November 2011

Santa Barbara Channelkeeper News & Events

News and Events

Channelkeeper Launches WATCHDOG DIARIES Carpinteria Bans the Bag! REMINDER - Vote in Santa Barbara City Election! Plastics in the Ocean Forum November 2nd Art Show to Benefit Channelkeeper Volunteer to Monitor Our Ocean Treasures! Stream Team Nov. 5th & 6th Volunteers Needed for Office Help Become a Member

Channelkeeper Launches WATCHDOG DIARIES Video Blog

Check out Santa Barbara Channelkeeper's new online video blog, "The Watchdog Diaries," which chronicles Channelkeeper's strategic watchdog monitoring efforts to identify and document sources of water pollution impacting the Santa Barbara Channel and its watersheds. Waterkeeper organizations across the globe are among the most effective advocates for clean water because our advocacy is backed by hard evidence - scientifically sound sampling data we collect in the field that provides direct proof of violations of water quality standards. This on-the-ground, inthe-field investigative monitoring is a cornerstone of Channelkeeper's work and what makes us unique from other environmental organizations. We've found it to be an effective means of identifying and ultimately eliminating pollution problems that may otherwise go undetected. In the first episode of "Watchdog Diaries", we document stormwater pollution emanating from equestrian and oil facilities in the Ventura River watershed. Subscribe to Watchdog Diaries on YouTube to receive notification of new episodes.

Carpinteria Bans the Bag!

A big congratulations and thank you to Carpinteria for becoming the first city on the South Coast to ban singleuse shopping bags! At its October 10th meeting, the Carpinteria City Council voted unanimously to draft an ordinance that will ban disposable shopping bags - both plastic and paper - at all Carpinteria businesses. Once the ordinance is adopted, likely next spring, large retailers will have three months to comply and small retailers will have six months. Channelkeeper will continue to advocate other local city councils on the South Coast to follow Carpinteria's lead. Go Carp!

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!

REMINDER Vote in Santa Barbara City Election!

Elections for Santa Barbara City Council are being done by mail-in ballot only. Your vote counts! Please be sure to mail or turn in your ballots by Tuesday, November 8, 2011. The future of our beautiful city is at stake, including decisions on extremely important issues to you and to Channelkeeper such as fixing the City's sewage system to stop the contamination of our beaches and creeks with sewage, and reducing the use of environmentally harmful disposable shopping bags. Submit your ballot by November 8th and cast your vote for clean water and healthy watersheds in the City of Santa Barbara. Click here for more information, including ballot drop-off locations.

Plastics in the Ocean Forum Wednesday, November 2nd, 6-8 pm

Channelkeeper and the Community Environmental Council are hosting a free screening of the film "Bag It" as part of Antioch University's "Plastics in the Ocean: The Problem with Single-Use Bags" community forum on Wednesday, November 2nd from 6-8 pm at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History's Fleischmann Auditorium. This awardwinning film is a moving, timely and engaging documentary about the environmental and health impacts of our obsessive use of plastics, and plastic bags in particular. Following the screening, Channelkeeper will speak about our efforts to bring about a reduction in bag use in our region and will lead a discussion about what we can do to protect our oceans and marine life from plastic pollution. Please join us and other local ocean advocacy and awareness organizations who will have informational tables at this exciting event.

Art Show to Benefit Channelkeeper Opening Reception November 5th, 5-7pm

Local artist Ron Anderson has graciously offered to donate to Santa Barbara Channelkeeper a portion of sales from his upcoming art show, "Ron Anderson 20/20: Looking Forward/Looking Back." Please attend the opening reception this Saturday, November 5th from 5-7 pm at the Anderson Art Collective at 410 Palm Ave, Suite A2 in Carpinteria to view Ron's awe-inspiring work while enjoying live music, food and drinks. The show will run until January 1st. Click here to learn more.

Volunteer to Monitor Our Ocean Treasures!

Southern California's 36 new Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) will enter into regulatory effect on January 1, 2012. This network of underwater wilderness areas will stretch from Santa Barbara County to the Mexico border, protecting underwater treasures like south La Jolla, Laguna, Point Dume, and local gems at Point Conception, Naples Reef, Goleta Slough and Campus Point. Channelkeeper's new MPA Watch monitoring program uses volunteers to record and track human activities in and adjacent to Santa Barbara's new coastal MPAs. The information 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. Channelkeeper already has 40 volunteers signed up to participate in MPA Watch, but we need many more! Becoming an MPA Watch volunteer is easy and fun. Channelkeeper will be hosting two volunteer training workshops this month - Monday, November 14th and Tuesday, November 29th - both at 5:30pm at our 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 November 5th and 6th

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, November 5th at 9 am and in Goleta on Sunday, November 6th at 10 am. For more information, visit our website, email us or call 805.563.3377 ext.0.

Volunteers Needed for Office Help

Channelkeeper relies on volunteers to assist us with our year-end letter mailing. This appeal updates our supporters about our many accomplishments over the past year and helps us generate critical funds to support our important work to protect and restore the Santa Barbara Channel and its watersheds. We are currently seeking new and veteran volunteers to help us fold letters and stuff envelopes over the next three weeks, starting on November 2nd. If you have free time during business hours and/or the early evening or are a student needing to fulfill community service hours, please email or call us at 805.563.3377 ext. 4 to schedule a convenient time. You can also join us on Wednesday, November 9th from 57pm at the Channelkeeper office (714 Bond Avenue in Santa Barbara) for a group volunteer effort - we'll provide pizza and good company for all who come to help with the mailing. Please RSVP so we make sure to order enough pizza. Thanks and we look forward to seeing you soon!

Become a Channelkeeper Member!

Your support for Channelkeeper's efforts is needed now more than ever. Become a member of the Channelkeeper crew today with your tax-deductible donation. You'll be investing in clean water and healthy communities along the Santa Barbara Channel today and for future generations. With your membership, you will 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 today by calling 805.563.3377 ext. 4 or emailing us.

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Santa Barbara Channelkeeper | 714 Bond Avenue | Santa Barbara | CA | 93103