Saturday March 23: Birds and Ecology of the Carpinteria Salt Marsh Reserve
Field Trip with Larry Ballard, Joan Lentz, and Guy Tingos
Saturday March 23, 9:00 to 11:30 a.m.
Advance registration begins February 23 at synature@west.net or 805/ 693-5683
Members $10. / Non-members $25. / Children $5.
Featured photo of Carpinteria Salt Marsh Reserve. Photo by John Callender, Wikimedia Commons
Belding’s savannah sparrow. Photo courtesy of Pacific Southwest Region USFWS
Carpinteria Salt Marsh Reserve is the only salt marsh habitat between Point Mugu and Morro Bay that experiences daily tidal fluctuations throughout the year. About half of its 230 acres is under the management of the UC Natural Reserve System. The salt marsh ecosystem here is one of the most widely studied in California. Nearly 250 bird species have been recorded in the marsh, ranging from the endemic Belding’s Savannah Sparrow to cosmopolitan species such as Osprey, Peregrine Falcon, and Caspian Tern. We will also look at some of the plants, fish, crabs, butterflies, snails and bivalves that make the marsh their home. This is an easy, level walk with facilities on the premises. A pair of binoculars is not required, but highly recommended.
Larry Ballard is a naturalist with a focus on botany and has been a field trip leader for the Society and other organizations for two decades. Joan Lentz has offered birding classes and trips in the Santa Barbara for more than 35 years. Her book, A Naturalist’s Guide to the Santa Barbara Region, is a regional classic. To prepare for this field trip, participants might want to read or re-read Chapter Five of her guide, which is titled “Coastal Wetlands—Mysteries in the Mud.” Guy Tingos leads birding trips for groups such as Santa Barbara Audubon, SYVNHS, and UC Sedgwick Reserve.
