Join us for an extraordinary presentation by Nancy Baron and Ken Weiss entitled

The Farmer and the Naturalist: Adventures with Wildlife

When writer-naturalist Nancy Baron and journalist Ken Weiss bought a small property in Carpinteria, they decided to farm organic avocados — and make the landscape friendly for wildlife -- especially birds. This quest has been a source of joy, discovery, and solace – especially in the isolating times of a global Covid pandemic.

In this slide-illustrated talk, Nancy and Ken will discuss how they balance nature and farming and share stories about their astonishing diversity of wild visitors and residents. They will also share pointers on how you can create your naturehood in your backyard -- no matter how large and small — and encourage participation in the upcoming annual Carpinteria Christmas Bird Count on Dec.16. 

Nancy Baron is a local columnist for Coastal View News (In the Naturehood) and the author of Birds of the Pacific Northwest Coast and Escape from the Ivory Tower; A Guide to Making Your Science Matter. Before COVID-19, she traveled the world to coach environmental scientists on communicating with journalists and policymakers. She started her career as a biologist in Banff National Park.

Ken Weiss is a former environmental reporter for the Los Angeles Times and Pulitzer Prize-winning writer who grows 21 varieties of avocados and other fruit on a small grove overlooking the ocean. He’s currently working on a book — Avocados: A Love Story.

You can always bring a guest (or 2! or more!!) and a dish or bottle to share.

We look forward to seeing you there!