The Wildling Museum of Art and Nature will hold its 16th Annual Spring Barbeque, sponsored by Judy and Jack Stapelmann, 3-6 p.m. Sunday, April 28, at Firestone Vineyard in Los Olivos.
This event is an opportunity to spend an afternoon at a beautiful outdoor location while supporting the Wildling at its most important fundraiser of the year, sipping wine, eating delicious food, and enjoying auctions, live music, and more.
At the barbecue, the Wildling presents Wilderness Spirit Award to a person or group who strives to bring awareness to natural places through various platforms. This year, the honor will go to Jean Schuyler.
Schuyler has spent most of her life supporting nonprofits throughout Santa Barbara County and has been a generous supporter of the Wildling Museum and other environmental organizations. She embraces wilderness preservation and education and has made a difference in the local community.
With a storied past in wine history, one that helped to establish Santa Barbara County as a significant wine growing region, the now Foley-owned Firestone Vineyard property is in the midst of rolling hills and mature vineyards.
Sponsors and their guests will be invited to an exclusive VIP reception at 2 p.m., before the start of the event to meet the honoree and learn more about the venue. Special thanks to Silver Sponsors George and Denise Rose and Northern Trust.
To buy tickets or sponsor this event, visit https://wildlingmuseum.org/2019-spring-bbq, stop by the Wildling Museum, or call 805-686-8315. Space is limited, and advanced reservations are required.
Jean Kellogg Schuyler was born into a family with strong environmental and philanthropic ethics, and she learned at an early age that taking care of the earth and giving back to her community were values worth living.
Her grandparents were good friends with John Muir. As a 12-year-old, her father, William S. Kellogg, actually accompanied his father and Muir on a multi-day trip to Yosemite, which turned out to be one of the last trips Muir took to the valley.
Schuyler’s uncle Harold Crowe used to hike in the Sierras with Ansel Adams, whose work is an early example of blending art and wilderness.
Riding horses since she was eight, Schuyler said she is the happiest being on horseback and in the outdoors.
In the 1950s, riding through the northern California mountains as a camp counselor, spending days riding in Los Padres National Forest as the head of Midland School’s horse program, or as a 50-year member of the local women’s riding group the Sage Hens, have given Schuyler an appreciation of the area’s flora and fauna and the need to conserve and protect wildnerness areas.
Schuyler has been active in helping preserve open spaces such as Ellwood Mesa, the new Dangermond Preserve, Fairview Gardens, Sedgwick Reserve, Douglas Family Preserve, and the Carpinteria Bluffs.
A supporter of conservation and restoration efforts, she has been involved with the Yosemite Conservancy, UCSB’s North Campus Open Space, and the Land Trust for Santa Barbara County.
Believing in the need for a blend of a healthy lifestyle, good education, a well-supported arts community, and a sustainable environment, Schuyler has given her time, energy and resources to make that happen.
— Mitra Cline for Wildling Museum of Art and Nature.