Carpinteria Tar Pits

Sunday, February 1, 2026

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, […]

Wildflowers and Plant Life Along the Pistol Club Trail at Sedgwick Reserve

Saturday, March 21, 2026

Field trip with Margie Popper and John Evarts
For many years, the Pistol Club Trail on the upper part of Sedgwick Reserve was not accessible for casual hiking. That changed in 2023 due to the hard work of Sedgwick staff and volunteers who restored this route. Join Margie Popper and John Evarts on a leisurely hike along this loop, which offers a combination of great scenery, diverse spring wildflowers, and a mosaic of vegetation types. There are some species along

Fire Ecology Hike to the Summit of Figueroa Mountain

Saturday, April 18

Field trip with Matt Kay
Annual wildflowers such as sky lupine and tufted poppy (Lupinus nanus, Eschscholzia caespitosa) put on great displays in the burn zone on Figueroa last spring, and we may be lucky enough to see a similar profusion of blooms this year. Photo by John Evarts.

On this hike to the summit area of Figueroa Mountain, biologist Matt Kay will focus on the themes of recovery and resiliency in the plant life of this ecological sky island. Much of the mountain was burned during the Lake Fire of July 2024. Now, nearly two years after this wildfire, the Figueroa landscape is undergoing a transformation that provides a living classroom for the study of fire ecology. The trip

UCSB Trees

Thursday, June 18, 2026

Field trip with Larry Ballard
UCSB campus
Due to popular demand, we are once again offering a walking tour with Larry Ballard to visit a varied selection of trees on the campus of UCSB. With more than 250 species from six continents, UCSB is among the best locations in California to see both common and unusual trees in an urban landscape. The campus grounds also contain several rare or unusual trees

Plovers at the Point: Walking Coal Oil Point Reserve

Rescheduled to Tuesday, October 7, 2025

Field Trip with Dr. Cristina Sandoval
Coal Oil Point Reserve, UCSB
The Western Snowy Plover (Anarhynchus nivosus nivosus) is found along the Pacific coast of North America, Mexico, and in some interior western states. We will meet with Dr. Cristina Sandoval at the Coal Oil Point Reserve Nature Center and tour the reserve, discussing the ongoing conservation and

Tracking Tarantulas at Sedgwick ReserveThursday, October 16, 2025

Field trip with Marion Schlinger and Nikki Evans
Fall is mating season for tarantulas here in the Santa Ynez Valley, and it is the best time to observe these amazing spiders. Join Marion and Nikki as we unravel the mystery of the tarantulas (Aphonopelma ssp.) that wander about our roads, yards, and fields.  Of the ten species of tarantula in California, at least three are located at Sedgwick Reserve.

Rincon Creek to the Ventura River: Slip sliding away!Saturday, November 1, 2025

Field trip with Larry Ballard and Sabina Thomas
The Santa Ynez Mountains are the western-most range within the Transverse Ranges, and they dominate the skyline for the 60 miles of coast between Point Conception and Rincon Creek. At Rincon, however, there is an abrupt change in the topography which extends 12 miles down the coast. It is this section that will be the focus of our nontechnical field trip to examine a unique landscape, ranging from Rincon Creek to the Ventura River and back.

Rocking on Rocks! An Introductory Workshop

Saturday, November 8, 2025

Workshop with Dr. Sabina Thomas
Santa Barbara City College campus
Have you been curious about rocks? Do you realize that rocks can tell a story? How does one distinguish one rock from another, and what is the difference between rocks and minerals? Sabina Thomas, PhD, and a faculty member at local community colleges, will conduct an Introduction to Rocks class at Santa Barbara City College’s earth science labs. You will be learning about the different rock families, conduct some simple but helpful tests to