Following our annual tradition of creating meaningful, hands-on experiences for our student leaders, SCC/ASLA recently hosted a field trip to the Ventura Botanical Gardens on Saturday, April 11, 2026. This invitation-only event brought together ASLA Student Board members from USC, UCLA, Cal Poly Pomona, and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, along with SCC/ASLA Board members and local professionals—creating a vibrant and welcoming environment for connection, mentorship, and a bit of fun. Despite forecasts threatening rain just a day prior, the weather shifted in our favor, delivering a truly glorious spring day with sweeping ocean views that made the experience all the more memorable.
Set across 107 acres overlooking the California coastline, the Ventura Botanical Gardens offered students a unique opportunity to explore a world-class collection of over 120,000 plants representing five Mediterranean climate zones: Chile, South Africa’s Cape region, Australia, the Mediterranean Basin, and California. Designed with sustainability in mind, these low-water landscapes replicate natural plant communities and demonstrate climate-resilient design principles in action. The private tour, paired with lunch and raffle giveaways, made for an engaging and inspiring outing—an ideal way to celebrate World Landscape Architecture Month while fostering connections within the next generation of landscape architects.
