Current Projects and Goals is regularly published about once a quarter. Its purpose is to communicate to our membership about important issues that the board of directors and committee members are involved with.
Projects and Goals August 2020
SBAS is actively working on many projects related to our three main focus areas: education, conservation, and science. This column will be updated regularly with an overview of selected current projects and goals (project list is not all-inclusive). Likewise, the goals summarize what each SBAS committee is working towards with occasional opportunities for member involvement.
From the desk of Katherine Emery, Executive Director
Current Projects
Goals
Education
- Creating digital outreach and learning materials to share Eyes in the Sky (EITS) raptor ambassadors with local schools, Scout clubs, & retirement communities.
- Developing interactive online Meet Your Wild Neighbor (MYWN) curriculum to support local 1st – 3rd
- Building outreach with UCSB Goleta Coast Audubon.
- Share new SBAS Learning Resources and EITS video. https://santabarbaraaudubon.org/learning-resources/
- Deliver adapted MYWN wildlife education program to local classrooms in the 2020-21 school year.
- Safely reintroduce in-person outreach programs with live raptors at Santa Barbara’s Museum of Natural History, redesigned for socially-distanced audiences.
- Create “socially distant” adapted bird walks, bird sits, and monthly evening programs.
Conservation
- Meeting with agency decision-makers, providing public comments, and signing local conservation letters to promote bird, habitat, and biodiversity protections.
- Using science to inform decision making for bird protections and their habitat for Goleta creeks and watersheds and Wildfires Protection Plans.
- Encouraging use of Santa Barbara County Breeding Bird Study records as a tool to inform land management and resource planning.
- Build advocacy to protect local open spaces, wetlands, bird habitats, and ecosystems.
- Collaborate with Goleta Parks & Open Space Manager, SB County Flood Control staff, and others to preserve birdlife and habitat at regional open spaces (Lake Los Carneros (LLC) & Ellwood), creek corridors, and Coal Oil Point Reserve (COPR).
- Remind agencies that fuels reduction should occur during non-breeding times, specifically during the months ending with “r”: September, October, November, December.
Science
- Completing 9th year of Nest Box monitoring at LLC to understand Tree Swallows (TRES) and Western Bluebirds (WEBL) breeding more deeply.
- Invertebrate project perseveres in reduced capacity.
- Finishing Purple Martin nest cavity surveys at Nojoqui Falls Park.
- Summarize Nest Box breeding data at LLC & COPR.
- Complete data analyses about invertebrate research at North Campus Open Space & COPR.
- Explore research and conservation fund to protect Purple Martins.
Projects and Goals May 2020
SBAS is actively working on many projects related to our three main focus areas: education, conservation, and science. This column will be updated regularly with an overview of selected current projects and goals (project list is not all-inclusive). Likewise, the goals summarize what each SBAS committee is working towards with occasional opportunities for member involvement.
From the desk of Katherine Emery, Executive Director
Current Projects
Goals
Education
- Using 1st and 3rd grade teacher feedback about Meet Your Wild Neighbor (MYWN) to fine-tune program.
- Supporting new UCSB Goleta Coast Audubon.
- Strategizing COVID-19 “socially distant” bird walks, programs, and Eyes in the Sky (EITS) outreach.
- Clarify who SBAS is and what we’re doing to the general SB public; highlight SBAS actions in 5 local newspapers (March-May 2020).
- Explore online outreach to elementary & high school students for 2020-21 school year.
- Continue reaching out to EITS volunteers, members, and local nonprofit leaders to strengthen SBAS community during this time of uncertainty.
Conservation
- Signing local conservation letters and providing public comments to promote bird & biodiversity protections.
- Using science to inform decision making for bird protections and their habitat for Goleta creeks and watersheds and Wildfires Protection Plans.
- Protecting Goleta open spaces (including Lake Los Carneros (LLC) & Ellwood) by providing guidance to Goleta City Council, Commissioners and Parks Staff.
- Communicate to the greater SB public the impacts of the Strauss wind energy project on birdlife, including Condors.
- Build advocacy to protect local open spaces, wetlands, bird habitats, and ecosystems.
- Collaborate with Goleta Parks and Open Space Manager to preserve birdlife and habitat at regional open spaces (LLC & Ellwood).
Science
- Providing Nest Box habitat for cavity-dwelling birds at LLC and opportunities for people to understand Tree Swallows and Western Bluebirds more deeply.
- Encouraging broad agency use of Santa Barbara County Breeding Bird Study records as a tool to inform land management and resource planning.
- Collect breeding data for Tree Swallows and Western Bluebirds at 22 Nest Boxes at LLC.
- Resume snowy plover monitoring, water quality and invertebrate research at North Campus Open Space & Coal Oil Point Reserve.
- Get White-tailed Kite nesting data from Winchester, Ellwood, More Mesa, & San Marcos Foothills.
Projects and Goals February 2020
SBAS is actively working on many projects related to our three main focus areas: education, conservation, and science. This column will be updated regularly with an overview of selected current projects and goals (project list is not all-inclusive). Likewise, the goals summarize what each SBAS committee is working towards with occasional opportunities for member involvement.
Recent highlights are exciting events SBAS members and volunteers just led. Current projects are an overview and not all-inclusive. Likewise, the goals summarize what each SBAS committee is working towards with occasional opportunities for existing (or potential new) members to become more involved.
From the desk of Katherine Emery, Executive Director
SBAS: Recent Highlights
- Christmas Bird Count: 220 Participants; 203 Species identified in SB County
- Winter Bird Count For Kids: 83 children, 50 accompanying adults. 30 SBAS volunteers, 59 species observed.
- Dr. Satie Airamé & Jeff Chemnick Birding Peru Evening Program. Standing room only.
- Dr. Ken Rosenberg, Cornell Lab of Ornithology & American Bird Conservancy, Science Presentation:
New 3-way collaboration SBAS-SBMNH-UCSB; 350 Guests.
Current Projects
Goals
Education
- Piloting new 1st and 3rd grade Meet Your Wild Neighbors (MYWN) curriculum in local schools.
- Supporting Audubon Campus Club at UCSB.
- Monthly bird walks, evening programs at SBMNH, and daily Eyes in the Sky (EITS) outreach.
- Provide MYWN to 4 more local classrooms in spring.
- Expand outreach in Goleta (Science Nights) and with partner organizations.
- Apply for grants to provide programs free as needed: City of Goleta (Winter Bird Count For Kids) and other grantors (MYWN, EITS & Audubon Raptors Interactive Education for Seniors (ARIES)).
Conservation
- Strauss Wind Energy Project advocacy to protect birdlife and habitat in Santa Barbara County.
- Using science to inform decision making in the protection of local streams and riparian corridors.
- Protecting Goleta open spaces (including Lake Los Carneros (LLC) & Ellwood) by providing guidance to Goleta City Council, Commissioners and Parks Staff.
- Communicate to the greater SB public the impacts of the Strauss wind energy project on birdlife.
- Increase advocacy to protect local open spaces, wetlands, bird habitats, and ecosystems now.
- Collaborate with Goleta Parks and Open Space Manager to preserve birdlife and habitat at LLC & Ellwood.
Science
- Water quality and invertebrate research at North Campus Open Space and Coal Oil Point Reserve.
- Preparing for new season of Nest Box Project for breeding Tree Swallows and Bluebirds at LLC.
- Contributing work to archive Santa Barbara County Breeding Bird Study records to inform land management and resource planning.
- Provide baseline monitoring to aid in understanding the dynamics of Devereux Slough as well provide students more experience in scientific research.
- Provide habitat for cavity-dwelling birds and opportunities for people to encounter and understand birds more deeply.
