Current Lectures & Special events
Lectures & Special Events Winter/Spring 2026 Season
The Once and Future King of the Skies: An Eco-Historical Overview of the California Condor
February 19, 2026
Free live lecture and Zoom webinar with Bryant Baker
Co-sponsored by the Solvang Library
In April of 1987 when the last of the remaining wild condors was captured, the world’s population of this iconic species totaled 27 birds. Now, due to the efforts of conservation organizations such as the California Condor Recovery Program, there are over 500 California condors with 350 of them living in the wild in California, Arizona, Utah, and Mexico. Magnificent in flight, condors
California’s Wild Waterpark: A Haven for Amphibians
Friday, February 27, 2026
Free live lecture, Zoom webinar, and book signing with Dr. Emily Taylor
Co-sponsored by the UCSB Sedgwick Reserve
Dr. Emily Taylor will take us on a tour of the frogs and salamanders that inhabit California, a wild waterpark for amphibians. California boasts an incredible diversity of amphibians, from wandering salamanders who glide between the tops of towering redwood trees, to red-spotted toads who
Protecting Santa Cruz Island
Wednesday, March 11, 2026
Free live lecture and Zoom webinar with Lara Brenner
Co-Sponsored by the Solvang Library
Our Channel Islands are often called America’s Galapagos due to the large number of animal and plant species found there and nowhere else in the world. Protecting the islands’ unique biota from current threats and rehabilitating their unique ecosystems from damaging historic uses is an ongoing challenge that calls for scientific studies and creative solutions. The Nature Conservancy (TNC), which owns three quarters of Santa Cruz Island, the largest of the five National Park islands, has taken on that challenge. Historic overgrazing and
The Place for Fire: Poetry and Policy on California’s Central Coast
Friday, March 27, 2026
Free live lecture, Zoom webinar, and book-signing with Obi Kaufmann
Anyone who loves the richness of California’s biogeography and spends time outdoors is aware of and grapples with the dilemma of addressing wildfire, the destroyer—and wildfire, the regenerative force in the landscape. In his talk, Obi Kaufmann will explore the current state of affairs in our fire-prone, yet fire-dependent Central Coast ecosystem. Touching on themes
The ABCs of California’s Native Bees
Wednesday, May 13, 2026
Free live lecture, Zoom webinar, and book-signing with Krystle Hickman
Co-sponsored by Solvang Library
Join National Geographic Explorer and community scientist Krystle Hickman for a presentation about her studies of California’s native bees, which culminated in her new book, The ABCs of California’s Native Bees. California is home to one of the most biodiverse bee populations in the world with over 1,600 species of native bees throughout the state. A committed conservationist,