An Evolving Landscape: Salamanders, Ranchers, Friends, & Science

Ventura Land Trust's Environmental Speaker Series presents: An Evolving Landscape: Salamanders, Ranchers, Friends, & Science with Chris Evelyn

California’s landscapes are evolving due to tectonic, climatic, and anthropogenic drivers. The effects of these processes are reflected in the evolution of diversity in California’s native flora and fauna. Among the most inconspicuous of these groups is the salamander genus Batrachoseps. They are the most speciose genus of vertebrate west of the Mississippi River, and their radiation has been driven by the landscape evolution of the western United States over the last 40 million years. In this talk I will discuss the diversification of this group in the context of California’s ever-changing landscape. In doing so I’ll weave in stories about my professional journey collaborating with ranchers, mentors, and friends.

About the Speaker:

Chris Evelyn is a herpetologist with an interest in the evolution of diversity in amphibians and reptiles. His research to date has focused on speciation, morphological evolution, and ecological patterns across spatial scales from microhabitat to biogeography. Chris is also passionate about outdoor education and conservation from his time teaching environmental education on Santa Catalina Island to current cooperative projects with state and federal agencies. Chris spent 2018 in Mexico studying parapatric speciation in the salamanders of Oaxaca as a UC Mexus Postdoctoral Fellow. (UCSB Cheadle Center for Biodiversity & Ecological Restoration).

Date: Thursday, June 26, 2025
Time: 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Location: Surf Rodeo HQ
Cost: Free | Suggested Donation $10

Space is limited, so please register in advance to reserve your spot!

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