1999-2000 SPF Funded Projects

Morgan Ball — EEMB Student
White-tailed Kite Studies in the Goleta Valley	$500.00

This study will attempt to establish the population, productivity, site utilization, and prey base of the White-tailed Kites on the coastal plains and slough uplands of the Goleta Valley Area.

Santa Barbara Audubon Society
UCSB North Bluff and Goleta Slough Bird Banding	$500.00

For more than 80 years, banding and releasing birds has been a basic tool in the studies of bird migration, particularly those aspects that deal with the timing, passage routes, physiological needs, and stop over duration. These studies allow a deeper understanding of how animal communities are structured and how a local habitat supports its constituent species.

Santa Barbara Surfrider Foundation
UCSB Shoreline Water Quality Monitoring Program	$13,015.00

This project establishes a monitoring program to obtain baseline data for bacterial levels and other pollutants in the shoreline surrounding UCSB (between Sands Beach and Goleta Beach). This baseline can be used by health officials to protect marine organisms, the general public, and coastal resources. In addition, we will determine whether the lagoon on the UCSB campus is a source of bacterial pathogens, and test the chemical component of the surface runoff from Isla Vista storm drains.

Conception Coast Project
Using GIS and Education to Raise Awareness in the UCSB/Isla Vista Community	$28,780.00

The Conception Coast Project will create maps that detail ecological, recreational, and regional context information for the three miles of coastline around UCSB, from Goleta Beach to the Ellwood Bluffs. The second and third objectives are the creation and dissemination of a conservation workbook and a multimedia presentation designed to increase the ecological awareness of students and communities around UCSB.

UC Coal Oil Point Reserve
Restoration of Dunes at COPR	$13,015.00

The project proposed here will eliminate acacia and Myoporum from the most of the Reserve and restore the areas occupied by these weeds with native vegetation. The restoration of the COPR dunes will improve their biological function and in turn benefit UCSB students and researchers that us the Reserve as an outdoor class or study site.

UC Natural Reserve System / SB Audubon
Western Snowy Plover Public Education	$7,405.00

This project will accomplish the public education through three methods. First, an interpretive sign will be erected to education the public on the presence of the plovers. Second, over 850 students from the Los Marineros program will be able to see and learn about the plovers. Third, a naturalist will be posted at the beach during high use times to educate the general public.

Robert Petty | Marine Science Institute
Determination of the source(s) of high nutrient concentrations in Goleta Slough	$5,072.06

The sources of high nutrients that are currently present in the Goleta Slough will be determined through the analysis of water samples throughout the Goleta Slough using conventional methods as well as an acquired in situ nitrate analyzer.

Timothy Gunther | COPR
Drawings of Plants at Coal Oil Point Reserve	$2,800.00

45 detailed drawings of important plant species that are found on the UCSB shoreline will be drawn for incorporation into a future field guide.

Isla Vista Surfrider Foundation
Project Beachwatch	$3,245.00

Project Beachwatch will guarantee regular maintenance of campus and adjacent beaches. Four students will be hired, necessary equipment will be purchased, and bimonthly volunteer-based beach clean-ups will be publicized. Two student teams will take the position of beach stewards and be responsible for Coal Oil Point and Campus Point

Donna Moore | UC Natural Reserve System
Outdoor Environmental Education at COPR	$1,000.00

A K-12 outdoor environmental education program will be developed to provide hands-on education consisting of field science activities and interaction with scientists doing field research at the reserve.

Douglas Clearwater
Depressions Beach Cleanup	$335.00

Douglas Clearwater has been spending four to six hours a day maintaining the Depressions beach area by collecting and removing trash.

Christopher Pyke | Geography Student
Modeling Wetland Hydrology at the Del Sol Vernal Pool Reserve	$479.00

This project studies the vernal pools at the Del Sol reserve that will provide valuable information on the hydrological basis for functions of restored and natural pools at these sites. This data will fill an important gap in our understanding of vernal pools.

David Court | Marine Science Institute
Devereux Slough Water Quality Study	$463.68

This study will examine the changes in nutrient concentrations in the surface water runoff that enters Devereux Slough. Weekly samples will be collected from major drainages.

Growing Solutions
The Native Plant Growing Project	$29,450.00

This project will supply the community with a much-needed source for locally collected plant species. 10,000 plants will be grown in one year. Approximately 60% of the plants will be donated to the Isla Vista Parks and Recreation District

Gaviota Coast Conservancy
Gaviota Coast Resource Book	$10,500.00

A book will be published under this project to highlight local coastal environmental and preservation issues to raise awareness of students and the general community.

Bren School of Environmental Science and Management
Evaluation of Efforts Used to Determine Beach Advisories and Closures	$4,601.00

This project will evaluate the current water quality monitoring protocol by Santa Barbara County as applied at a beach, subsequent to a lagoon breach. An optimal design will be developed that minimizes variability and increases confidence in the water quality measurements.

Marine Science Institute
Young Marine Scientists Program	$499.00

Equipment will be purchased to supplement a K-12 education program on topics of marine science and coastal environments.

Santa Barbara Audubon Society
Goleta Slough Habitat Enhancement Project	$500.00

The funds will supplement an ongoing project to remove the invasive and non-native Pampas grass and replanting native salt marsh and Coastal Sage scrub plants in five project sites in the Goleta Slough Management Area.

UCSB Museum of Systematics and Ecology
Belding’s Savannah Sparrow Use of Shoreline at Goleta Beach	$500.00

This study will investigate the importance of habitats and food resources for the California endangered Belding’s Savannah Sparrow on the Goleta Beach Shoreline. This project will produce valuable input for the Goleta Beach carrying capacity study.

Environmental Defense Center
From the Mountains to the Sea: Making the Connection (Sponsorship)	$250.00

This is a sponsorship for the Environmental Defense Center event that will happen on Thursday, July 13, 2000 at 7 PM at the Fleischmann Auditorium of the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. This will cover the printing costs for the event.