Sophie Wood Brinker at Point Reyes Books
Bolinas-based artist and illustrator Sophie Wood Brinker joins Point Reyes Books at the Dance Palace to celebrate the publication of her new book, Birds of Santa Cruz (Heyday Books). Lisa Olivera, author of When the Ache Remains, will serve as interlocutor.
This is a free event. No registration required.
This charming, full-color guide to the birds of Santa Cruz is infused with California coastal soul and the quiet fierceness of love one can only derive from ardent attention. Author-illustrator Sophie Wood Brinker profiles 25 species you're likely to spot hopping the sands or soaring overhead in Surf City, and shares what we can learn not only about them but from them. From the collective organizing of the Brown Pelican, to the community protection of the California Quail, to the Band-Tailed Pigeon flock that Wood Brinker likens to a mutual aid cooperative, these birds have stories to tell. Vivid hand-painted portraits accompanied by identification and song notes help everyone get to know their avian neighbors, with descriptions of each species that invoke reflections from Diane di Prima, Mary Oliver, and dreamers of all stripes. A joy to read and pore over, Birds of Santa Cruz shimmers with poetic sensibility and a conservationist ethos. Wood Brinker's findings, gleaned from patient observation, will enchant readers far beyond the city limits.
Sophie Wood Brinker (she/her) is a science illustrator who works with paint and pencil to communicate the brilliance and intricacy of the ecosystems that surround us. Her art scales from drawing the texture of butterfly wings to painting 15-foot protest banners. She also works in a small town library, helping spread library joy and community resources. As a Quaker, she grew up sitting in intergenerational circles hearing messages spoken out of silence. She has a BA in Peace and Global Studies from Earlham College and is a graduate of the Science Illustration Program at California State University, Monterey Bay. Wood Brinker grew up in Santa Cruz, California, on unceded territory of the Awaswas-speaking Uypi Tribe, and lives in Bolinas, California, on unceded Coast Miwok territory. sophiewoodbrinker.com
Lisa Olivera is a writer, author, licensed psychotherapist, mother, and creator of the Human Stuff newsletter. Over the last decade, she has supported thousands of people in remembering their true selves and embracing the multitudes of being human. She has worked in schools, community-based mental health, and private practice, all of which inform her lens of the world. Lisa’s work has been highlighted in publications including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Good Morning America, and The Guardian. She has appeared on many podcasts including Adoptees On, Hurry Slowly, and Off the Grid. Her debut book, Already Enough, was published in 2022. She lives in Northern California with her husband, daughter and two cats.
Sophie Wood Brinker at Point Reyes Books
Bolinas-based artist and illustrator Sophie Wood Brinker joins Point Reyes Books at the Dance Palace to celebrate the publication of her new book, Birds of Santa Cruz (Heyday Books). Lisa Olivera, author of When the Ache Remains, will serve as interlocutor.
This is a free event. No registration required.
Sophie Wood Brinker (she/her) is a science illustrator who works with paint and pencil to communicate the brilliance and intricacy of the ecosystems that surround us. Her art scales from drawing the texture of butterfly wings to painting 15-foot protest banners. She also works in a small town library, helping spread library joy and community resources. As a Quaker, she grew up sitting in intergenerational circles hearing messages spoken out of silence. She has a BA in Peace and Global Studies from Earlham College and is a graduate of the Science Illustration Program at California State University, Monterey Bay. Wood Brinker grew up in Santa Cruz, California, on unceded territory of the Awaswas-speaking Uypi Tribe, and lives in Bolinas, California, on unceded Coast Miwok territory. sophiewoodbrinker.com
Lisa Olivera is a writer, author, licensed psychotherapist, mother, and creator of the Human Stuff newsletter. Over the last decade, she has supported thousands of people in remembering their true selves and embracing the multitudes of being human. She has worked in schools, community-based mental health, and private practice, all of which inform her lens of the world. Lisa’s work has been highlighted in publications including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Good Morning America, and The Guardian. She has appeared on many podcasts including Adoptees On, Hurry Slowly, and Off the Grid. Her debut book, Already Enough, was published in 2022. She lives in Northern California with her husband, daughter and two cats.
Sophie Wood Brinker at Neary Lagoon
Join author Sophie Wood Brinker and Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History educator Jenny Rieke for an afternoon of birding and nature journaling at Neary Lagoon. We’ll explore the lagoon’s rich habitat together, then settle in to sketch and observe what we find. Art supplies are provided — no experience necessary. This event celebrates the launch of The Birds of Santa Cruz, published by Heyday. All skill levels welcome.
About the Speaker
Sophie Wood Brinker (she/her) is a science illustrator who works with paint and pencil to communicate the brilliance and intricacy of the ecosystems that surround us. Her art scales from drawing the texture of butterfly wings to painting fifteen-foot protest banners. Sophie also works in a small town library, helping spread library joy and community resources. As a Quaker, Sophie grew up sitting in intergenerational circles hearing messages spoken out of silence. She has a BA in peace and global studies from Earlham College and is a graduate of the Science Illustration Program at California State University, Monterey Bay. Sophie grew up in Santa Cruz, California, on unceded territory of the Awaswas-speaking Uypi Tribe, and lives in Bolinas, California, on unceded Coast Miwok territory. www.sophiewoodbrinker.com
Accessibility and Logistics
Come prepared with layers, sunscreen, water, and snacks.
Bring binoculars and sketchbooks if you have them!
We will meet at the California St. entrance to Neary Lagoon Park (110 California St.). There is a small parking lot and free 2-hour parking along California St. Bike racks and restrooms are available at the entrance.
We will walk ~1 mile on a generally flat pathway and floating boardwalk. The trail is ADA accessible and the only restroom access is at the trailhead.
Sophie Wood Brinker at Santa Cruz Natural History Museum
Join local author-illustrator and Art of Nature artist Sophie Wood Brinker for a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Birds of Santa Cruz. In this engaging talk, Wood Brinker will share her creative process for illustrating the 25 bird species featured in her book, from early field observations along the coast to the final hand-painted portraits.
Blending art, science, and storytelling, she’ll explore how careful attention to movement, behavior, and habitat informs her work, and how illustration can deepen our connection to the natural world. Attendees will gain insight into techniques for capturing birds in paint, as well as the inspiration drawn from watching everything from Brown Pelicans gliding over the waves to California Quail gathering in community. Whether you’re an artist, bird enthusiast, or simply curious about the intersection of creativity and conservation, this presentation offers an exploration of what it means to truly see—and translate—that vision onto the page.
$12 – General
$5 Off – Museum Members
REGISTER
About the book:
This charming, full-color guide to the birds of Santa Cruz is infused with California coastal soul and the quiet fierceness of love one can only derive from ardent attention. From the collective organizing of the Brown Pelican, to the community protection of the California Quail, to the Band-Tailed Pigeon flock that Wood Brinker likens to a mutual aid cooperative, these birds have stories to tell. Vivid hand-painted portraits accompanied by identification and song notes help everyone get to know their avian neighbors, with descriptions of each species that invoke reflections from Diane di Prima, Mary Oliver, and dreamers of all stripes. A joy to read and pore over, Birds of Santa Cruz shimmers with poetic sensibility and a conservationist ethos. Wood Brinker’s findings, gleaned from patient observation, will enchant readers far beyond the city limits. Books will be available in the Museum Store at the event or can be purchased Online.
About the Speaker
Sophie Wood Brinker (she/her) is a science illustrator who works with paint and pencil to communicate the brilliance and intricacy of the ecosystems that surround us. Her art scales from drawing the texture of butterfly wings to painting fifteen-foot protest banners. Sophie also works in a small town library, helping spread library joy and community resources. As a Quaker, Sophie grew up sitting in intergenerational circles hearing messages spoken out of silence. She has a BA in peace and global studies from Earlham College and is a graduate of the Science Illustration Program at California State University, Monterey Bay. Sophie grew up in Santa Cruz, California, on unceded territory of the Awaswas-speaking Uypi Tribe, and lives in Bolinas, California, on unceded Coast Miwok territory. www.sophiewoodbrinker.com
Accessibility and Logistics
Parking is available on Pilkington and street parking is available in the surrounding neighborhood. Parking permits will not be required for this nighttime event. Please allow a few extra minutes to find parking and get settled before the program begins.
This program will take place indoors at the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History. Seating will be provided, and light refreshments will be available.
Feel free to bring a notebook or sketchbook and something to write with if you’d like to take notes during the talk. Come prepared with questions for the Q&A with the speaker.
Sophie Wood Brinker at Buteo Books
Join Birds of Santa Cruz author Sophie Wood Brinker at Buteo Books, the premier bookstore for birders in Northern California. Sophie will be joined in conversation by fellow Heyday author Keith Hansen (Birds of Point Reyes).
Sophie Wood Brinker (she/her) is a science illustrator who works with paint and pencil to communicate the brilliance and intricacy of the ecosystems that surround us. Her art scales from drawing the texture of butterfly wings to painting fifteen-foot protest banners. Sophie also works in a small town library, helping spread library joy and community resources. As a Quaker, Sophie grew up sitting in intergenerational circles hearing messages spoken out of silence. She has a BA in peace and global studies from Earlham College and is a graduate of the Science Illustration Program at California State University, Monterey Bay. Sophie grew up in Santa Cruz, California, on unceded territory of the Awaswas-speaking Uypi Tribe, and lives in Bolinas, California, on unceded Coast Miwok territory. www.sophiewoodbrinker.com
Keith Hansen illustrated and authored Birds of Point Reyes and Hansen’s Field Guide to the Birds of the Sierra Nevada. He is a professional bird illustrator whose images have been featured in Discovering Sierra Birds; Birds of Yosemite and the East Slope; and Natural History of the Point Reyes Peninsula, among other books.
Book Talk and Bird Walk with Sophie Wood Brinker at Natural Bridges Beach
Join Sophie Wood Brinker for a book presentation and birding walk along the gorgeous Natural Bridges State Beach in Santa Cruz. Brinker will talk about her new guide, Birds of Santa Cruz, followed by a birding stroll through the park to look at birds. Her book is a charming, full-color guide to the birds of Santa Cruz infused with California coastal soul and the quiet fierceness of love one can only derive from ardent attention.
The event will include:
- Presentation
- Q&A
- Bird Walk
- Book Signing
- Light Refreshments
Members of Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks can buy Brinker's new book ($25) at a $10 discount at the event. Members also receive 15% off ParkStore purchases. Become a member at the event!
This is a free event. Donations are gratefully accepted.
Parking at Natural Bridges State Beach is $10 and helps Friends support the park.
Sophie Wood Brinker at Mrs. Dalloway's
Join Sophie Wood Brinker at Mrs. Dalloway's bookstore in Berkeley as she discusses her new book, Birds of Santa Cruz. Sophie will be joined by fellow Birds of California series authors Oliver James, Alex Harris, and Aaron NK Haiman. She will show slides of art from the book and will sign copies her book after the presentation.
Sophie Wood Brinker (she/her) is a science illustrator who works with paint and pencil to communicate the brilliance and intricacy of the ecosystems that surround us. Sophie also works in a small town library, helping spread library joy and community resources. She has a BA in peace and global studies from Earlham College and is a graduate of the Science Illustration Program at California State University, Monterey Bay. Sophie grew up in Santa Cruz, California, on unceded territory of the Awaswas-speaking Uypi Tribe, and lives in Bolinas, California, on unceded Coast Miwok territory.
Aaron N.K. Haiman volunteered from a young age with bird research organizations before receiving a BS in Environmental Science from UC Berkeley as well as MS degrees in Avian Science and Animal Behavior from UC Davis. Aaron guides bird walks, mentors high school students in ecology and sustainability, leads a youth bird-a-thon team, and gives presentations on birds and habitat restoration. He works for the State of California and lives in West Sacramento.
Alex Harris, born and raised in Berkeley, California, is an artist interested in using art and technology to look at how humans interface with the natural world. He has a BA in environmental studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and previously worked as the web editor and electronic communications manager at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive. He lives and works in Oakland, California.
Oliver James started watching birds in his backyard on Colusa Avenue at age five and never turned back. Since then, he has competed in national birding tournaments, worked as a birding tour guide, and joined ornithological research teams from Peru to Alaska. He graduated from Berkeley High School in 2009 and Wesleyan University in 2014, and in 2021 he received master’s degrees from the Energy and Resources Group and the Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley. James is also the author of A Field Guide to the Birds of Wesleyan (Wesleyan University Press, 2014).
Sophie Wood Brinker at Bookshop Santa Cruz
Join Birds of Santa Cruz author and illustrator Sophie Wood Brinker for this special launch event at Bookshop Santa Cruz, cosponsored by Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks. Sophie will also be joined in conversation by Jenny Rieke, Director of Education at the Santa Cruz Natural History Museum.
Your RSVP helps us plan for your arrival and keep in touch with any changes. Thank you for registering!
This charming, full-color guide to the birds of Santa Cruz is infused with California coastal soul and the quiet fierceness of love one can only derive from ardent attention. Author-illustrator Sophie Wood Brinker profiles 25 species you're likely to spot hopping the sands or soaring overhead in Surf City, and shares what we can learn not only about them but from them. From the collective organizing of the Brown Pelican, to the community protection of the California Quail, to the Band-Tailed Pigeon flock that Wood Brinker likens to a mutual aid cooperative, these birds have stories to tell.
Vivid hand-painted portraits accompanied by identification and song notes help everyone get to know their avian neighbors, with descriptions of each species that invoke reflections from Diane di Prima, Mary Oliver, and dreamers of all stripes. A joy to read and pore over, Birds of Santa Cruz shimmers with poetic sensibility and a conservationist ethos. Wood Brinker's findings, gleaned from patient observation, will enchant readers far beyond the city limits.
Sophie Wood Brinker (she/her) is a science illustrator who works with paint and pencil to communicate the brilliance and intricacy of the ecosystems that surround us. Her art scales from drawing the texture of butterfly wings to painting 15-foot protest banners. She also works in a small town library, helping spread library joy and community resources. As a Quaker, she grew up sitting in intergenerational circles hearing messages spoken out of silence. She has a BA in Peace and Global Studies from Earlham College and is a graduate of the Science Illustration Program at California State University, Monterey Bay. Wood Brinker grew up in Santa Cruz, California, on unceded territory of the Awaswas-speaking Uypi Tribe, and lives in Bolinas, California, on unceded Coast Miwok territory. sophiewoodbrinker.com
Dick Evans and Hannah Hindley at Reader's Books
Join Reader's Books in Sonoma at 6:00 p.m on Wednesday, February 4th as Hannah Hindley and Dick Evans discuss their book, In the Shadow of the Bridge: Birds of the Bay Area. This beautiful book of curated images interspersed with text explores the neighborhoods of San Francisco and their avian residents. Together, Hindley and Evans provide a vibrant and rich story of the tenacity of birds in a densely settled urban area. This event is free to the public.
Dick Evans and Hannah Hindley at Mrs. Dalloway's
Join Mrs. Dalloway's on Wednesday, January 21 at 7:00 PM when photographer Dick Evans and author Hannah Hindley share a slideshow and presentation for their new book In the Shadow of the Bridge: Birds of the Bay Area. They will be joined in conversation by Meredith Elliott of Point Blue Conservation Science and will sign copies of their book after the presentation.
Having explored San Francisco neighborhoods in three celebrated books, Dick Evans turns here to the avian species that call the Bay Area home. With his photographer's eye, he finds art and drama in the lives of birds, from the smallest sparrows to long-legged Great Blue Herons. He captures the pockets of wilderness in our cities that make the area a birder's paradise: from a marsh full of endangered birds wading in the reeds near the Oakland Airport to the isolated refuge of the Farallon Islands, home to a quarter-million seabirds and a handful of visiting scientists; from Crissy Field, flocked with egrets, to the pasturelands birds share with cattle.
His vibrant images are interspersed with text by Hannah Hindley that weaves us more deeply into relationship with our avian neighbors, introducing readers to the natural history of the region, to themes of interdependence and ecology, and to the evolving challenges for birds in a densely settled urban environment.
At the heart of these images and stories is love for the living descendants of dinosaurs as they soar and parade, and awe at their ephemerality and endurance. Evans's photos highlight the wonder of a world on the wing and the rich biodiversity of Bay Area birds.
Dick Evans and Hannah Hindley at Kepler's
Acclaimed photographer Dick Evans and award-winning writer and nature guide Hannah Hindley come together to discuss In the Shadow of the Bridge: Birds of the Bay Area. They will be joined by John Epperson, President of the San Mateo Bird Alliance.
Having explored San Francisco neighborhoods in three celebrated books, Dick Evans turns here to the avian species that call the Bay Area home. With his photographer’s eye, he finds art and drama in the lives of birds, from the smallest sparrows to long-legged Great Blue Herons. He captures the pockets of wilderness in our cities that make the area a birder’s paradise: from a marsh full of endangered birds wading in the reeds near the Oakland Airport to the isolated refuge of the Farallon Islands, home to a quarter-million seabirds and a handful of visiting scientists; from Crissy Field, flocked with egrets, to the pasturelands birds share with cattle.
Evans's vibrant images are interspersed with text by Hannah Hindley that weaves us more deeply into relationship with our avian neighbors, introducing readers to the natural history of the region, to themes of interdependence and ecology, and to the evolving challenges for birds in a densely settled urban environment. At the heart of these images and stories is love for the living descendants of dinosaurs as they soar and parade, and awe at their ephemerality and endurance. Evans’s photos highlight the wonder of a world on the wing and the rich biodiversity of Bay Area birds.
About the Speakers
Dick Evans became interested in photography as a graduate student at Stanford University and continued his practice throughout a fifty-five-year career in the global metals industry that took him all over the world. San Francisco always remained home base, though, and he now lives in the city with his wife, Gretchen. Evans is the author of the photography books San Francisco and the Bay Area: The Haight-Ashbury Edition, The Mission (an Indie Book Award Finalist), and San Francisco’s Chinatown.
Hannah Hindley is a wilderness guide and the recipient of the Thomas Wood Award in Journalism, the Ellen Meloy Desert Writers Award, and the Barry Lopez Prize in Nonfiction. She graduated from Harvard with degrees in English and evolutionary biology; she holds an MFA in creative nonfiction from University of Arizona. Her environmental essays can be found in Bay Nature, The Sun, Hakai, and more. Hannah writes about small creatures, big landscapes, and the scientists who love them.
Dick Evans and Hannah Hindley will stay after the event to sign copies of their book.
Dick Evans and Hannah Hindley at Book Passage
Join Book Passage for an awe-inspiring author event celebrating Dick Evans and Hannah Hindley's new book, In the Shadow of the Bridge: Birds of the Bay Area.
This stunning collaboration highlights the incredibly diverse avian species found in the greater Bay Area.
More than half of all avian species in the United States can be found in the long shadow of the Golden Gate Bridge. It is here that the 4,000-mile avian superhighway known as the Pacific Flyway, converges. Stretching from Alaska to Patagonia, this massive migratory channel is trafficked by over a billion birds every year, making the greater San Francisco Bay Area one of the most remarkably biodiverse regions for birds, and a destination for bird lovers the world over. In the Shadow of the Bridge: Birds of the Bay Areacaptures the pockets of wilderness that make these Bay Area cities a birder’s paradise and gives voice to the environmental dilemmas that imperil it.
Featuring over 200 full-color photographs by Dick Evans and poetic prose by award-winning writer Hannah Hindley, In the Shadow of the Bridge details the enduring abundance of avian biodiversity of the San Francisco Bay bioregion. A stunning array of native bird species roost among the nutrient-rich waters of the Bay and the sprawling California Delta that feeds it, ecosystems which also attract millions more winged visitors along their migratory journeys every year. This estuary is the largest of the Pacific Coast—and also among the most modified in the nation, causing habitat loss for both local and migratory species. Over the last half-century, diminishing terrain combined with other shifting climatic conditions has caused over 3 billion birds to disappear from these skies.
Divided into three sections, Evans and Hindley explore the histories, communities, and complex conservation issues that intersect to make the greater Bay Area a remarkable place for the study of birds, and a potent catalyst for their preservation and protection. Informed and guided by the expertise of Point Blue Conservation Science, a nonprofit leader in climate-smart conservation, Evans and Hindley’s survey of this biodiversity hotspot extends for hundreds of miles in every direction of the Golden Gate Bridge—northward to Russian River, inland to Sacramento, southward to Monterey, and oceanward to the remote Farallon islands, accessible only by conservation scientists. With awe and admiration, the authors delight in the splendor of these winged wonders as well as in the human capacity to care for them.
Dick Evans became interested in photography as a graduate student at Stanford University and continued his practice throughout a fifty-five-year career in the global metals industry that took him all over the world. San Francisco always remained home base, though, and he now lives in the city with his wife, Gretchen. Evans is the author of the photography books San Francisco and the Bay Area: The Haight-Ashbury Edition, The Mission (an Indie Book Award Finalist), and San Francisco’s Chinatown.
Hannah Hindley is a wilderness guide and the recipient of the Thomas Wood Award in Journalism, the Ellen Meloy Desert Writers Award, and the Barry Lopez Prize in Nonfiction. She graduated from Harvard with degrees in English and evolutionary biology; she holds an MFA in creative nonfiction from University of Arizona. Her environmental essays can be found in Bay Nature, The Sun, Hakai, and more. Hannah writes about small creatures, big landscapes, and the scientists who love them.
