The Wildling Museum of Art and Nature will present its 2022 Wilderness Spirit Award to Karl Hutterer, an environmental advocate, educator, community volunteer, and director emeritus of the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History.
The Wilderness Spirit Award is an annual recognition of a person or group that strives to bring awareness to wilderness protection and preservation, and Hutterer’s work aligns with the Wildling’s mission of bringing art and nature together as a means of preserving wild spaces.
Hutterer will receive the honor during the Wildling Museum’s Brunch al Fresco, 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Sunday, June 5 at the Alisal Ranch Adobe. The event also includes a live auction supporting the Wildling Museum with bidding opportunitys for getaways to Sedona, Arizona; Park City, Utah; and San Francisco; and one-of-a-kind artworks.
Several local artists will be at the event, providing live demonstrations, as well as selling their handcrafted works.
“Karl’s passion and dedication has enriched and inspired our community for decades,” says Stacey Otte-Demangate, Wildling Museum executive director. “We are delighted to be able to bestow our Wilderness Spirit Award on such a worthy recipient.”
General admission to the event is $150. To buy tickets or learn about sponsorship, visit www.wildlingmuseum.org/news/2022-brunch-al-fresco or call 805-686-8315. Advance ticket registration is required. All attendees will park in a designated lot before being shuttled by the Alisal’s hay wagons to the private site. There will be no in and out entry during the event.
Hutterer was born near Salzburg, Austria, and received his education in Austria, Germany, the Philippines, and the University of Hawaii, where he received a Ph.D. in anthropology and archaeology. He has conducted archaeological research in Southeast Asia and the Pacific (Hawaii, Australia), focusing his efforts on tropical rainforest ecology and long-term human interactions with tropical ecosystems.
From 2000 through 2012, he was executive director of the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. He serves on the boards of several nonprofit organizations and works as a volunteer for the Community Environmental Council in Santa Barbara.
With an interest in the causes and consequences of global warming, Hutterer is involved in efforts to prevent runaway climate change, and in building resilience to the effects of climate change already underway.
The Wildling offers thanks to Silver Sponsors Kathleen Kalp and Jim Balsitis, Northern Trust, Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, and the Rudi Schulte Family Foundation.
For more about the Wildling Museum, visit www.wildlingmuseum.org.