Spring 2017 Calendar Coming Soon
Join us! A preview of our Spring 2017 programing will be posted this month, with full details and field trip registration coming in early January. We have another line-up of excellent presenters and field trip leaders. Please stay tuned.
Read MoreFEATURE ARTICLE: Monardellas of our Coastal Dunes
by Larry Ballard On the matter of arguelloensis, I have seen it in a number of places near Pt. Arguello on Vandenberg, and from the first time I saw it to present day, it has always been distinct to me and quite different from the former subspecies in morphology, much less ecological distribution. Its woodiness alone, plus erect stems and …
Read MoreFall 2016 Field Trip Registration for Members and Non-Members
Member priority registration began Tuesday, August 16. Non-member registration began Friday, August 26. Members receive priority registration for our classes and field trips, which often fill to capacity and have waiting lists. Registration is necessary only for field trips and classes. Typically, lectures and films are free and do not require registration. To become a member, click on the Membership …
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Thursday, September 15: Global Warming: Could Scientists Be Wrong?
Free lecture and book signing with James Lawrence Powell. Thursday, September 15, 7:00 p.m. Co-sponsored by Solvang Library. Legion Wing, Veterans Memorial Hall. 1745 Mission Dr., Solvang. Scientists have been wrong before: think of continental drift, deep time, and meteorite impact. Could they be wrong today about global warming? If so, how exactly? The stories behind these four discoveries reflect …
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Saturday, October 1: Whose Fault Is It? The Geology Behind Santa Barbara’s Scenic Beauty
Field trip with Jan Dependahl. Saturday, October 1, 9:00 a.m. to about 5:00 p.m. Participation is limited to 25. Advance registration required at synature@west.net or 805 693-5683. Member registration begins: August 16. Non-member registration begins: August 26. Members free/non-members $20. Do you ever look at Santa Barbara’s beautiful mountains–or islands offshore–and wonder how they got there? Do you wonder why …
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Tuesday, October 11: King Sequoia: The Tree That Inspired a Nation, Created Our National Park System, and Changed the Way We Think about Nature
Free lecture and book signing with William C. Tweed. Tuesday, October 11, 7:00 p.m. Legion Wing, Veterans Memorial Hall. 1745 Mission Dr., Solvang. Join us for a fascinating evening as one of California’s preeminent naturalists unspools a history that echoes across generations and continents. Former park ranger William C. Tweed will take us on a tour of the Big Trees …
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Saturday, October 15: Wild Condors
Field trip to Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge with Joseph Brandt. Saturday, October 15, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Participation is limited 25. Advance registration required at synature@west.net or 805 693-5683. Member registration begins: August 16. Non-member registration begins: August 26. Members free/non-members free. This is a rare opportunity to watch our largest land birds soar above the deep canyons, …
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Thursday, October 27: Grizzly Bears, Biodiversity, and Fire in the Chaparral
Free lecture with Richard W. Halsey. Thursday, Oct. 27, 7:00 p.m. Legion Wing, Veterans Memorial Hall. 1745 Mission Dr., Solvang. Once home to the California grizzly bear, and where the last California condors were able to hold off extinction, the chaparral remains one of the most misunderstood and under-appreciated ecosystems on earth. Chaparral is found in every county in the …
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Saturday, November 5: Documentary Film TIME TO CHOOSE
Free screening of documentary film. Saturday, November 5, 7:00 p.m. Little Theater, Santa Ynez Valley Union High School. 2975 East Highway 246. Santa Ynez, CA. The Little Theater at SY High School is located directly across from El Rancho Market in Santa Ynez. Join us for a free screening of TIME TO CHOOSE, a timely exploration of one of the …
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Saturday, November 19: Parasites and Food Webs in Our Local Estuaries
Free lecture with Kevin Lafferty. Saturday, November 19, 7:00 p.m. Tipton Meeting House, UC Sedgwick Reserve. 3566 Brinkerhoff Avenue, Santa Ynez. Join us for an eye-opening talk about the hidden complexities of local aquatic ecosystems. California’s tidal estuaries like the Carpinteria Salt Marsh contain trematode parasites with complex life cycles hosted by both birds and snails. Within the snails (rendered …
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