[Noozhawk’s note: One in a series on the Santa Ynez Valley Foundation’s 2026 Champions of the Valley who will be honored for their volunteerism and community service Oct. 11 at Rancho Carmina in Los Olivos. Click here for more information, or click here to purchase tickets online.]
Dennis Beebe has spent decades teaching children about nature, preserving military history, supporting veterans, restoring vehicles, serving on community boards and even picking up litter.
Mostly, he has done it without calling much attention to himself.
For more than 15 years, Beebe has devoted thousands of volunteer hours to Santa Ynez Valley organizations, combining his interests in environmental education, natural history, community planning and military history with a willingness to tackle whatever job needs doing.
On Oct. 11, he is being recognized as a Santa Ynez Valley Foundation 2026 Champion of the Valley.
At NatureTrack, Beebe has helped lead hundreds of outdoor educational field trips for thousands of kindergarten-through-12th-grade students.
But his contributions haven’t stopped at teaching.
Behind the scenes, he became one of NatureTrack’s go-to problem solvers, helping build shelving, repairing Freedom Trax all-terrain mobility devices and converting a donated truck into the nonprofit organization’s first field-support vehicle and mobile workspace.
Beebe also has volunteered for more than 20 years as a docent at the UC Santa Barbara Sedgwick Reserve and has served as a leader with the Santa Ynez Valley Natural History Society, including as president and secretary.
He and his daughter, Jess, have shared their enthusiasm for birds and natural history through educational presentations throughout the Santa Ynez Valley and Santa Barbara County.
At Arts Outreach, the two have worked alongside students building birdhouses and other woodworking projects.
Beebe, an Air Force veteran, also has devoted considerable time to preserving military history and honoring those who served.
As founder of the Flat Fender Friends, he has helped restore and maintain World War II-era military vehicles.
He has become a familiar presence at Veterans Day and Memorial Day observances, where the vehicles help connect younger generations with the sacrifices of veterans.
His civic résumé is just as extensive.
Beebe has chaired the WE Watch Protect Our Valley Committee, served as president of the Santa Ynez Valley Citizens Council, worked on community and general plan advisory committees, and served on the Cachuma Operation and Maintenance Board (COMB) and the Santa Ynez River Water Conservation District board.
Kathryn Lohmeyer Rohrer, a We Watch board member, called Beebe “a role model and an inspiration.”
“He has demonstrated a continuous long-term commitment to the communities and youth of the Santa Ynez Valley, as well as to environmental education and historical preservation,” she said.
Solvang City Councilman Mark Infanti said he has watched Beebe’s contributions firsthand for about 13 years.
“He has volunteered for Solvang city maintenance tasks, Solvang city review/planning committees, and is regularly at the City Council meetings so that he is constantly aware of the latest city issues and goals,” Infanti said.
“He is truly an icon of the valley.”
Yet one small example may say more about Beebe than the long list of organizations.
He and his daughter volunteered to stain and repaint Solvang’s iconic welcome sign at the north end of town, and they continue to spend Saturday mornings picking up litter throughout the valley.
There is no board title attached to that work and no audience applauding it.
It is simply another job that needs doing.
That pattern runs through Beebe’s decades of service: Find something worth preserving, improving or teaching — and get to work.
Champions of the Valley
Since 1995, the Santa Ynez Valley Foundation has been honoring exceptional local volunteers whose tireless community commitment enriches the Santa Ynez Valley and Los Alamos, their residents and a wide range of local organizations.
This year’s honorees for the 31st Annual Champions of the Valley are Kros Andrade, Dennis Beebe, Susan and Rod Caughell and Veronica Sandoval.
Youth Community Champions are Lupita Alvarado and Bella Sim.
The awards will be presented at 4 p.m. Oct. 11 at Rancho Carmina in Los Olivos. Click here for more information, or click here to purchase tickets online.
The Champions of the Valley celebration is sponsored by the Ann Jackson Family Foundation, the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, Flying Z Ranch-Betty and Ron Ziegler, Kiani Preserve, Presqu’ile-The Murphy Foundation, Linda Stafford Burrows, Manchester Capital Management, the Nagler Family Fund, U.S. Bank Private Wealth Management, Allan Hancock College, Arcadia Studio, Brady Group, Edward Jones-Kelly Hunziker, Hometown Insurance Services, Montecito Bank & Trust, Noozhawk, Old Danish Fudge Kitchen, Rancho Carmina-Hayley Firestone, Shoemaker Family Fund, Women Winemakers & Culinarians Foundation, Charlotte’s of Santa Ynez, the Grenier Family, Santa Barbara Foundation, Santa Ynez General-Turnbull Family, Santa Ynez Valley Rotary Club, Town and Ranch Properties-Michael Nicola and Gabriel Bustamante, Laura and Chris Urquidez, and Visit the Santa Ynez Valley.
The honorees were chosen by a panel of foundation board members and former honorees, based on nominations made by the community.
The honorees each receive a $1,000 grant to support a nonprofit organization of their choice. The Youth Community Champions each receive a $1,000 scholarship to further their education.
Santa Ynez Valley Foundation
The Santa Ynez Valley Foundation is dedicated to a mission centered around grant-making, extending financial support and resources to a diverse array of local organizations and initiatives in the Santa Ynez and Los Alamos valleys.
The grants are strategically channeled into key sectors, including food security, health and human services, support for seniors, arts and culture, youth development, and education.
The foundation also administers a robust College Scholarship Program designed to empower ambitious college-bound local students.
Currently, 64 students are beneficiaries of this program, receiving scholarships to facilitate their pursuit of higher education and, in turn, contributing to the overall advancement of the community.
