PA Welcome
 
 
 
Become a part of Growing Solutions! Join the growing movement to build sustainable communities. Please visit our Ways to Donate page for all donation options. Members receive a 10% discount on all plants! Ways%20to%20Donate.htmlshapeimage_1_link_0
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Growing Solutions Restoration Education Institute P.O. Box 30081 Santa Barbara, CA 93130 (805) 452-7561 e-mail: info@growingsolutions.org Letter from the Founders Since Growing Solutions’ inception we have always strived to be a part of the solution to relevant environmental issues by designing our nurseries and operating our organization in a sustainable manner using solar power, composting toilets and other appropriate technologies. Over the years we have involved students and the community in several creeks and wetlands restoration projects aimed at improving water quality while increasing habitat value. As development pressures increased on various rare Santa Barbara habitats, Growing Solutions priority became collecting seed, growing rare plants and out planting them in safe places. Over the last year as the economy continues to worsen and a general malaise has fallen upon society in general we see a bright spot in the future. People have started to come to us from unexpected segments of society seeking a new way forward. Schools want nutritional education and tasty, healthy food for their students Farmers want to address pollination issues and seek innovative ways to best manage their land in the coming post petroleum era. Urbanites are realizing the physical and mental benefits of agricultural, wildland and open spaces. This is exciting! Since our establishment in 1999 Growing Solutions has been a willing and able participant in the efforts to create a more sustainable society. We look forward to continuing to grow native plants for restoration and landscaping and now insectaries for beneficial insects reducing the need for insecticides. We are pleased ranchers want habitat corridors integrated into their food-production land to provide erosion control benefits and increased diversity on their property. We are participating in the search for suitable biofuel plants for our region by growing a number of potential plants. We are pleased to be able to offer working models of appropriate technology demonstrating how solar, rainwater catchment and composting toilets are state of the art solutions to resource management. We continue to explore ways to provide educational opportunities, grow plants, manage and operate nurseries and projects in sustainable ways using state of the art and experimental techniques to minimize our footprint on the earth. All of us at Growing Solutions would like to thank you; our supporters, mentors, students, clients and community members for your ongoing support, great ideas and questions. Please join us in this journey of building a sustainable world.
The Latest News... Santa Barbara Magazine turned the spotlight onto Growing Solutions’ restoration and agroecology projects in their Feb/March 2010 edition. sb mag 2010.pdf “Growing Solutions Cultivates Sustainability” GS featured in recent Noozhawk column. http://www.noozhawk.comkaren_telleen_lawton/article z011110_karen_telleen-lawton_growing_solutions_cultivates_sustainability Biodiesel specialist and GS Board member, Russ Teal, featured in recent article in “12 Degrees of Freedom”. http://12degreesoffreedom.blogspot.com/2009/11/biodiesel-energy-islands.html Intern spotlight: Read about GS intern Danielle Neuhauser’s inspirational experiences and aspirations on our Intern Spotlight page.Welcome_files/sb%20mag%202010.pdfhttp://www.noozhawk.com/karen_telleen_lawton/article/011110_karen_telleen-lawton_growing_solutions_cultivates_sustainabilityhttp://12degreesoffreedom.blogspot.com/2009/11/biodiesel-energy-islands.htmlIntern%20Spotlight.htmlshapeimage_6_link_0shapeimage_6_link_1shapeimage_6_link_2shapeimage_6_link_3
Our Mission Growing Solutions Restoration Education Institute’s mission is to build environmental and societal sustainability through hands-on education. Our programs focus on the integration of self-reliant technology coupled with agricultural, watershed, and resource management projects. Students study real-world issues using a theme-based educational setting gaining a sense of stewardship and practical real-world job skills.
 
 
 
 
Web design by Holly Jones
e-mail: holly@growingsolutions.org