Field Trip with Sabina Thomas

Near Carpinteria State Beach

We will learn about local geology, in particular as it relates to the formation of fossil fuels and “tar.” We will visit the Carpinteria asphaltum (bitumen) deposits and learn about the recent history of asphalt mining and oil production in the Santa Barbara-Carpinteria area. Of course, asphalt was used in materials production by Chumash communities long before the commercial development that began in the 1850s. On our field trip outing, we will see remnants of the more recent asphalt mining industry.

Sabina Thomas grew up in Germany and received her PhD in Geology from the TU Berlin. She left Berlin for the U.S. in 1989 and taught at colleges and universities in Texas and Ohio until she moved to Santa Barbara in 2010. She teaches earth-science courses at Santa Barbara City College and Ventura College. She also worked at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. Sabina earned the California Naturalist Certificate in 2019, the Climate Steward Certificate in 2022 and loves going on field trips.

How to Register

How to Register

Event date: Sunday, February 1, 2026, 1:00 to 3:30 p.m.Participation is limited to 20.
Advance registration is required for this workshop and will open at 9:00 a.m. Thursday, January 15 for members and on Friday, January 23 for nonmembers at syvnhs@syvnature.org or 805-693-5683.
Members $15 / Nonmembers $30 / Children $5
Directions and meet-up location will be emailed to registered participants.