December 2011

Santa Barbara Channelkeeper News & Events

News and Events

Episode 2 of Watchdog Diaries Now Online Salmon Run Highlights Ventura River Trash Epidemic Use Reusable Bags for Your Holiday Shopping Volunteer to Monitor Our MPAs! Stream Team Dec. 3rd & 4th Get Your 2012 SBCK Calendar Today! Give the Gift of Clean Water

Episode 2 of Watchdog Diaries Now Online

On November 2nd, Channelkeeper and Patagonia teamed up to conduct a second round of surveys of homeless encampments and dumpsites in the Ventura River Estuary. The shocking conditions and devastating environmental impacts observed by our team were documented and highlighted in the second episode of Channelkeeper's Watchdog Diaries video blog, which is now available online. Check it out!

Patagonia's Salmon Run Highlights Ventura River Trash Epidemic

Participants in Patagonia's 2011 Salmon Run on November 6th were treated to the sight of tons of garbage that had been collected from the Ventura River and deposited in piles along the race course. The trash was generated by homeless encampments in the river bottom, and Channelkeeper worked with the event coordinators to set up a series of signs along the course to direct runners' attention to the staggering environmental impact of homelessness in the Ventura River. At the event, Channelkeeper also gave a brief presentation on the results of our most recent trash survey in the Ventura River and gathered signatures for a letter we're submitting to the LA Regional Water Board urging them to do a better job enforcing compliance with existing laws requiring reductions in trash in the Ventura River. Channelkeeper has worked hard to raise awareness about this out-of-sight, out-of-mind environmental tragedy. Most recently, we testified before the Ventura City Council on November 21st, highlighting the persistence of homeless encampments in the river as an egregious violation of State water quality regulations. Channelkeeper will be ratcheting up our efforts to ensure that this complicated yet critical issue is better addressed in the future.

Did You Know? Gently Used Reusable Bag Collection

Do you have more canvas tote bags than you regularly use? Channelkeeper is helping "Africa Inside" to collect gently used reusable tote bags that will be distributed to people in need of a free tote bag both locally and in Africa. Totes can be any color, size or shape and have any logo or words on it, but must be clean. Drop

off your extra totes at our office (714 Bond Avenue) or at a Santa Barbara Sotheby's office and meanwhile, don't forget to use reusable bags for all your shopping needs!

Give a Gift to the Ocean - Use Reusable Bags for Your Holiday Shopping
Reusable bags aren't just for the grocery store. During the busy holiday season, one thing you can do to help the environment is to use reusable bags whenever you shop. Join shoppers throughout California and choose reusables on Thursday, December 15th - "A Day Without a Bag," a statewide campaign created by Heal the Bay to help reduce the enormous problem of plastics in our ocean. Channelkeeper is partnering with other local environmental groups to celebrate "A Day Without a Bag" in Santa Barbara by giving away free reusable bags at Scolari's and at Paseo Nuevo. Stop by our tables for a free bag and learn about the environmental impacts of disposable bags and what Channelkeeper is doing locally to address the problem, or just join us by saying NO to paper AND plastic and using only reusable bags. This holiday season and every day, give a gift to the ocean - use reusable bags every time you shop.

Volunteer to Monitor Our Ocean Treasures!

Channelkeeper needs volunteers to help monitor our new Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)! Channelkeeper's MPA Watch monitoring program uses volunteers to record and track human activities in and adjacent to the new MPAs off the Santa Barbara coast that will enter into effect on January 1, 2012. The data we collect will be critical in detecting trends in human uses in our MPAs and how these uses correspond to biological changes in fish populations resulting from implementation of the MPAs. The program will also aid compliance and enforcement efforts to ensure that MPA regulations are followed. Becoming an MPA Watch volunteer is easy and fun. Channelkeeper will be hosting two volunteer training workshops this month - Thursday, December 8th and Monday, December 19th - both at 5:30pm at the Channelkeeper office (714 Bond Avenue in Santa Barbara). If you want to attend or learn more about MPA Watch, please email or call us at 805.563.3377 ext. 2.

Stream Team - December 3rd & 4th

Stream Team is Channelkeeper's volunteer-based water quality monitoring program. Every month, volunteers join Channelkeeper staff to test for common water quality parameters at numerous sites in the Ventura River and Goleta Slough watersheds. Come join us to help protect our local waterways; we will be sampling in Ventura on Saturday, December 3rd at 9 am and in Goleta on Sunday, December 4th at 10 am. For more information, visit our website, email us or call 805.563.3377 ext.0.

Beautiful 2012 Channelkeeper Calendars Order Yours Today!

Now you can buy a gorgeous 2012 calendar and support Santa Barbara Channelkeeper at the same time! Channelkeeper has handpicked 12 of our most stunning photos of local marine life, beaches and scenic vistas to create a unique calendar for our supporters. For every $20 calendar ordered, Channelkeeper will receive $10 to support our important work. You can customize your calendars with local tides as well as birthdays of loved ones and other special dates. Get one for yourself and a few more for friends, family and colleagues - they make beautiful holiday gifts and help Channelkeeper keep our waters clean and healthy!

Give the Gift of Clean Water

As you celebrate the holiday season and embrace the spirit of giving, please consider giving your friends and family an annual membership to Santa Barbara Channelkeeper or making a donation in their names. Every dollar invested in Channelkeeper is a direct investment in clean water and healthy communities along the Santa Barbara Channel today and for future generations. With your membership, you'll receive our regular newsletters, news updates and action alerts, invitations to special Channelkeeper events and fun volunteer opportunities, and a free Channelkeeper sticker. All new donors contributing $50 or more can also receive a Channelkeeper t-shirt, and for donations of $250 or more, quarterly issues of Waterkeeper magazine. Sign up or give the gift of clean water to a loved one today by clicking here, calling 805.563.3377 ext. 4 or emailing us.