Previous Programs

Tracking Tarantulas at Sedgwick Reserve:

Thursday, September 17, 2026

Field trip with Marion Schlinger and Nikki Evans
Back by popular demand! It will soon be that time again as fall is mating season for tarantulas here in the Santa Ynez Valley. This is the best time to observe these amazing spiders. Join Marion and Nikki as we unravel the mystery of the tarantulas (Aphonopelma species) that wander about our roads, yards, and fields. Of the ten species of tarantula in California

Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network: Giving injured animals a second chance at a wild life:

Wednesday, September 23, 2026

Free live lecture (no Zoom) with the Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network
Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network (SBWCN) is an almost 40-year-old nonprofit organization that rescues, rehabilitates,and returns to the wild sick, injured, orphaned, or oil-impaired wild birds, reptiles, amphibians, and small mammals in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.

Birds of California’s Channel Islands:

Wednesday, October 14, 2026

Free live lecture, Zoom webinar, and book signing with Paul Collins
Join us for a lively and memorable lecture and book signing event with the primary author of Birds of California’s Channel Islands, Paul Collins.

Gems, Minerals & Fossils: A closer look at the
Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History’s
Earth Science Collections:

Tuesday, October 20, 2026

Collection tour with Jonathan Hoffman, PhD and Robert Harbaugh
Co-sponsored by the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History
Since the 2017 arrival of Jonathan M. Hoffman, PhD, as the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Dibblee Curator of Earth Science, the Museum has been upgrading its collections of vertebrate fossils, rocks, and minerals.

Mammals Magnified: The appreciation of collections-based research in the 21st century:

Thursday, November 12, 2026

Free live lecture with Ally Coconis
Co-Sponsored by the Solvang Library
Research collections in natural history museums are important repositories of biological specimens, providing vast datasets for studies of ecological shifts across space and time. More recently, there has been a great expansion in the use of collections through both increased digitization efforts and the growth of molecular and chemical techniques in ecology. This has led

In Search of Fall Color:

Saturday, November 21, 2026

Field Trip with Margie Popper and John Evarts
Location TBA
When it comes to autumn foliage, no one will confuse Santa Barbara County with New England. But with the right timing and location, one can find trees and shrubs in our region that put on nice displays as their leaves turn golden

‘Rocks’ of Gibraltar Road: 50 million years in 10 miles:

Wednesday, December 2, 2026

Field trip with Sabina Thomas
During this trip we will make a number of stops along Gibraltar Road to examine outcrops of the six geologic formations in the geologic section. We will also see geologic structures and

Climate Change on the Central Coast: Preparing for a resilient future:

Thursday, December 10, 2026

Free live lecture with Maren Farnum
Co-sponsored by the Solvang Library
From historic wildfires and prolonged droughts to devastating floods, rising seas, and record-breaking
Californians are already experiencing the impacts of a changing climate. California’s Climate Change Assessments are the state’s scientific foundation for understanding future climate-related vulnerability across California’s regions and systems.

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

Santa Ynez Valley Natural History Society

Dedicated to the study, exploration, and appreciation of natural history
in the Santa Ynez Valley region.