Funded Projects Winter 2012

Projects Funded: 16
Total Amount Distributed: $118,241.40

Audubon Habitat Restoration Internship Program for Coal Oil Point Reserve (COPR)

Total Amount Distributed: $4,190.00
Santa Barbara Audubon implemented the “Cape Ivy Removal and Coastal Poppy Enhancement Project at COPR” in fall 2011, funded by the Goleta Valley Land Trust. The Coastal Fund grant will be used to fund additional UCSB student restoration interns and supplies to aid in completion of this project by June 2013. The project includes enhancement of a large population of Coastal Poppies—a variety of California poppies found only along the coast. The entire project site is 1.6 acres, plus monitoring and follow-up removal of Cape ivy from several other sites at Coal Oil Point Reserve. They will also be maintaining the previously-restored Pond overlook.

For additional information, please visit http://www.santabarbaraaudubon.org/

Deep Democracy: Organizing for Change

Amount Funded: $1,750.00
Without a functioning democracy, there can be no effective environmental laws or protections. Ultimate Civics will partner with local student and community organizers to produce a 2-day intensive deep democracy workshop. Participants learn how corporations captured our democracy; how corporate control and influence impact or nullify environmental protections; share and practice skills for community organizing and campaign building; and design effective campaigns for their community and state.

For additional information, please visit http://www.ultimatecivics.org/

Oceans-to-Classrooms Program

Amount Funded: $18,104.00
Environmental literacy is critical to conservation and stewardship. The over 15,000 people served annually illustrate the breadth and depth of support that the Marine Science Institute’s education and outreach program “Oceans-to-Classrooms” (O2C) and the Research Experience & Education Facility (aka the REEF) has to both the UCSB, On-Campus Community (e.g. students, courses, programs, and departments), and science education to the K-12, Community Programs and General Public in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties. Coastal Fund support for student workers and programs will help ensure their continued success and growth.

For additional information, please visit http://www.msi.ucsb.edu/

UCSB Fun in the Sun – Summer of Service (FITS-SOS)

Amount Funded: $7,400.00
FITS-SOS is a seven-week service-learning program that integrates hands-on, experiential educational activities for academically at-risk, underprivileged, middle school students in a coastal setting. UCSB FITS-SOS project, part of the FITS-SOS and FITS programs, is geared to promote reading, character development, and civic engagement (focusing on environmental awareness and disaster preparedness), while inspiring students to pursue higher education. Students learn subjects they study in school and are exposed to potential career paths, in areas such as: water conservation, recycling, water quality, nature study and wildlife preservation. The FITS and FITS-SOS programs are research-based and proven to dramatically academic and life skills.

For additional information, please visit http://www.unitedwaysb.org/

Wise Use of the Near Shore Channel Workshop

Amount Funded: $4,350.00
UCSB is a truly unique campus as it sits on an area that is significantly rich in marine biodiversity. Recognized for its richness, the California Fish and Game Commission designated this area, from Ellwood Beach to Campus Point, a Marine Conservation Area, thus restricting all forms of fishing. Although a huge success for the flora and fauna found in this area, many of the animal and plant life are sensitive to other activities in addition to harvesting. This grant supports an educational forum to inform and encourage wise-use of the near-shore channel in the newly implemented MCA.

Gaviota Films and Forums Series

Amount Funded: $7,520.00
The Coastal Fund grant supports obtaining an excellent environmental outcome from the final and most important stage of the multi-year Gaviota Coast planning process. EDC will produce video materials to educate the public, through workshops, social media and e-mail blasts, about environmental consequences of alternative recommendations, just prior to their discussion before the Gaviota Plan Advisory Commission (GavPAC). EDC seeks funding for our advocacy work on the Gaviota Plan, for six workshops to include discussion of salient issues to be addressed, and to provide video equipment, which will be used repeatedly to engage the community regarding this and future significant environmental issues.

For additional information, please visit http://www.edcnet.org/

Blue Horizons 2012

Amount Funded: $9,438.00
BLUE HORIZONS is a 9-week summer program exploring how to communicate vital stories of the ocean through media. Students interested in digital production and environmental concerns learn about important ocean issues by focusing on the Santa Barbara Channel in UCSB’s own backyard. Interdisciplinary courses and activities introduce students to scriptwriting; media portrayals of the environment; biological, socio-economic, and political aspects of marine conservation; and innovations in environmental filmmaking. During the program, students create their own documentary films. The films premiere at UCSB’s Pollock Theater, and continue to educate audiences through distribution via film festivals, the CWC website, and social media.

For additional information, please visit http://www.carseywolf.ucsb.edu/

Water Quality Testing

Amount Funded: $980.00
The Isla Vista chapter of Surfrider currently works to collect and test water samples from specific sites in order to analyze the quality of our coastal waters. The information is recorded by interns and put it up on our website as well as on the Surfrider Global website to be available to the public. This information is available to the student population through publication of weekly test results in campus papers. This in turn, can assist in water quality management measures and local awareness regarding residential contamination primarily in the Isla Vista/UCSB coastal area. Testing sites consist of Sands Point, Camino Pescadero Beach Access, and Campus Point.

For additional information, please visit http://islavista.surfrider.org/

Project: Camino Majorca Beach Accessway Stair Improvement Project

Amount Funded: $40,000.00
Total Amount Funded: &6,021.00 The beach access stairway at the end of Camino Majorca in Isla Vista has deteriorated and is in danger of failing. The stair access has been closed to the public. To design the replacement stairway, the Parks Department will hire the firm of Penfield & Smith, a local engineering firm with extensive experience on comparable projects. The funding provided allowed the Parks Division to engage the services of this firm to provide the necessary soils study, engineering & construction documents, and construction administration services to replace the stairway and restore vertical beach access at the end of Camino Majorca.

For additional information, please visit http://www.countyofsb.org/parks/

Goleta Slough Ecosystem Management Plan Update and Sea Level Rise Study

Amount Funded: $4,800.00
GSMC is currently pursuing updating the GSEMP and incorporating a preliminary Sea Level Rise (SLR) Study into the update. Given that the Airport, portions of the UCSB campus, two sanitary district plants, many roads and habitats lie at low elevations, it is prudent to study the possible effects of sea level rise as part of the GSEMP update. A risk and vulnerability assessment would be part of this effort. GSMC anticipates that the GSEMP Update and particularly the Sea Level Rise Study would be of great interest to UCSB students and researchers as well as local agencies, environmental groups and property owners.

For additional information, please visit http://www.goletaslough.org/

UCSB Hydration Stations

Amount Funded: $15,509.40
To reduce plastic waste on campus, 45 hydration stations will be installed at convenient locations where students can fill up reusable water bottles free of charge. This would eliminate the need for single-use plastic water bottles and would be a major step in eliminating plastic waste on and around the campus. While this project would increase actual water use on campus, it would also save funds overall by reducing waste collection cycles. It would also provide students an inexpensive way to stay hydrated and healthy, and our beaches and oceans would be cleaner and safer with this massive decrease of plastic waste.

CCBER Plein Air Art Opening

Amount Funded: $1,000.00
UCSB is located on a mesa surrounded by unique and beautiful coastal features, which have created a natural opportunity for the campus to protect and enhance those resources. With Coastal Fund and campus administrative support, CCBER currently conducts restoration and management on over 230 acres of campus open space. CCBER and the Pastel Society of the Gold Coast are collaborating to put on a show highlighting Campus’s natural beauty and the restoration work that CCBER does. The show will be at the Faculty Club during May and June with up to 30% of the proceeds going to support CCBER’s restoration work.

For additional information, please visit http://www.ccber.ucsb.edu

Isla Vista Surfrider Technical and Media Relations Intern

Amount Funded: $300.00
This project will fund one UCSB student intern to manage the Isla Vista Surfrider website as well as communicating with other media sources. The student will be in charge of redesigning the website, updating the website on a weekly basis, contacting media for big events, publicizing events and weekly meetings, and maintaining the IV Surfrider Facebook page.

For additional information, please visit http://islavista.surfrider.org/

UCSB-Plastic Pollution Coalition “A Day Without A Bag”

Amount Funded: $1,000.00
The UCSB-PPC in partnership with the UCSB Bookstore, hosted “A Day Without A Bag”. On the day of the event, the bookstore did not distribute plastic bags but distributed re-useable bags instead. This event served to promote re-useable products and provide students with an alternative to single-use products. PPC also distributed educational materials that spread awareness about the bookstore’s adoption of compostable bags. The Coastal Fund grant was used towards purchasing the re-useable bags that were distributed at this event.

EWB-UCSB Coast Run and Hike

Amount Funded: $1000.00
This is a fun run and hike to provide people with an opportunity to head out to the beach and enjoy the Gaviota Coast. It is also an opportunity for the EWB-UCSB Kenya Team to raise donations for this summer’s project. The run will consist of 5- mile loop run (or hike) from El Capitan State Beach to Refugio State Beach and back. A post-run bagel buffet will be provided at the finish along with tee shirts and stainless steel water bottles.

For additional information, please visit http://www.engr.ucsb.edu/~ewb-ucsb/EWB_UCSB/Welcome.html

Ocean Friendly Gardens, Community Basics Class

Amount Funded: $900.00
The Ocean Friendly Gardens Basics Class, scheduled for Spring Quarter 2012, will be a campus and community based information session held to spread awareness about the efforts and importance of OFG. The main points of discussion are reducing water use for private and public landscapes by utilizing native plants and modified irrigation systems. And further, by reducing contaminated water runoff to the oceans and other watersheds by incorporating permeable and water retentive soils and hardscapes. For more information visit http://islavista.surfrider.org/

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