The Pastel Society of the Gold Coast is hosting an exhibit at the UCSB Faculty Club in celebration of the unequaled beauty of campus coastlines.

The “Preserving Native California” display features close to 30 artists who will divert 30 percent of their works’ proceeds toward UCSB’s Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration to support further res- toration of the area’s native ecology. The PSGC is a local nonprofit organization promoting environ- mental preservation through the arts.

CCBER Director of Ecosystem Management Lisa Stratton said the event is integral to secure the means to continue conservation efforts throughout the 230 acres of open space under the center’s juris- diction.

“We have some management areas that are funded through miti- gation funding and campus, but we have other areas that we manage but don’t really have a big budget for,” Stratton said. “This is where that money would go — places like the Campus Lagoon — to help restore those areas.” A public reception with the artists is scheduled this evening from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Pastel Society for the Gold Coast member Linda Nelson said the artwork highlights the natural beauty of the area’s landscapes to spur preservation efforts. “The Pastel Society has been a group for five years now and we paint for environmental causes, so this was a perfect fit because so many of our members do care about protecting land, restoring land and also the animal species that co-exist with us,” Nelson said.

Stratton said university officials worked closely with the Pastel Society to create a comprehensive representation of Santa Barbara’s unique coastal panoramas.

“We showed them our natural areas and drove them around a couple weekends to help them get their art supplies to different places,” Stratton said. “They were excited by what we’re doing; they appreciate the open space and conservation. We are working together to promote art and open space.”

Nelson said the scenes include renderings of iconic areas such as the West Campus Bluffs Trails and focus on the connection between wild- life, its habitat and human activity.

“We really are hoping that people understand that besides human beings, there’s a whole lot of animal species that live here too,” Nelson said. “Between the animal and native plant species, a lot of them are endangered because so much of our coastal lands have been covered over by park- ing lots and buildings.”

“Preserving Native California” is free to the public, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. until June 28.

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