Free Lecture with Lansing Duncan

This live lecture occurred Thursday, June 29, 2023
Tipton House, UC Sedgwick Reserve
This event was co-sponsored by the Santa Ynez Valley Natural History Society, UC Sedgwick Reserve, and Wildling Museum of Art and Nature.

This in-person talk was live-streamed via Zoom. To access the Zoom lecture, please follow this link: Saving Sedgwick Lecture Recording

Join us for an evening talk by historic preservationist Lansing Duncan who will present “Saving Sedgwick: A Citizens’ Success Story.” His illustrated lecture chronicles the fascinating and often-overlooked story of how local conservationists, university professors, artists, and other citizens united in a grassroots effort to ensure that the entire Sedgwick Ranch became part of the University of California’s Natural Reserve System.

Due to its size (nearly 6000 acres) and the rich diversity of native habitats that it encompasses, Sedgwick Reserve is now considered one of the crown jewels of the University of California’s Natural Reserve System. During the early 1990s, however, large parts of Sedgwick faced the real possibility of being split off and sold for development. The story behind the complex — and ultimately successful — campaign to keep Sedgwick whole is the subject of this talk.

Lansing Duncan was a founding member of The Sedgwick Preservation Committee (SPC), a local organization created to educate the public about the ecological value of Sedgwick Ranch and to help raise funds to keep the ranch intact.  SPC started a campaign to “Save Sedgwick” and joined the Sedgwick Solutions Coalition, the Land Trust of Santa Barbara County, and other stakeholders with the same goal. Duncan’s work with SPC led to his involvement in other land-use issues. He served five years as a Santa Barbara County Planning Commissioner for the Third District, and he remains involved with historic preservation as a member of the Santa Barbara County Historic Landmarks Advisory Commission.

This program is offered in conjunction with the Wildling Museum’s current exhibition, Sedgwick Reserve: A Conservation Story, now through October 16, 2023, which illustrates this wonderful natural resource through the eyes of 11 Central Coast artists. For members of the public who have not yet had the opportunity to visit Sedgwick Reserve, this lecture will provide a great introductory opportunity to see the Reserve headquarters.