The Colloquium features presentations on contemporary field science and research on the diverse flora and fauna of the Carrizo Plain.
Topics this year include:
—indigenous and federal agency co-management of the sacred sites on the Carrizo,
—a report on recent geological discoveries,
—educational potential of wildflower tourism,
—the use of water to recover the pronghorn population,
—and the expansion of the Giant Kangaroo Rat population.
San Luis Outdoor Painters for the Environment (SLOPE) is providing a display of paintings of the Carrizo, and artist Joe McFadden will give an overview of SLOPE, its mission, members and history.
The event will be emceed by Tom Maloney, Executive Director of the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy, with a welcome by Atascadero Mayor and SLO County Supervisor elect Heather Moreno.
Following the colloquium there will be a celebration of the 10-year anniversary of the formation of the Carrizo Plain Conservancy, whose mission is to facilitate on-going conservation and restoration efforts on the Carrizo Plain.
An optional, free post-conference, docent-led hike on Saturday, October 26 will focus on the geology and the history of the Plain. Hikers will see and discuss geological, hydrological, biological, and historical features, and will visit Painted Rock, a sacred Native American site.
More information and registration can be found online at www.carrizocolloquium.org, phone (805) 548-0597 or email info@ecologistics.org.