An Educational Expedition To Santa Rosa Island
By Morey Spellman
On September 23rd, 2021, Channel Islands Restoration made a triumphant return to Santa Rosa Island alongside one hundred guests! The trip, an educational expedition for supporters of our environmental nonprofit, was a major milestone that marked the renewal of in-person education and expanded opportunities for Channel Islands Restoration community members to participate once again in events with like-minded friends and supporters.
Held in celebration of the September 22nd equinox, the Autumn Equinox Cruise was our first education only island trip, with seven distinct island adventures to choose from, each led by a different scientific expert or experienced field guide. Trip leaders incorporated a range of knowledge into their programs, from descriptions of island ecology and geology to teaching about the anthropology and history of Santa Rosa Island and the Channel Islands.
At 84 square miles, Santa Rosa Island is the second largest Channel Island. It is remote, wild, and windswept, located forty nautical miles from Ventura Harbor, the point of departure for our Autumn Equinox Cruise. In terms of topography, sandy white beaches and crumbling cliffs slowly transition into Soledad Peak, the island’s highest point at 1,589 feet. Although the island is home to only three native mammal inhabitants (the island fox, the island spotted skunk, and the island deer mouse) it hosts over five hundred plant species and hundreds of bird species.
The original inhabitants of Santa Rosa Island were the Island Chumash, who may have lived on the island as far back as 13,000 years ago and whose present-day descendants remain integral to many of the historical and cultural aspects of the island to this day. Since the native Chumash first called the island home, Santa Rosa Island has seen various groups play a part in shaping the land for better or for worse. In 1986, the National Park Service took Santa Rosa Island under its wing to ensure its increased federal protection and conservation.
With the help of Island Packers, we traveled across the Santa Barbara Channel to this incredible destination. Guests were treated to views of the southern side of Santa Cruz Island before embarking from the boat onto Santa Rosa Island and splitting into their respective programs. Steve Junak, a respected researcher, author, and expert on the flora of the islands of California, led guests on a tour of Cherry Canyon for a unique curated botanical experience.
Dave Edwards, the Trail Crew Coordinator for the Santa Monica Mountains Trails Council, and recently retired CIR board member, led a walk to the incredible Torrey Pines Grove. Santa Rosa Island is one of only two places that Torrey Pines exist in the world. This extremely rare species of pine tree stands 26-56 ft tall, alone on an isolated patch of coast. Exposure to the elements have twisted these trees into beautiful shapes that sparked the imagination of our guests and provided incredible photographic opportunities.
Other island programs for the day included a tour with anthropologist Jennifer Perry. Jennifer, an Associate Professor of Anthropology at Cal State Channel Islands, oversees CSUCI’s Santa Rosa Island Research Station. Dr. Perry’s program discussed the human history of Santa Rosa Island from earliest settlement to recent ranching. Focusing on the Bechers Bay area, Dr. Perry explained the significance of Santa Rosa Island over time.
Geologist Sabina Thomas a professor in the Earth and Planetary Science department at Santa Barbara City College, shared her insight with guests about the geologic history and seismic activities that went into shaping Santa Rosa Island and the Channel Islands of California.
On the trip back from Santa Rosa Island, there was one more surprise for our lucky visitors -- a visit to Painted Cave. Painted Cave is a sea cave on the north side of Santa Cruz Island and is the twelfth largest sea cave in the world and second largest in the United States, with an entrance over 130 feet high! As the sun set at our backs we watched in awe as our boat inched into the opening, our guests got a close look at sea birds clinging to the cliffs and admire the shimmering multicolored rocks of Painted Cave. Our adventure wound to a close as our vessel backed out of Painted Cave and headed for home, accompanied by groups of short-beaked common dolphins and plunge diving brown pelicans, providing a wonderful reminder of the extraordinary biodiversity and stunning vistas of the Channel Islands.
We are excited to have shared a small portion of this special place with our guests. We plan to make the Autumn Equinox cruise an annual excursion and look forward to next year’s trip to experience the uniqueness of this special archipelago.