Public Lectures and Special Events

Join us for a morning at Sedgwick Reserve with Earth scientist, Dr. Marc Mayes, as he teaches us how to read the landscape like a scientist

Lecture: Zoom, Thursday, September 23 7PM-8PM

Coastal sage scrub ecosystems provide habitat for diverse wildlife and valuable ecosystem services for people. During this talk, Dr. Mayes will highlight what coastal sage scrub teaches us about conserving coastal California landscapes amid climate change. ​Landscape patterns in the distribution of coastal sage scrub relative to grasses, trees and changes over time can provide clues about how past land-use activities have changed ecosystems – and – what future land management strategies may conserve native coastal California habitats amidst more frequent and severe drought and fire linked to climate change. 

Lab: Sedgwick Reserve, Saturday, September 25 8AM-11AM

In this Walking Ecology activity, you will get to visit the Sedgwick field station and enjoy a brief walk to observe different natural communities including oak woodlands and coastal sage scrub. After a brief climb, you will enjoy expansive views of the reserve. Dr. Mayes will (1) help you “read landscapes” like ecosystem scientists by observing vegetation patterns, and (2) illustrate how satellite and drone-based remote sensing are being used in research and conservation management of coastal sage scrub, including a demonstration drone flight over research areas at Sedgwick.

Walking Ecology Hybrid Program: This event is part of our 2021 Walking Ecology series, a hybrid-program including a lecture on Zoom and a lab at Sedgwick Reserve. Lectures are free and will be recorded and shared for those who are unable to attend. Lab sections at Sedgwick Reserve are $20 per person, and space is limited. Kids 13 and under are free. To register visit the Store page of our website: Store | Sedgwick Reserve (ucsb.edu)

Presenter Bio: Marc Mayes, Researcher @UCSB Earth Research Institute, La Kretz Center

Marc is an Earth scientist who studies land use and climate change effects on terrestrial ecosystems, including carbon, nutrient cycling and water resources. His projects address conservation and restoration management of semi-arid ecosystems recovering from disturbances such as fire and drought. Marc’s work emphasizes scaling among field and remotely sensed data from satellites, manned aircraft and drones to improve environmental monitoring across landscapes. Marc has worked in forests and woodlands across East Africa (Tanzania, Kenya, Zambia), Mexico and the southwestern US. At Sedgwick, Marc is involved in research on (1) oak woodland phenology, (2) oak hydrological responses to climate variability, and the (3) the potential for grazing land-use to mitigate severe fire behavior in grasslands. The latter project is based at the La Kretz Research Center led by Frank Davis, and with leadership from Matthew Shapero (UCANR).