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habitat restoration
Channel Islands Restoration is coordinating a trail maintenance program that will provide easier trail accessibility, stable footing, and designated walking paths for visitors, hikers, and outdoor enthusiasts at the San Marcos Foothills West Mesa Preserve located in Santa Barbara. This series of Santa Barbara based volunteer opportunities is a great opportunity to learn about trail maintenance and join a new program on how to maintain trails in the local community.
At some point toward the end of a busy 2021, I rather suddenly realized that CIR had been in existence for nearly 20 years. One-third of my life had gone by in that time, and it was the most productive and personally satisfying time of my nearly 60 years.
It was the photo of the Santa Ynez River that came into my inbox last January that ultimately made me sign up for the CIR tamarisk eradication trip. The gorgeous photo shows a crew of backpackers walking along a deep pool in the river, with the blue of the sky reflected in the pool. “Volunteer Sign-up is Now Open!” I was hooked, and having recently completed my vaccination regimen, I was ready for just this kind of adventure.
Autumn in the Heritage Valley of the Santa Clara River, the area upstream of Santa Paula and down stream of Piru, is beautiful this time of year.
The mornings are cool and damp. The afternoon temperatures often dip to near tolerable double-digit levels and the smell of freshly tilled dirt is prevalent on the subtle breeze.
Orderly rows of petite greens, herbs and celery, begin to emerge in the fields, lovers of the cool damp mornings that dry into bright sunny afternoons, the same growing conditions that have been ideal for citrus the last 150 years.
In an amazing outpouring of support for the natural world and for the value of open space, CIR has received over 1.3 million dollars in donations and pledges to purchase a portion of the San Marcos Foothills. Most of that funding ($1,035,556 as of this writing) was donated in cash, while $263,228 has been “pledged” to the campaign.
