Ventura Land Trust will host the next installment of its Environmental Speaker Series, Women in Conservation, on Thursday, April 14th from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm at the Museum of Ventura County (100 E Main St.).
A panel discussion moderated by Ventura Land Trust Executive Director Melissa Baffa will feature Kristine McDivitt Tompkins, Kate Larramendy, and Michelle I. Sevilla, three individuals who are shaping the modern conservation movement in the United States and abroad.
Baffa herself is a biologist and educator who was selected as a 2015 Science Communication Fellow with the Ocean Exploration Trust, and explored the deep sea as part of Dr. Robert Ballard’s Corps of Exploration in 2015, 2016, and 2018.
“Our panelists have such a wide range of experience and influence,” says Baffa. “They are examples of women who have navigated barriers to build connections among scientists, environmental advocates, policymakers, and communities, and they’ve made significant contributions to the field of conservation. Because of their work, others who identify as women can follow in their footsteps.”
Women in Conservation panelists include Kristine McDivitt Tompkins, who, as president and cofounder of Tompkins Conservation, has worked to protect wild beauty and biodiversity with the conservation of 15 million acres of parklands in Chile and Argentina; Kate Larramendy, past Director of Design and Sustainability for Toad&Co and trustee of The Conservation Alliance; and Michelle I. Sevilla, an immigrant from the Philippines who works on local environmental issues and policy in the California State Legislature. Sevilla is the first Network Manager of the Central Coast Climate Justice Network.
Members of the audience will have the opportunity to ask questions of the panelists in a Q&A session after the panel discussion. Now in its seventh year, Ventura Land Trust’s quarterly Environmental Speaker Series educates the public about important local and global environmental issues. Women in Conservation is the second of four events in 2022, with upcoming events in June and October. Environmental Speaker Series events are free and open to the public, but donations are encouraged. Guests are encouraged to RSVP for Women in Conservation at www.venturalandtrust.org/womeninconservation.
The mission of Ventura Land Trust is to permanently protect the land, water, wildlife and scenic beauty of the Ventura region for current and future generations. Founded in 2003, Ventura Land Trust believes that preserving open space and providing public access enhances the economy, quality of life, and public well-being of Ventura and surrounding communities. The organization currently owns and manages land along the Ventura River and in the Ventura hillsides, including the 2,100-acre Harmon Canyon Preserve. All preserves are open to the public daily from dawn to dusk for free. Ventura Land Trust is an accredited member of the Land Trust Alliance. Learn more and become a member at www.venturalandtrust.org.
