Projects and Goals June 2022

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SBAS is actively working on many projects related to our three main focus areas: conservation and science, recently combined into a single committee, and education.  This column will be updated regularly with an overview of selected current projects and goals (project list is not all-inclusive).  The goals summarize what each SBAS committee is working toward with occasional opportunities for member involvement.

From the desk of Katherine Emery, Executive Director

Current Projects

Goals

Education
  • Celebrating new SBAS-Santa Barbara Botanic Garden “Bird Month” collaboration at the Garden in May.
  • Outreaching at the new Audubon Overlook at UCSB North Campus Open Space (NCOS) in May.
  • Piloting new Meet Your Wild Neighbor “bird sit” and Science Technology Engineering Art and Math “How talons work” curriculum at local schools.
  • Completing providing MYWN program in 11 classrooms for 2021-2022 school year.
  • Sharing recorded Evening Programs: https://santabarbaraaudubon.org/additional-resources/videos/
 
  • Finish and share the new Lake Los Carneros (LLC) SBAS outreach film to increase awareness about the importance of birds at LLC and the critical need to protect this open space for birds and other wildlife.
  • Continue to bring Eyes in the Sky raptor ambassadors to local schools. (Contact Hannah Atkinson)
  • Schedule MYWN classrooms for fall 2022.
  • Schedule outreach at retirement communities for fall 2022.
  • Plan birding events and monthly Evening Programs for the coming year.
Conservation/Science
  • Meeting with agency decision-makers, providing public comments, and/or authoring conservation letters to promote birds, habitat, and biodiversity protections associated with two projects: Heritage Ridge development in Goleta and El Capitán Entrance Improvements Project.
  • Increasing Breeding Bird Study records for 7th
  • Providing comments about the offshore wind power plan off the Santa Barbara County coastline with respect to impact on birds.
  • Assisting UCSB Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration as it processes SBAS aquatic invertebrate data for Coal Oil Point Reserve and NCOS to understand and evaluate ecosystem health important to birdlife.
  • Working on 13th year of Nest Box monitoring at LLC. 11 volunteers are making observations at boxes and banding birds.
 
  • Strengthen advocacy efforts to protect local open spaces, wetlands, bird habitats, and ecosystems.
  • Outreach to key departments within the City of Goleta, City of Santa Barbara, and SB County to advocate for bird and bird habitat protections.
  • Use science to advocate for bird and habitat protections for Goleta creeks and watersheds and proposed wind turbine energy projects offshore of the Central Coast.
  • Monitor breeding Tree Swallows and Western Bluebirds at LLC.  22 boxes are currently being used.