Peggy Olwell & Rosie Brand at the Botanic Garden’s 12th Annual Conservation Symposium
The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden’s 12th Annual Conservation Symposium, titled
“Seeds of Change: Conservation Through Diversity,” will be held on Saturday, February 8, 2025, at the Santa Barbara County Education Auditorium, and online. It is presented by the Nakashima-Rennie Family and sponsored by S&S Seeds.
Two keynotes will be guest presenter and symposium honoree Peggy Olwell – Plant Conservation & Restoration Program Lead for the Bureau of Land Management in Washington, DC. – and Los Angeles based multidisciplinary U.K. artist Rosie Brand, whose ceramic seed sculpture art exhibit recently opened.
Olwell is the 2025 recipient of the John C. Pritzlaff Conservation Award. She built the Native Seed Program at the Bureau of Land Management, promotes the use of native plants in habitat conservation and restoration projects, and worked on endangered species and plant conservation issues for over 30 years with the National Park Service, Center for Plant Conservation, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. She co-edited an Island Press publication, Restoring Diversity: Strategies for Reintroduction of Endangered Plants and co-authored the Springer book, Seeds of Restoration Success: Wild Lands and Plant Diversity in the U.S. Olwell holds a M.S. in Biology from Southern Methodist University.
Brand’s ceramic seed sculptures are in the SB Botanic Garden Pritzlaff Conservation Center Gallery, her exhibit titled Seed: A Living Dream. She worked with the botanists at the SB Botanic Garden, interpreting their research into large scale ceramic sculptures. On her Instagram account Brand shares, “It’s been a dream working with the botanists of the garden, and I’m so grateful for curator Kevin Spracher’s enthusiasm and support.” She is certified as a California Naturalist via the University of California’s Environmental Stewards program, and teaches interdisciplinary workshops combining sculpture, storytelling, and naturalism.
The Symposium speaker list includes:
– Naomi S. Fraga, PhD, Director of Conservation Programs, California Botanic Garden: Highlighting the importance of collaborations for regional seed initiatives.
– Heather Schneider, PhD, Senior Rare Plant Conservation Scientist, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden: Discussing the Garden and its partners’ efforts to protect California’s rare plants via seed banking.
– Amy Vandergast, PhD, Supervisory Research Geneticist, U.S. Geological Survey: Exploring how local genetics inform our biodiversity conservation strategies.
– Antonio Sanchez, Nursery Manager, Santa Monica Mountains Fund: Sharing the importance of indigenous knowledge and the need for a larger native seed supply.
– Tom Kaye, PhD, Chief Scientist, Institute for Applied Ecology: celebrating the partnerships that are working to bridge the seed supply gap.
– Genevieve Arnold, Seed and Conservation Manager, Theodore Payne Foundation: Highlighting how everyone can get involved to help achieve our regional restoration goals.
The Director of Conservation and Research at Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, Denise Knapp, PhD, stated, “Peggy Olwell’s work has laid the foundation for a nationwide movement towards seed-based native plant restoration. By collecting, producing, and safeguarding a rich diversity of seeds, we can secure a future where habitats recover, species endure, and ecosystems flourish.”
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