This pandemic is incredibly difficult on our country and community. Beyond the clear and present personal health hazards, it has far reaching consequences hurting the livelihoods from restaurant owners to dog walkers.
It also has a huge impact on small nonprofits like us at Channel Islands Restoration. We know that many of our supporters are retired and feel particularly vulnerable at this time. We share that feeling of uncertainty, and we wish the best for all our supporters during this crisis.
Our small office staff has been able to work remotely, and we are using this time productively. We are applying for government assistance and working to defer payments on our obligations during the crisis. We are also looking to the future by applying for grants for several important projects on public land that would start later in the year.
These grants include removing invasive trees and other weeds in critical habitat in the Los Padres National Forest and germinating native trees to be planted in the Angeles National Forest. We’re excited about the future of CIR, but first we need to get through this difficult time.
As many of you know, winter and spring are our busiest seasons. As the rains come and prompt explosions of invasive weed growth, we are normally able to come together as a community to fight back and protect our native habitat. From a business standpoint, this also creates much of our income as we provide these services to clients like the Navy, the Nature Conservancy, the National Park Service, and others, and it also provides work for our field crew.
Now, in the interest of public health and in accordance with the ‘stay at home’ order, we have cancelled field work. This comes as a massive blow to our bottom line. Our work and main source of income is on hold for the time being, but CIR is still obligated to pay thousands of dollars a month on such things as workers compensation and liability insurance, both of which we are legally required to maintain, even if we are not working.
We have been raising funds for CIR for nearly 20 years, and this is by far the hardest time we have had to ask for assistance. We know that first and foremost, our supporters are trying to stay healthy and financially secure during this crisis. If there is any leeway in your personal situation that would allow you to contribute to CIR, then your help has NEVER been so vital.
This is the moment that will determine if we survive and eventually thrive as we work on many critical projects that save and protect our natural world. If you can, please consider investing in the future of habitat restoration with a donation to Channel Islands Restoration. Your donation is fully tax-deductible and is crucial to getting us through this hard time so that we can hit the ground running as soon as we can.
Thank you for your support, and stay safe and healthy,
Ken Owen & the Channel Islands Restoration team