Through our Education Committee and our Conservation/Science Committee, SBAS is actively working on many projects related to our three main focus areas. 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
- Continuing to welcome the public to visit the Audubon Aviary and view the SBAS Eyes in the Sky (EITS) birds of prey every day (except Tuesday) at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. Thank you, EITS leaders and volunteers!
- Continuing to provide our EITS educational live bird presentations at preschools, retirement communities, and other locations. (Contact Hannah Atkinson)
- Sharing stunning new SBAS outreach film by Michael Love, “Birds of Lake Los Carneros.” Film is free to watch and available to classrooms, community centers and others from SBAS website: https://santabarbaraaudubon.org/learning-resources/
- Schedule next set of Meet Your Wild Neighbor (MYWN) classroom presentations in at least 12 Santa Barbara and Goleta lower elementary classrooms beginning this autumn.
- Organize 8 inspirational Evening Programs this year with new Board member, Roman Baratiak.
- Provide 32 morning bird walks/field trips this year. For updates, see https://santabarbaraaudubon.org/activities/
- Communicate informative fun bird-related stories to new and experienced naturalists through SBAS Hugh Ranson’s Santa Barbara Birding column in the Santa Barbara Independent (monthly). Thank you, Hugh!
Conservation/Science
- Meeting with agency decision-makers, providing public comments, and/or authoring conservation letters to promote birds, habitat, and biodiversity protections for Santa Barbara area projects. Thank you, Conservation/Science Committee leaders and members!
- Finishing collection of 7th year of Breeding Bird Study records. Total of 189 species of birds contributed by the public over time. Thank you, BBS contributors and Mark Holmgren and Adrian O’Loghlen!
- Summarizing results from 13th year of SBAS Nest Box monitoring at Lake Los Carneros (LLC). 11 volunteers made observations at boxes and banded birds. 87 Tree Swallows (TRES) and 22 Western Bluebirds (WEBL) fledged, the second highest ever for TRES and the highest ever for WEBL at LLC. Thank you, Don Schroeder, Steve Senesac, Conor McMahon, and volunteers!
- Strengthen conservation efforts to protect local open spaces, wetlands, bird habitats, and ecosystems.
- Use scientific data to continue outreach to the City of Goleta, City of Santa Barbara, and SB County to advocate for bird and habitat protections.
- Support UCSB Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration students researching SBAS aquatic invertebrate data for Coal Oil Point Reserve and NCOS to understand and evaluate ecosystem health important to birdlife. Thank you, Ann Steinmetz and Steve Senesac!
