Seasonal Programs

Dates and times of events will be announced on our program calendar as they become available.

Year-Round Programs

Food for Thought Lecture Series

Offered Quarterly

Food for Thought is a lecture series generally held on a Sunday afternoon. It is offered by the Nature Center for adults interested in learning about topics specific to the local area. Lecturers by experts are held on local topics, such as Native-American culture and language, plants, animals, local history, and the environment.

Admission:  Donation

K-12 Field Trips

Offered to school groups by the Santa Barbara Park Department throughout the academic year

Also available to summer camp groups

Through this program students learn about flora, fauna, and natural processes during their educational adventure at Cachuma Lake. The Nature Center is a partner with the Parks Department in this program. School groups are offered a lake cruise, nature walk, and docent-led tour of the Nature Center. Schools throughout Santa Barbara County participate, with over 3,600 students from 65 schools visiting last year.

It is a trip of discovery for students and campers that visit, many of whom have never been on a boat or walked with an expert naturalist along a nature path. These discovery experiences are reinforced by a visit to the Nature Center, where students will have opportunities to explore in-depth what they have learned outside.

Admission for the Nature Center Portion:  Arrange with the Nature Center

More information at https://www.countyofsb.org/764/School-Field-Trip-Activities

To book a field trip, Email the Naturalists’ Office or call at 805-688-5246

Indoor Exhibits

Open to the public year-round

Come by the nature center during our open hours to check out or exhibits on local history, geology, plants, animals, and more!

Discover the beauty of nature and the rich cultural history through informative and fun exhibits featuring the Chumash Native Americans, as well as the diverse animal and plant life of the region.

Groups of 15 or more are required to book with us in advance. This ensures we have enough of our volunteer docents available at that time. Please reach out at 805-693-0691 or info@clnaturecenter.org

Nature Center Hours:

Thursday-Saturday: 10am-4pm

Sunday: 10am-2pm

Admission: Donation

Learn more about our exhibits

Gift Shop

The best supply of nature field guides, books, educational toys, clothing, souveneirs, jewelry, knick-knacks and more!

The gift shop is open during our regular Nature Center hours:

Thursday-Saturday: 10am-4pm

Sunday: 10am-2pm

Neal Taylor Nature Center Native Garden

Take a stroll in the Nature Center’s Garden and learn about the indigenous plants and critters that make the garden their home.

All native plants are labeled and have a QR code so you can learn more in-depth information about each of the plants and their Chumash uses.

Admission: Donation

(Donation slot on side door of garage, inside the breeze way)

Father and child holding a fish they caught

Don Wimpress Trail

Enjoy this 1/2 mile hike that starts and ends at the Nature Center. Click on the button below to access the trail guide and read about the flora and fauna found, along with a map of this “Easy” rated trail. The path is not paved and does have a few spots with uneven ground.

Trail Guide

Nature Center Detectives – Scavenger Hunt!

The Nature Center Scavenger Hunt is a fun and interactive way for visitors to learn about the surrounding plants, animals and local history.

We have a scavenger hunts for ages 3-6, ages 6-12, as well as a teen and adult scavenger hunt.

Participants become Nature Center Detectives and search the Nature Center for the answers to questions.

We offer a short version appropriate for kids of all ages and a longer, more in depth version for teens/adults.

Docents are available with hints and to go over the answers at the end.

Successful Nature Center Detectives are awarded with a prize!

Bring Your Group

to the Nature Center!

Are you bringing a large group of people (15 or more) to the Nature Center?

  • We charge a $1 fee per person for group tours and activities. 
  • Groups of 15 or more, school groups and summer camp groups are required to contact us and book in advance. This ensures we have enough of our volunteer docents available at that time.
  • The nature center building has a capacity of 20 people at a time. If your group is larger than 20, we ask that you plan to split into smaller groups and allow 20-30 minutes for each group to explore the nature center.
  • We offer special activities for groups and for kids upon request.

Contact The Nature Center

Phone:  805-693-0691

Email:  info@clnaturecenter.org

Group activities we can offer:

  • Arts & Crafts
  • Educational Games
  • Workshops & Talks
  • Scavenger Hunts

Winter Programs

Trout in the Classroom

Offered January to March

The Neal Taylor Nature Center “Trout in the Classroom” is a program designed to allow visitors, including local school children on field trips, to experience raising trout in an up-close, first-hand environment. Visitors can observe raising trout from eggs to fry and Nature Center volunteers are on hand to answer questions. The result is an aquarium full of trout fry, each over one inch in length that will eventually be released to a pre-approved site by the Department of Fish and Wildlife. Our January session every year spans from 2 – 4 months in length.

The “Trout in the Classroom” program is sponsored by The Santa Barbara Fly-fishers club.  The club has been an active Trout in the Classroom (TIC) supporter for many years and sponsors two TIC sessions per year involving many local schools on the central coast in addition to the Nature Center. Trout eggs are picked up from the Fillmore Hatchery and personally delivered to each participating location.  The result is an aquarium full of trout fry that are released into a state-approved body of water.  This program’s goal is to reconnect an increasingly urbanized population of youth to the system of streams, rivers and watersheds that sustain them.  It is one of the living exhibits at the Nature Center and is a favorite.

Admission:  Donation

Spring Programs

Fish Derby

Every April at Cachuma Lake Recreation Area

The Fish Derby is a two-day annual fishing event held on a Saturday and Sunday in April. To participate in the Fish Derby, registration is required before or during the event. Cash prizes are awarded for different categories of fish caught in Cachuma Lake, and merchandise prizes are distributed throughout the event.

Participants of all ages are welcome, and there is a fee required for participation. 

More information and a downloadable registration form can be found at www.TroutDerby.org

Live Animal Program

Offered in May

Each May, the Nature Center hosts an organization that offers an exhibit of live animals. Participants of all ages can learn about and have an up-close look at native animals.

Admission:  Donation

Summer Programs

“Going Batty” at the Nature Center

Every Saturday eve at dusk Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend.

This is a living exhibit!  Learn about the local bats and watch as the bats drop out of the bat boxes to feed.

Led by a Nature Center volunteer.

Start times are at dusk and depend on the time of year.

Admission: Donation

Learn More

Adult Fishing Workshop

Offered every June

The Adult Fishing Workshop offers adults the opportunity to learn the basics of fishing.  The workshop begins with a short talk on fishing and an introduction of the workshop volunteer anglers.  There are 5-6 stations and groups of attendees rotate in for a 15-20 minute lessons, including tying knots, types of fish in Cachuma Lake, bow fishing, saltwater fishing, casting, where to fish on the lake, and fly-fishing.  Expert anglers teach this fun workshop.  Attendance is limited to 30. 

There is a small fee for this event.

Kids Fishing Workshop

Offered every July

This workshop allows kids to learn some of the basics of fishing. The program begins with a short talk on fishing in general and an introduction of teachers for the day.  There are five or so stations to which small groups then rotate for a 15–20-minute lesson.  Children learn about tying knots, kinds of fish in the lake, saltwater fishing, casting, where to fish on the lake, and fly fishing.  Volunteer anglers participate in teaching the kids these fundamentals. Santa Barbara County Fish and Game Commission underwrites these workshops.  Attendance is limited to 50 kids ages 7 – 15. 

There is a small fee for this event.

Book & Treasure Sale

Offered some Saturdays starting July 4th weekend through Labor Day weekend

10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Come find a special book or treasure and help to support the Nature Center!

Fall Programs

Creepy Creatures

Every October around Halloween

In celebration of Halloween, local experts showcase live snakes, scorpions, spiders, owls, bats and more. There will also be exhibits of animal bones, skulls, and preserved specimens and arts and crafts activities. Witches serve popcorn and punch and there is live music too!

Call for more information at 805-963-0691

Admission:  Donation appreciated

Project Feeder Watch

October Through April

Project Feeder Watch is a winter-long survey of birds that visit feeders at backyards, nature centers, community areas, and other locales in North America. As part of this program – volunteers at the Neal Taylor Nature Center periodically count the birds they see at the Center’s feeders from November through early April and send their counts to Project Feeder Watch at the Cornell Lab.

The Cornell Lab is part of Cornell University’s Lab of Ornithology in Ithaca, NY. Feeder Watch data help scientists track broad scale movements of winter bird populations and long-term trends in bird distribution and abundance.

Upcoming Programs

28th Annual Neal Taylor Nature Center Fish Derby

Learn more at https://www.troutderby.org/  

Find out more
26 April 2025

Support the Neal Taylor Nature Center

The Neal Taylor Nature Center at Cachuma Lake is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to preserving and educating people about the Santa Ynez River Valley's rich history and ecology.

Ways to support our mission:

  • Donate: Make a tax-deductible donation online, in person or by mail.
  • Become a Member: Enjoy exclusive benefits while supporting our work.
  • Volunteer: Make a difference as a residential camp host or visiting volunteer.

Donate

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Come by the nature center and enjoy our exhibits, weekly and seasonal events, book sales, workshops, gift shop and more!

Current Programs

Hours & Info

Steller’s Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri)