Hazard Duty

The proposed annexation to the city of the Natural History Museum’s woodland acres most likely does not honor the spirit of the founding benefactor’s intentions.

If the Hazards who were the benefactors that left this land for the museum’s expansion to be enjoyed by the public could see this, they most likely would not support this.

Dr. Carolyn Hazard donated part of her estate in Mission Canyon for a new museum building that was built in the 1920s known as the Natural History Museum of Santa Barbara in memory of her brother. Her sister-in-law, Mrs. Rowland Hazard, contributed funds and built the Museum of Natural History in memory of her late husband, Rowland Hazard, who had an extensive collection of bird eggs from the collection of bird eggs the museum expanded attracting botanists and Ivy League-trained ornithologist William Dawson who was already displaying his collection at a small museum.

The Hazard Estate’s generosity to the public by establishing the museum in 1923 should be protected, as they would have wanted it to be.

With the museum already privatizing a portion of the trail previously available to the public thru the area, this proposed gerrymandering into the city of this environmentally sensitive habitat and creek side trail should not be allowed and is in conflict with the Mission Canyon Community Plan.

Should the woodland parcels be annexed into the city, there would be little public trust in the outcome.