual Winter Reading Program starting on December 20! The program is open to children, teens, and adults and will run for six weeks through January 31, 2026.

The 2025-26 theme is “Read with Benny”, the adorable mascot for our online logging system Beanstack who encourages our patrons to get cozy and enjoy reading this winter! The library’s collection of print and digital titles has something for every reader to explore – plus, weekly prize drawings and fun activity sheets will keep the winter magic alive all program long.

How It Works:

  • This program will be held through the online reading tracker Beanstack, which you may remember from the Summer Reading Program. Participants will log every book they read during the program, which automatically enters them into weekly prize drawings. Signing up is easy! Go to goletavalleylibrary.beanstack.com to create an online account and select the Winter Reading Challenge. Beanstack is available both as a website and a free app.

  • Paper entry forms are also available at each location for patrons who prefer to record their reading screen-free. These completed forms will be entered into the same weekly drawings.

  • Prize drawings will be held by age category for readers aged 0-5, 6-12, 13-17, and 18+. Drawings will be branch-specific for each of our library locations: Goleta Valley Library and the Bookvan, Solvang Library, and Buellton Library.

Participants are encouraged to read in whatever format they like best, including print books, graphic novels, eBooks, and audiobooks. This year we also have some suggested reading lists you can find on the Beanstack app or pick up a copy at your library.

For extra fun aside from prize entries, pick up a BINGO card with self-paced literary activities (such as “Read to an Animal” or “Listen to an Audiobook”) to challenge yourself to reach new reading heights during the program.

Explore GoletaValleyLibrary.org for up-to-date information about our services, programs, and events.

The Goleta and Santa Ynez Valley Libraries would like to thank the Friends of the Goleta Valley Library, the Friends of the Buellton Library, and the Friends of the Library of the Santa Ynez Valley, our generous sponsors of the 2025-26 Winter Reading Program.