Join The Channel Islands Restoration Docent Program

Help CIR provide important environmental education though our easy three step process, enroll in our program today.

Step 1: Enroll in our docent training module series

Enhance your skills as a docent from the comfort of your own home with our online modules. CIR is providing online training sessions, at the convenience of your own schedule. From these virtual sessions, you'll be equipped with the tools you need to start your journey as an educational docent and make a lasting environmental impact.

Step 2: Familiarize yourself with our docent material

Discover the secrets to becoming a knowledgeable and engaging San Marcos Foothills docent by diving into our comprehensive docent training materials. Gain insight into effective communication techniques for the public, and learn how to connect with diverse audiences. A comprehensive, written docent manual will be provided during the training.

Step 3: Attend an in person site visit at the Foothills.

Bring your online docent training to life with an in-person culminating session. Join us for an immersive experience that will allow you to practice your newfound skills in a real-life setting, receive personalized feedback from expert docents, and connect with fellow learners. Through hands-on activities and engaging discussions, you'll gain the confidence and experience you need to become an impactful docent in the Santa Barbara community. Our program will provide the opportunity to learn from Chumash people about their traditions.

Some of the topics we'll cover in our first docent module...

1.1 What is the San Marcos Foothills Preserve?
1.3 Program Goals
1.4 What is Channel Islands Restoration?
1.5 Ecological setting
2.0 Preserve Rules and Why They are Needed
2.1 Allowed and Prohibited Activities
2.2 Why Preserve Rules are Important
2.4 What Type of Recreation is Best in a Nature Preserve?
2.5 Disappearing Wildlife, Including on the Preserve
2.6 Reasons that Dogs Need to Be on Leashes:

In coming months, CIR will be offering further training on the natural and cultural history of the San Marcos Foothills. The docent program is an excellent opportunity to learn about becoming a naturalist and to pass on that knowledge to others.

For more information or questions regarding the docent program fill out the form below.

The San Marcos Foothills has hundreds of stories to tell...

Each plant community, species of animal, group of invertebrates, rock formation, and geophysical feature at the Foothills, interact to form intricate systems.

These systems speak a beautiful language that everyone sees and many of us hear, but few of us understand. Those of us who are active naturalists have some knowledge of these ecological dialects, but most casual observers may not recognize the complexity that surrounds them or the effect they have when they visit the area.

For many years CIR has contemplated forming a program at the San Marcos Foothills to help share these stories.

Nearly a decade in the making, the San Marcos Foothills Educational Docent Program will now provide opportunities for those who love nature to pass on mind-blowing environmental principles to their friends and neighbors who visit the Preserve. It will also provide the opportunity to learn from Chumash people about their traditions and connections to the land.

An American Kestrel and Spotted Towhee. All photos by Ken Owen