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Painted Cave is a sea cave on the north shore of Santa Cruz Island, thought to be the fourth largest sea cave in length in the world and second largest in volume in the US. With weather and tides permitting, Island Packers Captains can make the decision to immerse the boat completely within the cave. The entrance is over 130 feet high, over 100 feet wide and over 1200 feet in length. Naturally occurring algae and lichens give Painted Cave its artist’s palate appearance.
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.
Each spring the Channel Islands Restoration crew head into the Los Angeles National Forest to treat invasive species on the western edge of the Sierra Pelonas just east of I-5. To the west is the inaccessible Sespe Condor Sanctuary and to the east it is just as rugged. A few miles north, the San Andreas fault bisects this path.
One gets the sense that Dave Edwards is a man on a conservation mission. Having volunteered with Channel Islands Restoration since 2007 and a long-time board member since 2008, Dave has contributed hundreds of hours and led dozens of trips to the islands in the name of habitat restoration, trail maintenance and invasive species control. His work ethic and charming character have contributed to his close involvement with our organization, and he has become a figure of trust in the community.
