Hike to the Playground
Saturday, May 15, 9 am - 2 pm
Advance registration required at synature@west.net or 693-5683
Members free / nonmembers $20 

Join Marc Kummel, SYVNHS board president and resident expert on the flora of the San Marcos Pass region, for a  Sunday ramble into the burn area of the Gap Fire. We’ll be examining the post-fire recovery of this chaparral vegetation, with special attention to the plants that are known as fire-followers. We will take a moderate 4-mile hike with some elevation loss and gain to a rocky area known as the "The Playground", which offers great views of the Goleta Valley from its perch high in the Santa Ynez Range. Bring lunch, water, sun protection, appropriate hiking shoes, etc. There is limited parking at the trailhead, so we will meet a bit before at an open dirt parking area 2.2 miles up West Camino Cielo on the sunset side of the Pass.  Plan to meet at 9 a.m.  

Marc Kummel has lived in the woods and studied the natural history of San Marcos Pass for almost 40 years.  He picked up the nickname "Treebeard" working as a naturalist at the SBCEO Outdoor School, and he has been the science teacher at Dunn Middle School in Los Olivos for 27+ years.  Marc shares his day-by-day natural history photos with commentary on the Web at www.fotolog.com/treebeard.

Insect Galls of the Santa Ynez Mountains
Free Illustrated Lecture, Thursday, June 3, 7:30 pm
Solvang Library, 1845 Mission Drive 

We all know the familiar "oak apple" galls, but there are many more kinds of insect galls hiding on local plants. They are mostly caused by tiny gall wasps and gall midges, though some are also caused by other insects. This is a fascinating world of plant-insect interactions!  SYVNHS board president Marc Kummel will present an eye-opening slideshow and discussion of the more than 50 different kinds of insect galls he has captured with his camera, mostly in the area of San Marcos Pass in the Santa Ynez Mountains.  

Marc Kummel has lived in the woods and studied the natural history of San Marcos Pass for 40 years. He picked up the nickname "Treebeard" working as a naturalist at the SBCEO Outdoor School, and he has been the science teacher at Dunn Middle School (semi-retired this year) in Los Olivos for 27 years. Marc shares his day-by-day natural history photos with commentary on the Web at www.fotolog.com/treebeard

 Field Trip Policy: Advance reservations are required for field trips and workshops. To register, please e-mail synature@west.net or call (805) 693-5683 with your name, mailing address, number of members and/or nonmembers in your party, and which dates you wish to sign up for. The trips are free to SYVNHS. Nonmembers are asked to pay the $20 per-person fee at the beginning of the field trip. Our outings often fill up and have waiting lists; please notify us if you need to cancel your reservation so others may have a chance to take your spot.