Wrap-Up at Mission Canyon: Achievements

Volunteer removes a mature Euphorbia plant.

Since January, CIR has been involved in a mainland restoration project at Mission Canyon in Santa Barbara to help eradicate a growing population of an extremely invasive plant, Carnation Spurge (Euphorbia terracina).

This plant was recently discovered spreading through this residential area, down the road from the Santa Barbara Botanic Gardens, and its proliferation has exploded with the late winter rains.

With grant funding from the California Department of Food and Agriculture, the County of Santa Barbara partnered with CIR to stop Carnation Spurge in its tracks and to keep it from spreading even further.

CIR held four volunteer events at Mission Canyon with CIR staff, 64 volunteers, and 4 CIR Board Members who helped to remove this non-native plant species before the next season of rainfall.

Much of the work was accomplished by basic hand removal and solarization (placing black plastic over the plants depriving them of light).

This project could not have been completed without the hard work and dedication of our volunteers!

We thank the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden for their support on this project by providing free admission at the end of the volunteer event to those who participated to help control this invasive plant population.

We also thank the Mission Canyon Association for all their support throughout this restoration project.

The California Invasive Plant Council is exploring possible future funding options to continue the efforts being made to purge this Spurge.

Planting Completed on San Nicolas Island! 8,000 Plants

Channel Islands Restoration and volunteers, in partnership with the U.S. Navy, have been kept busy with the restoration project on San Nicolas Island this year! Since February, CIR has successfully installed 8,000 island native plants with the help of 58 volunteers over the course of 5 multi-day volunteer trips. This completed the planting phase that began in December of last year when our first volunteer planting crew started by putting in native plants, including California box thorn and two species of native cacti, to help with erosion control on the island and to help enhance habitat for the Island Night Lizard.

The Island Night Lizard is endemic to only three of the eight Channel Islands. The lizard was recently removed from the endangered species list because of conservation efforts led by the Navy on San Nicolas and San Clemente Islands, and by the Park Service on Santa Barbara Island. Navy staff on San Nicolas have designed a project to enhance lizard habitat by planting species the lizard is known to favor.

In the wild, these thorny plants grow in impenetrable thickets that protect lizards from predators. CIR propagated these native plants from seed in the island nursery that was rebuilt by CIR in 2012. Even the seeds these plants grew from were collected on the island by CIR nursery staff and volunteers.

Through rain or shine, the valuable volunteer crews were able to finish plant installation and created an irrigation system for the native plants. All this could not have been accomplished without the hard work put in by CIR staff, Kevin Thompson and Nick Hernandez, and the dedicated volunteers who assisted on this restoration project. In upcoming months, CIR staff and volunteers will continue to care for these newly installed plants with watering and maintenance trips. Watch for upcoming volunteer opportunities!

Announcing CIR’s New Office Relocation

Last year, CIR began searching for an office space comparable to the one we had in the city of Carpinteria, and the search is finally over! With the help of friends and CIR Board Members, CIR has moved to a new space for its administrative office in the city of Santa Barbara.  We are now located off of Milpas Street in the Rabobank Plaza near Trader Joe's.  Guests and volunteers are welcome to visit our administrative office Monday through Friday from 9AM-5PM where we can better assist you!  Our phone numbers remain the same, and any mailing items can be sent or delivered to our new address stated below.

Our new address:

928 Carpinteria Street, Suite #3

Santa Barbara, CA 93103

Watch for an Open House Celebration announcement in the upcoming month of June, and stop by to take a look at our new office!

Success at Earth Day Festivals: Over 400 Sign Up to Volunteer for CIR!

In the month of April, CIR participated in three Earth Day events over three  weekends and is excited to announce all had great turnouts, in addition to many new CIR volunteer sign-ups.  We had over 400 new volunteers join CIR this year just at the Earth Day Festivals!  This year, CIR hosted booths at the Earth Day events in the cities of Oxnard, Santa Barbara, and Ventura.

CIR was among hundreds of other non-profit and environmentally-friendly organizations at the Earth Day Festivals, and these  celebrations are CIR’s best opportunity to reach out to members of the public who want to become involved with environmental conservation.  In fact, many of our volunteers first heard about CIR at an Earth Day event.

CIR first participated at the Santa Barbara Earth Day event in 2007, and our booth has evolved from a couple of simple displays into a showcase of habitat restoration work on the Channel Islands and mainland.  CIR has also participated in the Thousand Oaks and Ojai Earth Day events and even some in the Los Angeles area in the previous years.

CIR Board member Cindy Kimmick brings her fascinating display of vertebrates for young people and adults alike, and she provides the visitors with a fun interactive learning opportunity.  CIR merchandise, such as our 100% organic cotton t-shirts, CIR caps, and educational field guides, is also made available for purchase at these events. 

We thank all those that took the time to visit our booth and the volunteers that helped make our booth successful!

CIR will be a first-time contributing "sponsor" at this year's Summer Solstice Celebration on June 19-21.  In the upcoming weeks, we will be looking for volunteers to assist us at this event as  CIR Ambassadors!

Volunteer with CIR at Earth Day Festivals

Join CIR and hundreds of other environmentally-friendly organizations at any of the many Earth Day celebrations happening in April in Santa Barbara and Ventura County. The Earth Day celebrations are CIR’s best opportunity to reach out to members of the public who want to become involved with environmental conservation. In fact, many of our volunteers first heard about CIR at an Earth Day event. Earth Day began when Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson witnessed the ravages of the 1969 oil spill in Santa Barbara. The first event took place in 1970 when 20 million Americans all over the country demonstrated for the environment. It has since become a global event, held on weekends and centering on April 22nd, the anniversary of the first Earth Day. CIR has participated at the Santa Barbara Earth Day event since 2007, and our booth has evolved from a couple of simple displays into a showcase of habitat restoration work on the Channel Islands and mainland. We prominently display maps and photos of the Channel Islands and talk to hundreds of visitors throughout the two-day event. CIR Board member Cindy Kimmick provides a fascinating display of vertebrates for young people and adults alike, and many people learn about the Channel Islands for the first time at these events. The Santa Barbara event features two full days of live music, speakers, family activities and interesting exhibitors, including many environmental non-profits. CIR has become a contributing “sponsor” of this very worthy event. Since these events keep us very busy, we increasing rely on volunteer“ambassadors” to help us staff the booths. We pair less experienced volunteers with experienced ones or CIR Board members, so no one will feel overwhelmed. Being a CIR ambassador at Earth Day is a lot of fun, and it’s a great opportunity to share your experiences of the islands and environmental volunteerism with the public. We even provide soft drinks and snacks to those who help out. 

Become a CIR Earth Day Ambassador! 

Please contact us if you’d like to volunteer at these events:

April 4: Oxnard

April 18-19: Santa Barbara

April 25: Ventura 

CIR to Offer Fall Trips to Santa Rosa Island

Channel Islands Restoration will offer volunteer-funded restoration trips to Santa Rosa Island this

fall, in partnership with Channel Islands National Park.  There is no grant funding available to support all the many costs associated with this project, so CIR turns to our volunteers to cover some of the cost of these trips.  In return, volunteers enjoy an extraordinary experience!  The trips are designed to accomplish important environmental restoration projects, while enabling volunteers to enjoy some of the most beautiful and remote sections of that vast island.

CIR’s Santa Rosa trips are structured to provide plenty of satisfying volunteer work, yet also include time to enjoy hikes and swimming and spectacular views.  Volunteers work an average of 6 hours per day, excluding travel days.  Additional time needed for travel to and from work sites will make a full day.

Volunteers learn about island conservation, history, geology and ecology while helping to restore Santa Rosa’s unique island habitat.  The volunteer work adds to the enjoyment and understanding of the challenges involved with managing such a large island.

Volunteers will be involved with a wide variety of projects which may include stabilizing eroding slopes and gullies, planting natives, working in the island nursery, chaparral restoration and fence removal.  Volunteers need to be energetic and in good physical condition.

Volunteers usually camp at the Water Canyon campground, and CIR provides camp stoves, pots and pans and some ice (or ice blocks) for your coolers.  Solar-heated showers are also available at the campground.  In some cases volunteers may stay at the new Santa Rosa Island Field Station.  Watch for email announcements regarding trips in September or October, and feel free to visit the trip web site for more information: http://www.cirweb.org/sri

International Delegation Visits CIR

A delegation from seven countries from East Asia and the Pacific Region visited the CIR offices in

Delegation from East Asia and the Pacific on Santa Cruz Island.

Carpinteria in July as part of their U.S. tour of community-based environmental protection organizations.  The delegation consisted of government officials, educators, and members of not-for profit organizations from Brunei, Fiji, the Marshall Islands, China, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, and Tuvalu.  Hosted by the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program of professional and cultural exchanges and the International Visitors Council of Los Angeles, the delegation also visited many sites in Southern California, including Channel Island National Park.

The delegation was treated to refreshments at the CIR offices, and Executive Director, Ken Owen,

The delegation visits Carpinteria State Beach with Ken Owen

showed a PowerPoint presentation highlighting CIRs habitat restoration and environmental education projects.  After the presentation Ken led the group on a short walk to Carpinteria State Beach to see the creek restoration project there.  The occasion provided a unique opportunity for the international visitors to learn about local conservation efforts and for CIR staff to learn about the wide variety of projects happening in East Asia and the Pacific.

March CIR Membership Party and Natural History Walking Tours Fun and Educational!

In March, CIR members were treated to a gorgeous day for our annual membership appreciation party at Rincon Beach Park in Carpinteria.

CIR Membership Party at Rincon Beach Park.

Each available picnic table was filled to the brim with the smiling faces of CIR members snacking on chips, salsa, and Duke McPherson’s delicious homemade guacamole, not to mention whole fruit and granola bar baskets to tease the appetite, in anticipation of the feast to come.

The Glendessary Jam making great music!

As festivities got underway, everyone enjoyed the delightful sounds of musician, Lawrence Wallin and the Glendessary Jam, who generously donated their tunes, talents, and time in exchange for helping themselves to the pot-luck buffet and barbecued fare.

With a sighting of coastal bottlenose dolphins from the pavilion, outstanding ocean views and sunny skies, one couldn’t have asked for a better setting.

CIR Board President Duke McPherson and Gretchen Ingmanson prepare BBQ chicken.

One entire twelve-foot picnic table was absolutely overflowing with pot-luck goodies from salads, sides, and snacks to delectable desserts—it truly was an impressive turnout of culinary contributions that satisfied everyone.

After the feast, which featured marinated chicken and veggie burgers provided by CIR and barbecued to perfection by Mr. President himself, Duke McPherson, we all enjoyed a presentation given by Executive Director, Ken Owen, during which he crowned Ron Nichols the first-ever CIR volunteer of the year!

Ron Nichols received an award as CIR’s first member of the year at the CIR Membership Party.
Ron has participated in dozens of CIR volunteer events on the Channel Island and on the mainland.

Ron was applauded and awarded a commemorative wooden plaque, as well as a brand new Anacapa Island t-shirt and CIR cap.

Following the picnic, CIR members took a short drive to the Carpinteria Bluffs Preserve where

Wayne Ferren was the first to speak about the ecology and the plant communities of the area.

Members were then treated to a talk with Tanya Atwater on the beach about local geology, as well as a docent-led program at the Carpinteria Harbor Seal Sanctuary.

The final tour was a visit to the Carpinteria Tar Pits Park.

Here, members were addressed by Wayne Ferren, Tanya Atwater, and John Johnson of the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History about the history of the tar pits and the ancient flora and fauna that had been preserved there.

Ron Nichols received an award as CIR’s first member of the year at the CIR Membership Party.

Ron has participated in dozens of CIR volunteer events on the Channel Island and on the mainland.

CIR Busy on San Nicolas Island

CIR is working in partnership with several organizations on four distinct restoration projects on San Nicolas Island.  Starting in February, CIR started growing up to 7,000 native plants in the island nursery.  The nursery was constructed by CIR staff and volunteers in 2012 to grow plants

for an erosion control project.  The latest batch of plants will be used to enhance habitat for the island night lizard and also to mitigate the impacts from a wind generation construction project.  The nursery is now filled to capacity with thousands of plants covering all three of the huge nursery tables.  An expansion of the nursery space is in the planning stages. 

The island night lizard (restricted to just three of the Channel Islands) was recently removed from the endangered species list, because lizard numbers have increased markedly with conservation efforts led by the Navy and the Park Service.  To help insure that the species continues to thrive, Navy staff on San Nicolas have designed a project to enhance the habitat of the lizard.  CIR is growing several plant species that the lizard is known to favor for habitat including, box thorn and three species of cactus.  In the wild, these plants grow in impenetrable thickets that protect the lizards from predators.   The plants will be installed with the help of CIR in the fall.

CIR recently welcomed Sheri Mayta to our staff to oversee the nursery on San Nicolas.  Sheri has over

nine years of experience in native plant nursery management and native plant propagation. She owns and operates Estero Natives, a native plant nursery in Carpinteria.  She worked for Coastal Restoration Consultants (CRC) as a senior restoration ecologist and nursery manager. With CRC she managed the production of up to 50,000 plants per year at on-site nurseries.  Sheri was raised in Ventura, Ca. where she currently resides with her two children.

In addition to growing plants, CIR is helping to eradicate invasive plants that are a priority for the Navy, who owns the island.  Several CIR staff and volunteers have also been helping to eradicate two invasive plants that are particularly troublesome, ecologically.  Sahara mustard (brassica tournefortii) was introduced to the island several years ago and is a highly invasive species that has devastated the ecology of many areas in our mainland deserts.  Carnation spurge (euphorbia terracina) has recently spread to many new areas throughout California, and several populations have been found on San Nicolas.  The Navy is working with CIR and other contractors to eradicate both of these highly invasive plants before they spread any further on the island.

Santa Barbara Zoo And CIR Awarded Grants for Wetland Restoration!

Channel Islands Restoration and the Santa Barbara Zoo have been awarded two grants to continue restoration of the Andree Clark Bird Refuge along Zoo property. Starting in 2010, both agencies (plus the City of Santa Barbara) partnered on the first phase of the restoration project, which involved removing large stands of invasive Myoporum trees and hundreds of other invasive species and the planting of over 900 natives.

Nearly 400 volunteers helped out with the project, which restored almost an acre of refuge.

What started out as a dark and dingy invasive-choked area was transformed into an open wetland habitat thriving with native plants, birds and other animals.

The second phase of the project will restore the remaining 1.5 acres of the Zoo property along the refuge margin. We will plant 1,200 natives and remove many more Myoporum trees and other invasive species will also be removed.

About $60,000 in grant funding has been awarded to the project, half from the County of Santa Barbara's Coastal Resource Enhancement Fund, which is a partial mitigation of impacts from the Point Arguello, Point Pedernales, and Santa Ynez Unit oil projects.

The other half will come from the Southern California Wetland Recovery Project, which also funded the first phase of the project. The Zoo project has been very popular with CIR volunteers. On our first volunteer day, more than 100 people showed up to help out! One of the reasons that the project is so popular is because volunteers are offered free admission to the Zoo at the conclusion of the work day.

The Bird Refuge is also a very scenic location, and the restoration sites are located in areas that the public do not normally have a chance to visit. Watch for announcements seeking your volunteer help in the fall!

A section of the Andree Clark Bird Refuge phase I restoration before non-native plants were removed. 

Note crooked on right for reference.

The same view after non-native plants were removed (note crooked oak tree on right for reference). 

This photo also shows native plants right after installation

The same view after native plants have matured

Nearly 200 CIR Volunteers Help with Refugio State Beach Project

Nearly 200 CIR volunteers of all ages have helped plant natives at Refugio State Beach since January, and the work should continue for the next several months. The project will increase native habitat at the mouth of Refugio Creek by removing non-native flora and planting natives along the creek banks, in an area covering about 30,000 square feet. Starting in October, non-native trees, shrubs and grasses were removed by the State Park and CIR. These include Palms, Myoporum, Arundo, Black Acacia, Pampas Grass, Fennel, Castro Bean, Pepper trees, Eucalyptus, and annual grasses. In January, the planting of 3,000 container plants began, including native riparian trees and coastal scrub species.

The project is led and managed by our partner, South Coast Habitat Restoration, a local non-profit organization. CIR is providing assistance with the removal of non-native plants, and is arranging for the bulk of the volunteer help. California State Parks is another partner, and funding from the project has come from the Southern California Wetlands Recovery Project, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Earth Island Institute, the Wildlife Conservation Board and Southern California Edison. The last scheduled planting day is March 8, but volunteers may also be needed to help water the plants until they become established.

End-of-Year Holiday Party Brings Big Winners to CIR!

Photo contest 1st Place: Tommy Wasden “Island Bush Mallow and Hummingbird”

Photo contest 2nd Place: Gretchen Ingmanson: “Back to the Saddle”

On the evening of December 6, 2013 the CIR administrative office was transformed into a festive holiday gathering place with food stations, a wine pouring station, a photo gallery displaying the many entries in our first annual photo contest, a raffle table brimming with great prizes, and at the top of the stairs: the CIR reception table and friendly welcoming brigade!
 
If you missed this party, we hope you’ll attend in 2014, as it was a wonderful time enjoyed by over 70 people and included volunteers, members, friends, and family – all gathered together for an evening of good food, conversation, and fun!

Our dazzling “Holiday Queen,” was none other than CIR Board Member Tanya Atwater who, dressed in a festive gown and crown, was the one to thank for organizing the delicious eats that night. Her food stations were filled with delightful offerings and had something for everyone. She was joined in the kitchenette by food table “tsarina” and Board Member Monica Jones and assisted by CIR Treasurer Karen Telleen-Lawton.

Photo contest 3rd Place: Roland Holzwarth, “Stranded”

Board Member Joel Fithian helped hang lights and greeted party-goers, and CIR President Duke McPherson brought his world-famous guacamole and helped at the reception table. Board Member Dave Edwards and his wife Wanda brought finger sandwiches and decadence in the form of See’s Candy...who can resist!? There were so many helping hands pitching in that night to ensure everyone enjoyed themselves, and we are grateful to them all!

The wine station was manned by Volunteer Coordinator, Linda Benedik (since it was at her desk, after all!), along with volunteer Tim

Honorable Mention: Roland Holzwarth, “Rodrigues in Nature”

Kenney, a wine connoisseur who also poured at the CIR Social in September.  
CIR Accounting Department, Jane O’Dell, created the seasonal ambiance with her merry décor, and volunteer Jane Lumsdaine helped energize raffle ticket sales. Our Executive Director, Ken Owen, gave a rousing speech about CIR that got the crowd cheering and together with Tanya, judged the first annual CIR Natural History Photo Contest and announced the winners! 

The photo contest was a great success and we can’t wait to do it again next year. So keep a camera handy on all your natural adventures...you never know when that “Kodak moment” could turn into a prize-winning photo!

Congratulations to our 2013 Raffle Winners:

• Trip for 2 on Island Packers to Anacapa/Santa Cruz/Whale Watching: Jon Huber
• Collection of CIR Natural History Posters: Dale Parks and Susie Bartz
• Wildflowers of Santa Monica Mountains Gift Baskets: Phil Andrews and Jon Huber
• Wine & Candles Gift Basket: Greg Archbald
• Equestrian-Themed Gift Basket: Jarry Bartz
• See’s Candy: Dale Parks

Private Groups, Individuals Support CIR School Programs

Private Groups, Individuals Support CIR School Programs

Since 2004, CIR has taken 2,137 school children on service school trips to the Channel Islands.  These kids were accompanied by 368 adult chaperones, teachers and parents.  The program targets schools in low income areas and provides bus and boat transportation, a pre-trip presentation in the classroom, plus CIR personnel to lead the trips and to lead the volunteer work.   Each trip, serving about 30 kids, costs about $2,500.

Funding for school science curricula shrinks every year, and the expense of outdoor learning means these curricula suffer first.  CIR provides one of the few outdoor experiences allowing students to actively engage in restoration work within natural habitat.  They see the results of their work year after year and their learning endures.  Most of the kids had never been on a boat, or seen marine mammals or even visited a National Park, and they do all of these things on our school trips. 

CIR received support from state and federal agencies for most of our school trips.  Now with tight budgets government funding sources are becoming harder to find.  So, CIR has turned to our corporate partners, individuals and others to support our school program.

The software company Citrix Online recently provided funding to take a class of 30 kids on a trip as did the Men’s Garden Club of Santa Barbara.  We have also received generous donations from individuals for the program.  

 

Forth Graders from Sheridan Way Elementary School on Anacapa Island

San Marcos Foothills: The Next Phase

San Marcos Foothills: The Next Phase

Since 2011, CIR has been proud to work on several projects at the San Marcos Foothills Preserve, one of the most ecologically significant open spaces in Santa Barbara County.  Located between Goleta and Santa Barbara, the Preserve features hundreds of acres of grasslands, oak woodlands, and permanently flowing creeks.  There are nearly 50 mammals found in the Foothills and 126 bird species.  The Preserve has miles of hiking trails that provide spectacular views of Santa Barbara, Goleta, and the Santa Barbara Channel.

CIR has partnered with the San Marcos Foothills Coalition (SMFC) and other organizations to restore habitat along two creeks at the Preserve and to remove invasive plants along trails.  As we enter the rainy season, we will be calling on our volunteers to help nurture the thousands of native plants we have installed at the restoration sites.  The work locations are easy to get to, kid friendly, and workdays are typically on Saturdays.

Starting in 2014, CIR will be training docents to lead public educational hikes at the Preserve.  The SMFC has helped fund the docent program, and CIR has donated a tremendous amount of staff time to the project.

CIR staff, Robert Kessler and Jared Logan demonstrate planting techniques to youth at the San Marcos Foothills

CIR & volunteers donate to Santa Rosa Island Projects

CIR & volunteers donate to Santa Rosa Island Projects

CIR volunteers remove fennel (Foeniculum vulgare).

Fennel, which has taken over large areas on

Santa Cruz Island, is fortunately not common

on Santa Rosa Island.

It is a priority of the

NPS to keep it from spreading.

Channel Islands Restoration continued working on Santa Rosa Island this year, in a project funded mostly by CIR donors and our volunteers with support from the National Park Service (NPS).

We held four trips in 2013 to remove fencing, plant natives, remove invasives and to work in the native plant nursery.

The fencing had been erected to protect sensitive plants and habitats from browsing and trampling by non-native grazing animals.

Since these animals are no longer on the island, the fencing is now an unnecessary eyesore and a potential hazard to visitors and native animals, so it is now a priority to remove it.

Often located in remote areas difficult to access, the fencing can be a challenge to remove.

Volunteers also removed invasive fennel and iceplant in several island locations and planted island-grown

Dudleya

(a native succulent) at China Camp on the island’s southwest side.

Although volunteers put in long hours, they also had the opportunity to visit parts of the island that are not easily accessible.

Although removing the fencing and the restoration work are priorities for the NPS, budgets are tight, so there is no funding to pay for these projects.

Working with NPS Restoration Ecologist Sarah Chaney,

CIR volunteers work in the native plant

nursery on Santa Rosa Island.

CIR developed a program where volunteers paid for a portion ofthe needed funding, CIR paid for the rest, and the NPS provided staff support, on-island transportation and camp sites.

While CIR spent more than $5,000 on the four trips, this project would not have happened without the generous support of volunteers and CIR donors.

Volunteers camped at the NPS campground at Water Canyon, and on one occasion, stayed at the bunkhouse that housed island ranch hands when the island was privately owned.

The bunkhouse is now part of a new research station run by California State University Channel Islands, and CIR is grateful that we received special permission to stay there.

CIR volunteers use special jacks to remove fence posts at East Point.

Volunteers also remove invasive iceplant at East Point.

CIR volunteers plant natives at China Cap on Santa Rosa Island

NPS Restoration Ecologist Sarah Chaney shows volunteers the work location near Carrington Point.

Volunteers removed fencing at the work site, which was located several hundred feet below the pictured location.