About Us

Toward a “PURE” Catalina

The Conservancy Protects, helps promote Understanding, Renews the land and makes possible its use for personal renewal, and provides an infrastructure for Exploration in Catalina’s wild nature.

The mission of the Catalina Island Conservancy is to be a responsible steward of its lands through a balance of conservation, education and recreation. Caring for 88 percent of Catalina with its 42,000 acres of sweeping valleys, rocky hillsides, oak-covered plateaus, 50 miles of rugged coastline and 200 miles of roads is a daily undertaking.

The Conservancy is responsible for protecting numerous rare and endangered species found on the Island and nowhere else in the world. Conservation efforts, scientific research, and educational outreach persist while the Island welcomes more than one-million visitors a year. Balancing human needs and desires and the needs of the land to stay healthy is challenging indeed.

Through educational outreach and an active volunteer program, citizens of all ages are invited to learn about the Island and to participate in protecting it. The Hike, presented by the Conservancy Education Department, takes visitors and residents on walking tours – mild to wild – into the interior with trained naturalists. Visitors and residents alike are invited to participate in on-going evening and summer educational programming including educational campfires in Avalon and Two Harbors, at Little Harbor, the Wrigley Botanical Garden and various other sites in the interior. The Nature Center at the Airport-in-the-Sky, and the soon-to-be-opened Nature Center at Avalon Canyon, provide residents and visitors with the Island’s natural history including its plants, animals and first human residents – the Tongva Indians. Jeep® Eco-Tours take hearty explorers deep into the interior to less-visited and quite spectacular destinations.

Concurrent with its work on Catalina, the Conservancy is reaching out to share its understanding of conservation challenges and solutions with the broader conservation community and the general public. Conservancy staff commonly present at professional conferences and share news with the general public through outreach to the media. Isla Earth, a new radio spot series exploring environmental issues of global importance, is currently being launched. The 90-second spots span topics from the hidden links between species and ecosystems to waste stream reduction and global climate change.

The Island Stewards volunteer program engages groups and individuals in projects ranging from pulling invasive weeds, to building trails through the Island’s remote interior.

Here are some of the Conservancy’s many ongoing projects:

Bald Eagles: Efforts to Ensure the Next Generation Survive

Today, more than 20 bald eagles soar over Catalina Island. These majestic birds nearly disappeared from Catalina Island when their eggshells thinned and eggs could not be hatched due to adults having ingested DDT illegally dumped into the Pacific Ocean more than 25 years ago. Funding from a court settlement known as the Montrose Settlements Restoration Program (MSRP), has made it possible in recent years to continue to recover the bald eagle on Catalina, where, at the end of 2004, there were five breeding pairs and two younger pairs that had bonded but not yet bred. Now, a decision by the MSRP trustees has reallocated those funds to efforts on the Northern Channel Islands and islands well south in Mexico. The Catalina Island Conservancy respectfully disagrees with this decision which discontinues funding of eagle restoration efforts on Catalina Island, and which could result in eagles once again disappearing from the Island.

Bald eagle restoration efforts on Catalina Island are a partnership between The Institute for Wildlife Studies (IWS) which works with the eagles directly, and the Conservancy, which projects and restores the habitat that the eagles call home.

Since continued DDT contamination still makes it impossible for eggs to hatch, staff members of IWS remove the fragile eggs from nests, substitute “dummy” eggs, and later, foster chicks incubated and hatched in Avalon, or at the San Francisco Zoo, into the nests. Since the nests are often on remote sea bluffs, scientists responsible for the egg-chick transfers are sometimes brought in dangling from a rope attached to a helicopter. The recovery effort has successfully released 94 bald eagles on Catalina Island since 1982, some of which have gone on to populate other Channel Islands and areas on the mainland as far north as Canada. Since the recent MSRP decision to reallocate funding, the future of the program is uncertain at this time.

Saving the Endangered Catalina Island Fox

In the early 1990s, Conservancy scientists estimated that 1300 foxes were living on Catalina. This subspecies, the Catalina Island fox, is found only on the Island. In 1999, following an outbreak of canine distemper virus, the Catalina Island fox population plummeted to only about 100 individuals. The Conservancy and the Institute for Wildlife Studies — a conservation organization with prior experience working with the wildlife on Catalina — formulated a recovery program that included a captive breeding strategy. Because of this program, by December of 2004, more than 300 foxes roamed the Island, nearly all of which had been vaccinated against distemper and 29 of which were born in the Conservancy’s captive breeding facility. Because of the program’s success, the Conservancy was able to end the Captive Breeding Phase and enter a new phase of rigorous monitoring. Additionally, the Conservancy hopes to soon identify funding for research on ear tumors which plague the Catalina foxes.

In March of 2004, the Catalina Island fox, along with three other island fox subspecies, were listed as “Endangered” by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Conservancy scientists are hopeful that the recovery effort will have protected the species and that it may prosper for years to come.

Protecting Catalina Natives from Invaders

Six months, six hundred miles on foot, fifty miles by boat and three hours by air...
What do these descriptions and three pairs of worn-out hiking boots have to do with invasive non-native plants? This is the effort it took to map the top 72 priority invasive plant species on Catalina Island, all accomplished by one dedicated graduate student conducting the study for the Conservancy. Scientists are using this information to create an accurate “abundance and distribution” map of the Island’s current plant landscape. Using this map, available literature, and tapping into the knowledge of other resource managers, the Conservancy is in the midst of implementing an Island-wide invasive plant control program based on sound science and realistic goals. Maintaining native plants through the control of invasive plants is a top challenge facing the Conservancy, and one of its most important tasks in protecting Catalina’s biodiversity.

Protecting the Island’s native animal species is also of prime concern to the Conservancy, which, during 2004, continued research into the potential impact of feral cats on native birds, reptiles and small mammals, and on the Catalina Island fox population. The results of the feral cat study will become available during 2005 and will help to shape the Conservancy’s management plan for the Island’s interior, and the City of Avalon and Humane Society plan for the City. “PAW” (“Pets and Wildlife”), a project to inform boat owners, visitors, and local community members of the risks roaming pets may pose to wildlife and vice versa, will also be launched. As part of PAW, the Conservancy and partners such as the Institute for Wildlife Studies and the Catalina Humane Society have already begun sponsoring low-cost vaccination clinics for local pets. A Conservation Council – a type of task force – will be formed to review study results and make recommendations to local authorities so that they may develop and enforce appropriate rules and regulations.

Annual Bird Count

With the help of experienced birders and enthusiastic volunteers, the Conservancy has been monitoring the resident and visiting land birds on Catalina since spring 1999. Information collected during spring and fall surveys each year improves our understanding of the abundance, distribution, and habitat requirements of various bird species, especially those known only to exist on Catalina and the other Channel Islands. Regular monitoring also has the potential for signaling us if populations are in jeopardy and in need of management to restore their numbers.

Plant Monitoring

On Catalina Island, plant and vegetation monitoring takes a number of different forms. It ranges from quantitative (taking counts and measurements) to qualitative (visual assessment, often using categories to classify health, etc.). It may involve a small population of a particular plant, such as the federally endangered Catalina mahogany, or the whole plant community. And it also may be relatively simple and visual, such as repeat photomonitoring or historical photo relocation. Where possible it includes an experimental element, whereby we can try to isolate an effect such as grazing in order to learn more about it. In the spring of 2005, monitoring by Conservancy biologists resulted in the discovery of Dissanthelium Californicum (Catalina grass), a grass species that had not been seen on the Island since 1903.

Restoring Oak Woodlands

Catalina Island is home to a broad diversity of ecosystems—among them, oak woodlands known as oak chaparral. Over the decades, the Island’s oak chaparral was impacted by non-native grazing animals, invaded by non-native annual grasses and subjected to disease. In 2003, the Conservancy began work to restore the Island’s oak chaparral community. More than 20 experts took part in a symposium to help develop a strategy for studying the demography, ecological health and limitations to regenerating oaks on the Island. By the end of 2004, Conservancy researchers had, with a corps of volunteers, collected then begun planting thousands of acorns from 40 different Island locations. Preliminary experiments to determine the importance of the properties of local soil, water, and fog to the success of regeneration efforts have also begun. A continuing challenge is to better understand the threats and limitations facing the recovery of oaks.

Preparing for Fire

Wildfire. The word provokes powerful emotions. Like the rest of Southern California, fire is an integral part of Catalina's natural ecosystem. In order to be prepared for the eventuality of fire, the Conservancy has prepared a wildfire response plan. The draft plan divides the Island into 16 "fire management units" and discusses the desired role and frequency of fire in each unit as well as human safety, strategies for saving structures, and suppression aids unique to the location. The Conservancy is currently working with the Los Angeles County and Avalon Fire Departments which are responsible for finalizing and implementing a proactive plan.

Restoring the Middle Canyon Watershed

Managing the natural resources of Catalina is a complex and challenging task. To better understand the effort, resources and scientific knowledge necessary to meet the Conservancy’s long-term goal to restore the Island’s natural ecology and protect native species, researchers initiated a smaller scale project in the Middle Canyon Watershed. Encompassing 20 percent of the Island, this watershed provides all the restoration challenges and opportunities found on Catalina, but on a more manageable scale. A major goal of the project is to restore 85 acres of former agricultural fields to native landscape. For the past five years, the site has served as an expansive experimental laboratory to learn the most effective and efficient techniques for restoring chaparral, coastal sage, grassland, and riparian communities. In 2003, the Conservancy transitioned from conducting experimental trials to large-scale restoration plantings on the site. Staff monitored plants and animals, undertook a landfill cleanup, planted rare and common native plants and experimented with best techniques to control invasive plants. The study continues today.

The Finding of the Shrew

Little by little, the rare Catalina Island Shrew is giving up its secrets. Until 2002, this small mammal, found only on Catalina, was known from only eight sightings. Since 2002, the U.S Geological Survey and Conservancy staff captured an additional 14 shrews in Cottonwood Canyon, Middle Canyon, and at Shark Harbor. It took more than 17,000 "trap-nights" to find these individuals, which Conservancy researchers measure then release. Colleagues at the Smithsonian Institution use tissue and fecal samples to conduct a genetic analysis, providing a definitive "taxonomic status" for this unique little mammal. With this new information, the Conservancy is now better equipped to succeed in protecting Catalina's rare native shrew.

Keeping Bison and the Island Ecosystem Healthy

In 1924, a small herd of American Bison were brought to Catalina as movie extras. In the years that followed, the herd grew to a size that was not conducive to the health of the bison or the Island ecosystem. After review of a study conducted in April 2003, the Conservancy adopted recommendations to keep the herd size at approximately 150 animals and to allow the bison to roam freely in the interior of the Island. In 2003, cooperating with the national animal welfare organization In Defense of Animals, more than 100 bison were shipped from the Island to a new home on a Lakota reservation in South Dakota. During 2004, 98 additional animals were repatriated in order to maintain the Island herd at about 150. Through implementing the management recommendations, Conservancy staff members are looking forward to a healthier Island ecosystem while visitors continue to enjoy bison roaming freely in the interior.

During the summer, signs of life are everywhere on Catalina - St. Catherine's Lace and Catalina Ironwoods are bursting with flowers, and the Catalina Cherry's young, green fruits have finally emerged into the warm, ripening sun. Barn swallows, after their long migration from South America, return to the island to nest and raise their young.
In keeping with Catalina's seasonal cycles, another natural tradition returns to the island every summer. The Conservancy invites you to participate in Summer Naturalist programs.  Join us in Avalon, Little Harbor, and Two Harbors as we take the time to investigate and celebrate the web of life that is uniquely Catalina.
Come, discover (or rediscover!) the natural side of summer on Catalina!  Join us on a nature walk, nature hike, or campfire program.

Made Possible Through the Generosity of People Like You

Financial support for the Conservancy comes from three sources:
1) earned income from camping leases, airport operations, eco-tourism services such as Jeep Eco-Tours and the Wrigley Memorial and Botanical Garden;
2) interest from an investment portfolio; and, member and contributor support. The majority of income comes from donations which sustain the important work of the Catalina Island Conservancy as it protects and restores the Island for today and for future generations to enjoy.