From the desk of
Katherine Emery, Executive Director
Through our Education and Conservation/Science committees, Santa Barbara Audubon Society (SBAS) is actively working on many initiatives. This update provides an overview of selected current projects, goals, and opportunities for member engagement.
Dear SBAS Friends, Members, and Supporters,
SBAS protects area birdlife and habitat and connects people with birds through education, conservation, and science. Throughout the summer, our Eyes in the Sky (EITS) program provided educational live raptor presentations at local camps, Santa Barbara County Parks (such as Cachuma Lake), other public venues, and the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. This fall, we’ll introduce to local schools a new SBAS Feather Box interactive exhibit with feather specimens and replica bones, and refresh and grow our Meet Your Wild Neighbor curriculum to meet increasing demand for our quality educational outreach.
Ongoing conservation and community science initiatives included work by Don Schroeder and his team monitoring Western Bluebirds and Tree Swallows through the Next Box Project at Lake Los Carneros in Goleta. Thank you to Don Schroeder, Steve Senesac, and SBAS and UCSB volunteers for the care and logistics that make this Nest Box Project possible.
Our Conservation/Science committee proactively worked with the City of Goleta using Santa Barbara County Breeding Bird Study data to help inform management decisions at Ellwood Mesa/Sperling Preserve Open Space in Goleta. The purpose of the Nesting Bird Management Plan is to help avoid impacts to nesting birds (such as White-tailed Kites) in this important natural area.
Protecting birds and their habitats is truly a community collaboration and we thank you, SBAS members, and our community partners for supporting these efforts.
As we begin the 2023-2024 fiscal year – marking our 60th year as a local, volunteer-driven, environmental nonprofit – we welcome you to share your passion for birds, invite a friend, attend a fun bird walk, and use your voice to protect local birdlife. Learn more at SantaBarbaraAudubon.org.
Katherine Emery, Executive Director
Santa Barbara Audubon Society
