Sespe Wilderness: Backcountry Wonders at the Intersection of Nature, Adventure, and Politics

Category: Event Calendar

Date and Time

• Thursday, May 21, 2026  6:30pm - 7:30pm

Location

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Details

Sespe Wilderness: Backcountry Wonders at the Intersection of Nature, Adventure, and Politics

Thursday, May 21, 6:30pm
Faulkner Gallery – Santa Barbara Public Library
40 East Anapamu St., Santa Barbara, CA

The Sespe Wilderness in Ventura County’s backcountry was designated in 1992 and now stands as the largest protected Wilderness area in the southern Los Padres National Forest. From Pine Mountain and Sespe Creek, to Piedra Blanca and Chorro Grande, the Sespe is known for its extensive backcountry trails network, rare wildlife like California condors and bighorn sheep, and deep cultural and spiritual importance to the Chumash people. Learn from local public land leaders and explorers Jeff Kuyper, Peter Deneen, and Chuck Graham about the unique landscapes and outdoor recreation opportunities found in the Sespe Wilderness and the history of how it was given its highly protected federal land status.

About the Speakers

Jeff Kuyper is an expert on our region’s public lands and their historic, policy, and legal frameworks. He is a founder of Los Padres ForestWatch, a nonprofit that works to protect Los Padres National Forest and Carrizo Plain National Monument through advocacy, education, and community engagement. With more than 25 years of experience advocating for wildlife, public lands, and local communities. He holds a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Oregon School of Law, with a certificate in Environmental and Natural Resource Law, and a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies from UC Santa Barbara.

Peter Deneen is an award-winning writer, educator, nonprofit leader, and actor based in his hometown of Ojai. He is a veteran United States Coast Guard officer, where he served for over a decade. Peter holds a Bachelor of Science from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, a Master of Arts in Climate and Society from Columbia University, and is currently an MBA candidate at UCLA. He serves on several local and regional nonprofit boards, including Keep the Sespe Wild, Ojai Raptor Center, and The C.R.E.W., and sits as the board president of the Ojai Valley Defense Fund. Peter is an ultramarathon runner, co-founder of Sisar Canyon Run Club, and is a Runners for Public Lands Ambassador.

Chuck Graham is a freelance writer and photographer from Carpinteria. He’s been leading kayak tours at the Channel Islands National Park for 24 years. His stories and photos have appeared in National Geographic, BBC Wildlife Magazine, High Country News, American Forests, Natural History Magazine, Men’s Journal, Backpacker, The Surfer’s Journal, and Westways. He’s the author of the award-winning Carrizo Plain, Where the Mountains Meet the Grasslands and his new book, Paddling into a Natural Balance, Stories of Kayaking and Conservation around Channel Islands National Park, recently won the Nature Division of the Independent Press Awards for 2026.

This free presentation is part of the Trail Talks series hosted by the Santa Barbara Public Library.

The next talk in the series is Thursday, June 18, Trail Talks: Open Mic Night: Tales from the Wild