Upcoming Events and Classes
Saturday, November 16, 2019
11-12:30pm
Did you know lichens can help you figure out if the place you're standing has good or bad air quality, can be used to produce a fascinating array of rainbow-colored dyes, and are actually symbiotic assemblages of two different species (fungi + either algae or cyanobacteria)? Join lichenologist Dr. Tara Schoenwetter for a fascinating exploration of diverse stories from the lichen world. As part of the California Lichen Society, Dr. Schoenwetter co-produced the Lichens of Sedgwick field guide we use at the Reserve to facilitate research and exploration. Join us for this rare opportunity to go deep into the unparalleled strangeness of these fascinating organisms! Saturday, November 16th, 11-12:30pm, Tipton Meeting House at Sedgwick Reserve (3566 Brinkerhoff Rd., Santa Ynez).
Friday, November 22, 2019
11-12:30pm
For more than 20 years, Dr. Claudia Tyler has studied the oaks of Sedgwick to glean critical understandings of how these much-beloved trees respond to grazing, different restoration practices, and more; as a beloved professor in UCSB's College of Creative Studies she has also brought countless undergraduate courses to the Reserve for memorable forays into the oak woodlands and savannas of Sedgwick. Don't miss this rare opportunity to learn about these critically important local ecosystems from a true expert! Friday, November 22nd, 11-12:30pm, Tipton Meeting House at Sedgwick Reserve (3566 Brinkerhoff Rd., Santa Ynez).
Friday, December 6, 2019
10-11:30am
UCSB's Dr. Scott Jasechko is a global leader in advancing our understanding of water availability and quality around the world. Scott’s research uses large datasets to understand how we can preserve the quality and sustain the quantity of river water and groundwater resources. Although his work is often international, it can help us here in Santa Barbara County better understand the water resources we have in our backyard--in particular our groundwater, the management of which has been profoundly transformed by recently implemented statewide policy that turns on its head the "Wild West" water mismanagement that was once the status quo across California. We hope you'll join us for this great opportunity to learn from one of UCSB's leading water experts about the importance of groundwater and why understanding it is more critical than ever. Friday, December 6th, 10-11:30am, Tipton Meeting House at Sedgwick Reserve (3566 Brinkerhoff Rd., Santa Ynez).
Past Events at the Reserve
Friday, October 18, 2019
10-11:30am
Curious about the complex ways the shape of our landscape interacts with wind and fire to impact our ecosystems and communities?
Join UCSB geography professor and Sedgwick researcher Dr. Leila Carvalho for a deep dive into the world of earth, wind, and fire from 10-11:30am on Friday, October 18th at Sedgwick's Tipton Meeting House. Dr. Carvalho is a broadly trained geographer affiliated with UCSB's Earth Research Institute and Department of Geography who in recent years has extensively studied Santa Barbara-area fire and wind dynamics with a focus on how land managers, firefighters, and others can better protect our communities.
Her new research into the origins of sundowner winds, which involves research based at Sedgwick, will help shed critical light on this unique wind event which profoundly shapes how fire impacts our homes and lands. Sedgwick's Walking Ecology lecture series brings out groundbreaking Sedgwick researchers to share about their work and its impact with the general public. We hope you'll join us!
Saturday, June 8, 2019
12:30pm
The impact of climate change on California's rangelands is predicted to be dramatic, wide-spread, and disruptive for farmers, ranchers, and landowners alike. Join our county Livestock and Range advisor, Matthew Shapero, for a thoguhtful look at the likely impacts on rainfall, forage, and more. Curious about how one of California's most recognizable, economically significant, and ecologically important ecosystems will change in the face of widespread climate change? Discover key ways these ecosystems are going to respond and what all of us can do to prepare ourselves and our lands, support ecosystem resiliency, and protect wild grasslands we know and love.
Matthew will present a one-hour lecture in Sedgwick's LEED-certified Tipton Meeting House followed by an hour-long field excursion to see "science in action" (limited to 25 people--advanced registration required!).
Presentation: 1-2pm
- NO advanced registration required, but space is limited to 75 people
- Check-in opens at 12:30pm at Tipton Meeting House - see below for more information
- If you'd like to attend the field exercise, please register in advance below as registration is required for the exercise.
Field Exercise: 2:15-3:15pm
- Registration required: reserve your space HERE!
- Space is limited to 25 participants
- For those participating, you are expected to attend the presentation component as well.
Getting to Sedgwick
- If you have not previously visited the Reserve, directions can be found HERE on our website. Our address is 3566 Brinkerhoff Road in Santa Ynez.
- Please allow ample travel time to the Reserve; if you are coming from downtown Santa Barbara, plan for an hour of travel time.
- Our gates will open at 12:30m. Follow the road down to the field station to check in. Please respect all road signage; the speed limit on Brinkerhoff is 30mph and the speed limit on all Reserve roads is 15mph.
Check-In
- Check-in opens at 12:30pm outside Tipton Meeting House, the main building at the Sedgwick field station. The lecture will begin promptly at 1pm.
- You will be asked to sign a University of California Waiver of Liability, Assumption of Risk, and Indemnity Agreement.
- This is a by-donation event. We suggest a donation of $20/person or $10/student to help cover costs Donation jars will be on the check-in table, or, you may make a donation in advance HERE.
- Please leave your dog at home. Dogs are not allowed at the Reserve and our parking area is not shaded.
What to Wear and Bring for the Field Exercise
- Appropriate hiking attire is required. Please wear closed toed shoes. Long pants and long sleeves are recommended as we do have ticks. We also recommend you wear sunscreen and bring a hat.
- You will have an opportunity to fill up a reusable water bottle at the field station prior to hiking; please bring your own reusable bottle!
Cancellations
- Walking Ecology field excursions will NOT occur during or immediately following rain events. In the event of a cancellation the Sedgwick office phone--(805) 686-1941--will be updated with a message to reflect this, and a cancellation notice will be posted on this page.
- If your plans have changed and you need to cancel a registration, please email Avery Hardy at averyhardy@ucsb.edu or reply to this email.
Saturday, May 11, 2019
12:30pm
Vector-borne disease in a changing world: Identifying ecological levers for health
with UCSB's Andy MacDonald
Presented by the Walking Ecology Lecture Series at Sedgwick Reserve
Join Andy MacDonald, a disease ecologist at UCSB, for an exciting deep-dive into the world of one of our most prolific local disease vectors and the focus of his research: ticks. Andy is a professor and researcher at UCSB's Earth Research Institute and Bren School of Environmental Science and Management whose reseach focuses on the incidence of tick-born disease in California. As humans have expanded their footprint in the wildland-urban interface, the incidence of tick-borne disease has risen dramatically--even in places like California that have typically had much lower rates of infection than, for example, the notoriously Lyme-filled Northeast. Andy's research explores what ecological "levers" we can pull to alter the prevalence of such disease and integrates cutting-edge knowledge about climate change, community health, and entomology. He's done extensive tick sampling at Sedgwick as part of this research and is deeply knowledgeable about the Santa Ynez Valley's tick-borne disease incidence. Spring is upon us and the ticks are hungry--there's no better time than now to learn from one of Sedgwick's tick experts!
This lecture is part of our popular Walking Ecology Lecture Series, which brings some of Sedgwick's most active and energized researchers to Tipton Meeting House to share their work with the public and take curious citizen scientists out into the field. Andy will lead an hour-long presentation followed by an hour-long excursion onto the Reserve to see his science in action.
Check out Andy's website for more info on his research!
12:30-1: Arrival and check-in (see below for more information)
1-2: Lecture in Sedgwick's Tipton Meeting House
2-3: Field excursion to see science in action with Andy
Pre-registration is required for this event, and attendance is capped at 75 persons.
Register here to reserve your seat!
General Information
- Check in begins at 12:30pm on the steps of the Tipton Meeting House unless noted otherwise.
- We will spend an hour indoors for Andy's lecture
- You will be asked to sign a University of California Waiver of Liability, Assumption of Risk, and Indemnity Agreement;
- A suggested donation of $20.00 per person in support of the public education program is greatly appreciated (6% gift processing fee assessed per UC policy). Your donation can be made online here or on day of the class via cash or a check made out to UC REGENTS.
Dress appropriately!
- Sturdy walking or hiking shoes are recommended. Tennis shoes are permitted, sandals are not.
- Long pants and long sleeves are recommended (we do have ticks!)
- Wear a hat & apply sunscreen
- Bring a reusable water to fill up before our field excursion and a trail snack
Cancellation Policy
- Hikes will not take place in or following periods of rain. You will receive a cancellation notice no more than 24hr in advance if we will need to cancel due to forecasted inclement weather.
Pet Policy
- Please leave your dog at home. They are not allowed on the trails and the parking area is not shaded.
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