Saturday, January 13: Birding in a Rare Restored Wetland — Rescheduled from Fall
Field trip with Peter Thompson
Experienced Santa Barbara birder Peter Thompson will take us on a wetland birding exploration through the one-time Ocean Meadows golf course, now restored as a true California wetland with easy access. You can stay dry in this ecological gem, but the local wildlife and birds have ready access to mud, sand, marsh, deeper water, and even dry upland areas. This is a bird-rich area
Saturday, March 2: Lichens: a Talk and Walk at Sedgwick Reserve
Lecture/Field Trip with Rikke Næsborg
Lichens are found in almost every habitat on all kinds of surfaces around the world, but since they are often small and somewhat inconspicuous, they are frequently overlooked. That is a pity because lichens are extraordinary and complex organisms. Not only are
Wednesday, March 6: Annual Members’ Meeting before the Presentation
Annual Members’ Meeting preceding the evening lecture Wednesday, March 6, 6:45 p.m. Immediately preceding Dr. Bell’s Zoom presentation this evening, the Annual Members’ Meeting will be held at 6:45 p.m. to elect board members for 2024, and to hear a brief Treasurer’s report. Members, please join us for this brief meeting. Feature image photo of […]
Wednesday, March 6: Central California’s Amphibians and Reptiles: Diversity and Beauty
Free Zoom presentation with Dr. Rayna Bell
Reptiles and amphibians are often overlooked as part of our local wildlife, but they are a diverse and fascinating group important to their habitats and vulnerable to climate change. Dr. Rayna Bell of the California Academy of Sciences is an evolutionary biologist whose research on amphibians and reptiles seeks to understand the evolution of their diversity as a key to understanding their vulnerabilities and potential strengths as our natural
Wednesday, March 13: Wild New World: The Epic Story of Animals and People in North America
Free Zoom presentation and book promotion with Dr. Dan Flores
This Zoom webinar by acclaimed historian and author, Dr. Dan Flores, will focus on his most recent book, Wild New World: The Epic Story of Animals and People in North America. Dr. Flores spoke in-person to the SYVNHS in 2017 after publication of his book, Coyote America. This time, his upcoming Zoom talk will be from his home in New Mexico. Flores will present an overview of Wild New World, explaining what he learned in researching and writing about the big picture of humans and animals
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