Channel Islands Restoration
A 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organization
928 Carpinteria Street Ste. 3
Santa Barbara, CA 93103

(805) 448-5726

Email:
contact@cirweb.org

Restoration Projects on the
Channel Islands

Channel Islands Restoration leads and supports many restoration projects on the Channel Islands.  We provide volunteer opportunities for groups and individuals on many of these projects.

Follow the links below for further information:

Anacapa Island
Santa Cruz Island
Santa Rosa Island
San Nicolas Island
San Clemente Island
San Miguel Island
Catalina Island
Santa Barbara Island

 

 East Anacapa Island Restoration Project

Volunteers on Anacapa Island

CIR works with the Channel Islands National Park on an important and exciting habitat restoration project on Anacapa Island. We work with adults and school groups on single-day trips to restore habitat invaded by non-native iceplant that threatens the island's sea bird nesting habitat and native plant communities. When you volunteer on Anacapa, you will be signed up as a National Park Service Volunteer.  Volunteers remove iceplant, grow plants in the island nursery, collect seed and plant native species. We typically depart around 8:00 AM, and we arrive back on the mainland around 5:00 PM. Volunteers bring their own lunch, snacks and water, and we supply the rest! 

Contact CIR to volunteer. 
For more information on our work with school groups on Anacapa Island, CLICK HERE

Volunteers on Anacapa Island

Red-flowered iceplant (Malephora crocea) growing on Anacapa Island

Volunteers remove iceplant on Anacapa Island


Volunteers work in the Anacapa Island Nursery

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Santa Cruz Island Restoration Projects

Channel Islands Restoration works throughout Santa Cruz Island on both multi-day and single-day trips.  There are volunteer opportunities for both individuals and adult and school service groups.  Scroll down to view information on our projects on western and eastern Santa Cruz Island:

Santa Cruz Island Native Plant Restoration Project
(Western Santa Cruz Island)

For detailed information on visiting the western portion of Santa Cruz Island:

visit the project web site
(Opens in new window)

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Eastern Santa Cruz Island Projects
(NPS Property)

CIR works with Channel Islands National Park to remove non-native plants, collect seed and plant native species in sensitive habitats on the eastern end of Santa Cruz Island. We conduct both day-trips and multi-day trips to this portion of the island, and several hundred school kids and individuals have helped us with this project so far.

When you volunteer on Eastern Santa Cruz Island, you will be signed up as a National Park Service Volunteer.  On single-day trips, participants perform service work at several important restoration sites, have the opportunity to hike on interesting trails and experience the National Park visitor center.  On overnight trips, participants stay in the National Park Service campground and get involved with a wide variety of activities including evening educational activities (offered by CIR or the National Park Service),  swimming,  kayak excursions and hiking.

Contact CIR to volunteer. 
To visit the eastern SCI web page, CLICK HERE
For more information on our work with school groups on eastern SCI, CLICK HERE

 

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Santa Rosa Island Projects

Channel Islands Restoration has worked with Channel Islands National Park and several other partners, service groups and individual volunteers on many exciting projects on Santa Rosa Island.  We have planted native species, helped grow native plants in the island nursery, protected rare plants by erecting and then removing fencing, surveyed for and eradicated noxious weeds and controlled weeds in many places on the island including on miles of island roads.

Volunteers make multi-day trips to the island to work with us on these projects, which are perfect for individuals and corporate and service groups.  If you or your group wants a Santa Rosa Island volunteer adventure, then visit our Santa Rosa Island Volunteer Page

Bechers Bay, Santa Rosa Island

 

Volunteers hike in Lobo Canyon

 

Island Oak on Soledad Mountain

 

Elephant Seals near Johnson's Lee

 

Volunteers build fencing in sensitive natural areas on Santa Rosa Island

 

Volunteers from the North Face plant native species

 

Volunteers remove iceplant

 

 


Volunteers survey for yellowspine thistle with Santa Cruz Island in the background

 

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Santa Nicolas Island Nursery Project, Revegetation and Invasive Plant Control

Channel Islands Restoration is working with the U.S. Navy on several important projects on San Nicolas Island.  Our staff and volunteers teamed up with the navy to completely rebuild and expand an old native plant nursery. More than 1,100 plants have been grown so far, and CIR staff and volunteers recently planted most of these at a restoration site on the island. The plants were installed at a restoration site on the eastern side of the island to help prevent erosion along roadside dune habitat.

CIR is working to eradicate several invasive species on San Nicloas.  We have been working for several years eradicating Sahara mustard from habitat of the threatened Cryptantha traskiae (a threatened plant in the Borage family). Our staff and volunteers are trusted to work around these sensitive plants and around protected archeological sites. 



The nursery built by CIR on  San Nicolas Island



1,100 plants have been grown at the nursery 
by CIR staff on San Nicolas Island so far




CIR staff and volunteers plant natives at the Thousand Springs restoration site
on the north east end of San Nicolas Island. 

CIR Volunteers work on San Nicolas Island
CIR Volunteers hand-remove Sahara mustard on San Nicolas Island

 


Coreopsis scrub on San Nicolas Island

 


Dune vegetation on San Nicolas Island

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Santa Clemente Island Iceplant Removal

Channel Islands Restoration is working with the U.S. Navy to eradicate iceplant on San Clemente Island

CIR volunteers pull iceplant on San Clemente Island
CIR Volunteers hand-remove iceplant from Sage Sparrow habitat on San Clemente Island

 


Restoration site before removal of iceplant


Restoration site after removal of most of the iceplant


Dune habitat on San Clemente Island

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San Miguel Island
Invasive Plant Removal

CIR has worked with the National Park Service to remove Cirsium vulgare (bull thistle) and Erechtites glomerata (Australasian fireweed) and Centaurea melitensis (tocalote) on San Miguel Island.  CIR staff and Board members have also volunteered for the National Park Service on the island.

 

Panorama of western end of San Miguel Island (top).  Native bluff habitat (left).  Bull thistle plant (right).
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Santa Catalina Island
Invasive Plant Removal

CIR has worked with the Catalina Island Conservancy by removing invasive plants on the island.  We have organized one volunteer trip so far, and others are planned for the near future.

 

Santa Barbara Island
Restoration Support

CIR has recruited volunteers for the National Park Service restoration work on Santa Barbara Island on many occasions.  Many of our staff and Board members have also personally volunteered for the projects.