Saturday, March 16 Pop-Up: Birding Sedgwick Reserve
Members-Only Field trip with Tim Matthews and Peter Schneekloth
UC Sedgwick Reserve is one of Santa Barbara County’s birding hotspots, with nearly 200 species on record and a consistently high bird diversity. This outing will focus on birding around the Field Station area of the Reserve. Plant habitats such as oak savanna, oak woodland, and coastal sage scrub converge here to support a rich variety of resident and migratory birds, ranging from warblers and woodpeckers to meadowlarks and magpies
Sunday, April 21: Figueroa Mountain Spring Wildflowers
Field trip with John Evarts and Margie Popper
Figueroa Mountain is a celebrated spring wildflower destination known for poppies, lupines, chocolate lilies, mariposa lilies, and many other showy species of annuals and perennials. Naturalists Margie Popper and John Evarts will lead a hike on the mountain to take in some of this botanical diversity. The trailhead will be located on the upper portion of the mountain and will be picked from a number of possibilities based on where the blooms and trail conditions are best
Saturday, May 11: Burton Mesa ~ Maritime Chaparral and Birding Exploration
Field Trip with Tim Matthews
Burton Mesa Ecological Reserve is a unique area that consists of 5,368 acres between Purisima Hills and Santa Ynez Mountains and encompasses one of the last significant stands of maritime chaparral in California. The Central Maritime Chaparral community is dominated by ceanothus, manzanita, chamise, California coffee berry, black sage, coast live oak, and coastal scrub species. Typical birds
Saturday, June 1 Pop-up: Exploring Gregersen Ranch: Its Plant Life and History
Pop-up Field trip with Larry Ballard
Join naturalist Larry Ballard for a botany-focused field trip amid the rolling terrain of the historic Gregersen Ranch on Saturday, June 1, from 9:00 a.m. to noon. He’ll take us on a leisurely hike of 2 to 3 miles, with modest elevation gain and loss. Although relatively close to Solvang, this Ballard Canyon ranch feels like a world apart. The property is sometimes referred to by its former name of
Thursday, June 20: Summer Solstice Mindful Yoga / Nature Walk
Field trip with Laurie Burnaby and Marion Schlinger
Join Laurie and Marion for a gentle three-mile walk along a paved road in a quiet, mostly wooded area near Santa Ynez. Laurie will incorporate yoga into our walk at strategic stops along the way to enhance the physical and mental experience of nature. Marion will focus your attention and appreciation of the various scents, sounds, and textures we find along the way. The hope is that this
We had no field trips this season due to the Covid pandemic, however. . .
However, we did have a wonderful interview with naturalist Joan Lentz! Please check the Past Lectures section, 2020-2021 Program Season.
Sunday, October 22: Why Keep a Nature Journal? Or, ‘Things I Learned Today’
Workshop with Jim Farnum Sunday, October 22, 2023, 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. USCB Sedgwick Reserve in Santa Ynez Participation is limited to 20. Registration opens at 9 a.m. on September 22 for members and on September 30 for nonmembers at syvnhs@syvnature.org or 805/ 693-5683. Members $10 / Nonmembers $25 / Children $5 Directions to Sedgwick […]
Saturday, November 4: Trees of Figueroa Mountain: A Hike Down Fir Canyon
Field trip with John Evarts and Margie Popper Saturday, November 4, 2023, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Participation is limited to 20. Good physical condition and good balance are essential for this trip. Registration opens at 9 a.m. on October 5 for members and on October 15 for nonmembers at syvnhs@syvnature.org or 805/ 693-5683. Members […]