Dr. Carla D’Antonio ― scientist, professor, and dedicated conservation leader ― is the keynote speaker for The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden’s Ninth Annual Conservation Symposium . At the event, titled “After the Fires: Recovering California’s Wild Spaces,” D’Antonio will also be honored with the Pritzlaff Award for her forward-thinking approach to ecology and research on post-fire restoration. The symposium returns (virtually) after a year off for the pandemic and features a panel discussion and eight other speakers including scientists, biologists, and land managers from California and beyond.
“We are really excited about the array of speakers this year,” said Denise Knapp, Director of Conservation and Research at the Garden. “The topic addresses essentially two crises: climate change and a loss of biological diversity. We need to address both of these issues and this topic is at that intersection.”
While working towards her PhD in Marine Biology in Oregon, D’Antonio became increasingly interested in plants and restoration. She felt a strong urge to do research that had real implications on ecosystems and species. Even though her colleagues told her that applied science would be a terrible waste of her time, she couldn’t shake the itch that she had to do more tangible work. So, she took a leave from her PhD program, and tried her hand at some applied science jobs. As she navigated the stresses that many folks in their mid-twenties feel and wondered if she was derailing her life by leaving the marine biology program, hers is a success story of what can happen when you trust your instincts.