Summer News & Updates

August 2025

Registration is now open for the Barn Dance at Sedgwick Reserve!

Join us for Sedgwick Reserve's annual Barn Dance to celebrate another successful year of environmental stewardship, education, and research. Enjoy dinner, drinks, and dancing under the open sky in the heart of our sprawling 6,000-acre natural reserve.

*Owl and Rabbit artwork by John Iwerks

Reserve Tickets Here

Sedgwick teams up with Kiani Preserve to bring cattle to the Reserve

By Heather Constable

In a partnership with Kiani Preserve, cattle have returned to Sedgwick Reserve. Before accepting Kiani’s robust Wagyu cattle, the Reserve needed to reinforce our aged and fire-damaged fencing (which is an ongoing process). Good fences make good neighbors, especially when cattle are involved.

Land steward, Sam Spaulding, has spent many misty mornings walking the property and tending fence in solitude. When asked if he could reinforce over 600 acres of fence by himself, Sam said in a philosophical tone “It can be done, it will just take longer.”

Sedgwick Reserve monitors miles of bulldozer lines for new invasive species following the Lake Fire

By Kristen Zumdahl

Why We Launched This Project

As spring unfolded across Sedgwick Reserve, new plant growth returned to the landscape. During the Lake Fire, bulldozers created many miles of fuel breaks to contain the blaze. While these fuel breaks were critical to protecting the Reserve, they also disturbed the soil and vegetation, creating ideal conditions for invasive plant species to take hold and spread.

Researcher Bear Waymire explores the effects of smoke and wildfire on ant behavior and ecology

By Nikki Evans and Bear Waymire

While people often wonder about the fate of wildlife in fire, they are not often considering the ants. Yet, we cannot live without ants. They are important ecosystem engineers helping to maintain healthy soil, cycle nutrients, and disperse seeds. Bear Waymire, graduate student in the Pinter-Wollman lab at the University of California-Santa Barbara, is studying the effect of fire on ant behavior and sat down to share a bit about his research with us. Read on to learn more about smoke and ants, how ant personality connects, and the mindful benefits of fieldwork!

Living with Long-tailed Weasels

By Nikki Evans

Throughout the winter and spring, word of long-tailed weasel sightings popped up all around Sedgwick: docents spotting one in a pipe near the Sedgwick pond, visitors getting little glimpses of weasels running around the landscaping of the Tipton meeting house, staff seeing one scurrying across a trail by the observatory. Long-tailed weasels' range includes most of the United States, but most people will never see one. They are sensitive to habitat fragmentation and do not thrive in urbanized environments. Add to this their small size and tendency to spend a good deal of time in underground tunnels and you have a creature that is hard to find. Yet, we are lucky in the Santa Ynez Valley to have ample open space for these territorial carnivores to survive. Click below to learn about our curious neighbor, the long-tailed weasel, in this fun photo story.

Sedgwick Reserve depends on the support of our donors to fund our docent program, support researchers, and offer community-focused public events. Your gift ensures our ability to continue supporting world-class research and education with global impact. Click here to support Sedgwick today!

Give a gift to Sedgwick Reserve

Our Company | Contact Us | FAQs | Privacy Policy