Program: Wild Work: Adventures of Women Field Biologists (illustrated)

Tuesday, October 27, 2026 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Fleischmann Auditorium,
Santa Barbara Museum Of Natural History
2559 Puesta del Sol, Santa Barbara, CA
MAP

$5 general admission. Tickets available in advance on the Museum website and at the door the evening of the event, if still available.

Sophie Osborn returns to Santa Barbara to present the often untold stories of intrepid and dedicated women field biologists and conservationists featured in an inspiring new anthology, Wild Work, which she co-edited with freshwater ecologist Susan B. Adams. This illustrated lecture and onstage conversation will also include readings of exciting and entertaining short first-person accounts by women field biologists studying birds, fish and wildlife across the globe. Osborn will also talk about the demands of scientific fieldwork, the lifelong friendships forged, and the transformative power of connecting deeply with the natural world.

Osborn will talk about the experiences of field biologists studying birds in a variety of habitats including White-bearded Manakins and Duianan Cock-of-the-rock in Suriname, songbirds in Belize, raptors in Colorado, Yellow-naped Amazon Parrots in Guatemala, Harpy Eagles in Panama, Ruppell’s Vultures in Kenya and California Condors in Arizona and here in Santa Barbara.

Sophie Osborn is an award-winning writer and wildlife biologist who has worked with birds throughout the Americas. She contributed to reintroduction efforts for several endangered species, including as a field manager for the California Condor Recovery Program in Arizona. Her book, Condors in Canyon Country, won the 2007 National Outdoor Book Award for Nature and the Environment. American Birding Association reviewers chose her second book, Feather Trails: A Journey of Discovery Among Endangered Birds, as their favorite bird book of 2024.