Letter From The Founders

Spring 2012

2011 was a busy and productive year. With the help of staff, volunteers, students we expanded the Healthy Habitat and Future Solutions programs. This was also a year filled with collaboration. Working with fellow organizations enriched the projects and improved us as people.

Much time was spent on the Channel Islands working with the UC Reserve, The Nature Conservancy and The National Park Service to grow thousands of plants for the Prisoner’s Harbor Wetland Restoration on Santa Cruz Island. http://www.nps.gov/chis/parknews/restore-coastal-wetland.htm

Santa Barbara City and Westmont College students and other groups volunteered to help with the growing of the plants including; Oceans for Life, Santa Monica Mountains Youth (SAMO Youth), Amber Robinson participated with the support of Patagonia. Rusty Miller and his wonderful wife Tricia http://www.rustymillersurf.com/ came all the way from Australia to help grow wetland plants…maybe also to visit fellow surfer and our dedicated board member Steve Barilotti.

We continue to work with Laurie Harvey and her excellent seabird team on Santa Barbara Island planting plants. http://www.darrp.noaa.gov/southwest/montrose/santabarbara.html

And with Kathryn McEachern on the recovery of rare plants. http://www.werc.usgs.gov/person.aspx?personid=108

Our ongoing project with Santa Barbara County at the Foothill Open Space of converting a closed landfill into a public passive open space is shaping up nicely with almost complete cover of native plants. Project Manager, Joddi Leipner has been diligent in weed control allowing the natives to establish. In October we enjoyed participating in the annual Santa Barbara Creek Week activities with a work day at the Foothill Open Space.

http://www.countyofsb.org/pwd/pwrrwm.aspx?id=8980

We are happily working to further restore the Goleta Slough funded in part by the Southern California Wetland Recovery Project http://www.scwrp.org/ and supported by the Santa Barbara Airport. http://www.flysba.com/news_facts/environmental_management

Our Future Solutions Program is growing as young people face the challenges of rising food and fuel prices. We have had students learning all sorts of new skills such carpentry, gardening, and solar energy production. For many it is a first to “pound nails” and build something, others are researching alternate fuels or learning about solar power systems and many are interested in growing their own food and enrolled in the SBCC Small Scale Food Production class.

Now more than ever we would appreciate your help and support to help build a livable and sustainable society.

Karen Flagg and Don Hartley