Join us for an evening with freelance writer and wildlife photographer Chuck Graham. 

The event is co-sponsored by the Santa Ynez Valley Natural History Society and will be both live in-person and via Zoom.    

No reservation is necessary to attend in-person.  To register for the Zoom link, please visit www.syvnature.com.

The 250,000 acres of Carrizo Plain National Monument are quietly spectacular, as they encompass one of the highest concentrations of  threatened and endangered species in a California protected space, comprise the largest protected habitat along migrating birds' Pacific Flyway and, important to both of these, protect the largest remaining example of a disappearing California habitat: native grasslands. With their often hidden wildlife, these large grasslands abutting the monument's mountains can be a photographer's dream, but patience is needed! Freelance writer and photographer Chuck Graham has been taking photographs in Carrizo's grasslands since 2006. With endurance and great patience, an eye for rare moments in time and an awareness of nature's interrelationships, he has created records of natural beauty and animal behavior few of us have had the privilege of seeing.

With a love of  exploring California's diverse habitats,  Chuck Graham enjoys life outdoors. He has been a city beach lifeguard for 31 years and has kayaked and led kayak tours in the Channel Islands' waters for over two decades. He has been photographing Carrizo Plain National Monument since 2006, several times backpacking to the monument from his Carpinteria home.  His books his books Carrizo Plain, Where the Mountains Meet the Grasslands and Paddling into a Natural Balance, Stories of Kayaking and Conservation around Channel Islands National Park will be available after the talk.  His articles and photographs have appeared in numerous publications.