PHOTOS: ALECIA SMITH
SPEAKER PROGRAM
NOVEMBER 10, 2026 - 7 PM
SHOREBIRDS: ARE PELICANS IN HOT WATER?
Speaker: Amelia DuVall and Tammy Russell from Pelican Science
Location: Patagonia HQ - 235 W Santa Clara St, Ventura
Just off the coast of Ventura, on the California Channel Islands, lies the only place in the United States where California Brown Pelicans nest. Half a century ago, these birds nearly vanished. Contamination from DDE, a breakdown product of the pesticide DDT, made their eggshells so thin that eggs broke under the weight of their own parents, and the colonies saw near-total reproductive failure. Thanks to a ban on DDT and decades of conservation work, pelicans made a remarkable comeback and were removed from the endangered species list in 2009.
After breeding, pelicans travel the length of the Pacific coast, linking the Channel Islands to colonies in Mexico and feeding grounds as far north as the Pacific Northwest. Across that range, they face threats such as a warming ocean that disrupts their food supply and entanglement in fishing gear.
In this program, the Pelican Science team will share the pelican's life history and population trends, as well as recent insights into movement patterns and survival from tracking data using the Motus Wildlife Tracking System. As pelicans weather back-to-back marine heatwaves and a strong El Niño this year, this research can help inform the next chapter of their conservation story.
UPCOMING EVENTS
NESTING BIRDS
Please postpone any tree-trimming until the fall when the tree can be reassessed for trimming. Much tree-trimming is unnecessary, not helpful for birds, and bad for the tree, such as topping and over-thinning.
Please see our Tree Trimming Guidelines for more recommendations on tree-trimming.
GO BIRDING
Ventura County provides many recreational opportunities in a beautiful natural setting. Good birding is one of the Central Coast’s finest recreational features. The Central Coast is strategically located on the Pacific Flyway and provides habitat to many resident and migratory birds.
SUPPORT US
The support of our community is critical to ensuring that people today and 100 years from now have the opportunity to connect with nature and will get to experience our state’s wild places firsthand.
Ventura's wildlife and wild places define our landscape, bring us joy, and show us how important it is that we protect our natural world.
