The Wildling Art Museum expanded the scope of its popular birding class with a new seven-week course called “The Natural History of the Santa Ynez Region” due to start on September 20. Taught by the well-known local naturalist, Dr. Fred Emerson, the new natural history course still included a strong grounding in introductory and advanced birding, but it was expanded to give emphasis to many other aspects of the unique natural history of our area.

The great biological diversity that accounts for the large number of bird species in Santa Barbara County also applies to all the elements of the plant and animal communities that inhabit our beautiful region. From butterflies to reptiles, the area abounds in subjects of interest to the naturalist, and Dr. Emerson’s broad educational background and long study of our area’s natural history make him a great source of information and inspiration for both the beginner and the experienced student. As in the past, a different site was visited each week, and the locations were selected to best represent the shifting subjects of each meeting. And while birding was not to be forgotten at any meeting, the emphasis on the other elements of the natural habitat helped put the birds in context.

The class met on consecutive Tuesdays 8:30-10:30 a.m. September 20 through November 1. The class convened for the first meeting at the Wildling Art Museum, 2329 Jonata Street in Los Olivos (between Mattei’s Tavern and St. Mark’s Episcopal Church).