Open Space Speaker Series

We invite you to enjoy our selected guest speaker series – Free to the public!

Join the fun and enhance your knowledge of our Open Spaces, learn amazing facts about our local wildlife, regional geology, and our human connections to the land. You are sure to come away with a new appreciation of our region’s natural wonders!

All speaker presentations are held online via Zoom. If you have registered for an event, you will receive email instructions in the days leading up to the event on how to join the presentation.

To ensure your place in the audience, you must fill out our online sign-up form for this event!

Recordings of previous events will be accessible by way of the articles below. The event record is generally available a few days after the live event.

Water expert Jennifer Lancaster explains ‘weather whiplash’ phenomena –plus a recording of the presentation. - On June 28, Jennifer Lancaster, MS, appeared as COSF’s second guest in the 2023 Speaker Series as part of our special “Sustainability” theme. In “Water: Where it comes from, how we use it, where it goes—and why it matters” Lancaster, who… (read more...)

How to do your garbage right: Tips from our Speaker Series “Trash Talk” experts, and the RECORDING of the presentation - If you took away nothing else from COSF’s March 29 Speaker Series panel “Talkin’ Trash: How to Do Your Garbage Right,” we hope you at least memorized these three numbers: 1-2-5. Those represent the types of single-use plastics that actually… (read more...)

Inaugural Native Plantpalooza & Eco Fest Draws Crowds of Plant Enthusiasts - On Saturday, October 1, COSF launched a live event as part of its popular Speaker Series: Native Plantpalooza & Eco Fest at Conejo Creek North Park. The first-year, free event, which was blessed with mild, sunny weather, featured beekeepers, butterfly… (read more...)

View the recording of Betina Loudermilk’s talk about the plight of the Western monarch butterflies and what you can do to help them survive - For COSF’s summer 2022 Speaker Series virtual presentation on June 8, butterfly educator Betina Loudermilk of Betina’s Little Farm & Butterfly Garden gave a fact-filled presentation about the East and West Coast monarch migrations and lifecycles. She discussed the mysterious… (read more...)

View Dr. Sean Anderson’s talk about the impact of ‘global weirding’ in the Conejo Valley and what you can do to slow it - For COSF’s first 2022 Speaker Series virtual presentation on March 2, conservation ecologist Dr. Sean Anderson examined the multiple threats posed to the Conejo Valley by global warming—or “global weirding,” as he calls it because of the bizarre weather events… (read more...)

Wildlife-friendly tips from the California Wildlife Center and the video “Wildlife in Our Neighborhood” presented by Jenn Guess - Jenn Guess gave her COSF audience a very enthusiastic and spirited talk to address common ways wild animals get injured and end up at the California Wildlife Center for rehabilitation, where she works. The CWC receives 30,000 phone calls a… (read more...)

Read the synopsis, then watch the recording of the “Native Plants Demystified” Speaker Series event from October 14, 2021 - Native-plant experts Laura Pasetta, Jenn Rodriguez,  Antonio Sanchez and COSCA Administrator Brian Stark spoke from their extensive knowledge and experience of developing a garden of native Southern California plants. The video recording and a photo gallery can be found below… (read more...)

Watch the recording of the talk: Changes in Bird Populations due to Urbanization over 25 Years - Dr. Daniel Cooper, who spoke to us via Zoom on Thursday evening June 10th, gave a scholarly presentation of his research into the changes of bird populations over the past few decades due to expanding urban areas. He finds that… (read more...)

Watch the recording of the 101 Freeway wildlife crossing talk: its need and current status - “Wow. Beth is even better than I had hoped!!!” That was one response to March 11th presentation on the need for the 101 Freeway wildlife crossing bridge. The Zoom webinar was given by Beth Pratt, the Executive Director of the… (read more...)

Watch the recording of November’s Wildfire Recovery presentation - National Park Service wildfire ecologist Dr. Marti Witter gave a fantastically interesting and informative talk, "Fire History, Climate Change, and Wildfire Recovery in the Santa Monica Mountains" on November 12th. The Zoom presentation is now available for viewing. Her talk… (read more...)