Good morning, Santa Barbara.

Santa Barbara Culinary Experience announced $35,000 in grants to seven local nonprofits that support food system improvements & culinary education, including a new SBCC Foundation scholarship for Culinary Arts students, with the SBCE event scheduled for May 10 to 16, 2027.

Last Saturday, Aug. 29, the Santa Barbara Zoo celebrated the birth of its first white-handed gibbon baby in over 20 years as guests watched the newborn with its mother in the gibbon habitat — a milestone under the Species Survival Plan.

The Goleta Lemon Festival returns Sept.

26 and 27 at Girsh Park with live music, food, rides, a classic car show, and pre-purchase discounts on Kids Activity Wristbands (save $10 when purchased before Sept. 24). Santa Barbara Airport is the presenting sponsor and vendor registration is open until Aug. 31.

Santa Barbara County Genealogical Society — a volunteer-run nonprofit — helps locals trace family history using its 16,000-item collection at 316 Castillo St. The society will host an open house on Oct.

4 along with a picnic and Día de los Muertos celebration later in October.

The Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art in Montecito presents Haptic Knowing, a new exhibit featuring works by five artists exploring the sense of touch in art.

Running Sept. 3-Nov. 7, the exhibit offers a fresh way to experience creativity + engage with tactile expression.

High school seniors are advised to set up their FAFSA account before it opens on Oct.

1 as verification takes several days; local scholarship applications open in October with deadlines on Nov. 15 for honors and arts students and on Jan. 31 for others.

A National Park Service report finds that Santa Rosa Island could lose 80% of its rare Torrey pine trees after an 18,379-acre fire in May (threatening a unique ecosystem) while recovery efforts include seeding and slope stabilization and camping remains closed until Oct.

12.

Today, on California Biodiversity Day, local leaders & organizations urge stronger policies to protect water quality, wildlife, and native plant habitats.

More than 50 groups back resolutions that will shape future land use decisions and preserve the region's environmental legacy.

The city and County Flood Control District are improving lower Mission Creek near downtown with the Reach 4 project between Haley and Gutierrez expected to finish in November.

Recent rains and temporary fill (15–20 ft) slowing the creek’s flow raise concerns as community members brace for Super El Niño rains.

County officials are preparing for a wet winter as strong El Niño conditions are predicted to bring heavy rainfall and flooding risks from wildfire burn scars and bluff erosion near vulnerable areas.

Residents are advised to sign up for emergency alerts and join a virtual community meeting on Oct. 1.

A new UCSB study (published in Neuroscience of Consciousness) finds that heartbeats, breathing, and stomach cycles help organize brain signals that shape thoughts and feelings.

The research shows that a balanced body-brain link may affect mental health.

Santa Barbara Humane at Santa Maria campus welcomes adoptable cat Jade Marie, a 2.5-year-old domestic shorthair known for her friendly nature with dogs and cats.

Adoption is available daily from 12:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. except Wednesdays (spay/neuter, vaccines, microchip and complimentary health exam included).

Laguna Blanca girls volleyball competed at the Morro Bay Rumble at the Rock tournament this weekend and finished with a 4-2 record by beating Sanger West, Righetti, Stockdale and Rio Mesa.

The team will host Foothill Tech on Tuesday.