{"id":11009,"date":"2009-06-18T15:21:55","date_gmt":"2009-06-18T22:21:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lesliedinaberg.com\/wordpress\/?p=11009"},"modified":"2020-11-18T15:48:59","modified_gmt":"2020-11-18T23:48:59","slug":"citizen-scientists-santa-barbara-channelkeeper","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lesliedinaberg.com\/wordpress\/?p=11009","title":{"rendered":"Citizen Scientists: Santa Barbara Channelkeeper"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Left\u2013right:<\/a>

Left\u2013right: A diver maps eelgrass habitat as part of Channelkeeper\u2019s Marine Monitoring and Restoration Program. Watershed program\u00a0director Ben Pitterle collects data on water pollution levels. Photos courtesy Santa Barbara Channelkeeper, originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons, Summer 2009.<\/p><\/div>\n

PEOPLE SAY WE\u2019RE ONE OF THE\u00a0best-kept secrets in town,\u201d says Kira\u00a0Redmond, executive director of Santa\u00a0Barbara Channelkeeper<\/a>. She may be\u00a0right\u2014but not for long.<\/p>\n

Started as an Environmental Defense\u00a0Center<\/a> program in 1999, Channelkeeper is\u00a0now an independent nonprofit, as well as\u00a0part of one of the fastest growing grassroots\u00a0environmental movements in the\u00a0world: International Waterkeeper Alliance<\/a>.<\/p>\n

With just six and a half staff members,\u00a0buttressed by an army of citizen scientist
\nvolunteers, Channelkeeper works to protect\u00a0and restore the Santa Barbara Channel\u00a0and watersheds in a variety of ways,\u00a0including water quality monitoring, education\u00a0and community outreach, political\u00a0advocacy and marine habitat restoration.\u00a0Perhaps what is most unique about\u00a0Channelkeeper is that its volunteers work\u00a0out in the field.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe field work is kind of\u00a0what sets us apart,\u201d says Redmond. \u201cWe\u00a0work closely with groups like\u00a0Environmental Defense Center, Surfrider<\/a>\u00a0and Heal the Ocean<\/a>, but they are advocacy\u00a0and public education focused. We work\u00a0with them on a lot of issues, but as far as\u00a0being out in the field and identifying pollution\u00a0problems in the creeks or doing\u00a0habitat monitoring in the channel, there\u00a0really aren\u2019t other environmental nonprofits\u00a0that do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Grassroots programs such as \u201cGrunion\u00a0Greeters<\/a>\u201d (where volunteers monitor\u00a0grunion<\/a> behavior on local beaches during\u00a0spawning season) and \u201cStream Teams\u201d (a\u00a0volunteer-based water quality-monitoring\u00a0program at the Goleta Slough watershed\u00a0and the Ventura River) fall under the\u00a0leadership of Ben Pitterle, watershed programs\u00a0director.<\/p>\n

The grunion program,\u00a0which is part of a larger study being conducted\u00a0at Pepperdine University, \u201cis one\u00a0of the best family-oriented volunteer\u00a0opportunities I think we have,\u201d says\u00a0Pitterle. \u201cI did Carpinteria State Beach\u00a0last summer, and it\u2019s really cool because\u00a0of the campers. There are just all kinds of\u00a0kids out playing. It\u2019s fun, a family fun\u00a0event. I think this is going to be our fifth\u00a0or sixth year coordinating for this\u00a0region . . .We get a lot of people who don\u2019t\u00a0otherwise participate in some of our\u00a0water quality volunteer opportunities, so
\nit\u2019s a good way to reach out to a broader\u00a0group of people\u2014especially kids.\u201d<\/p>\n

The \u201cStream Team,\u201d operating since\u00a02001, has a core group of volunteers. \u201cWe\u00a0go out once a month to collect water samples,\u201d\u00a0Pitterle explains. \u201cWe do that with\u00a0a few different purposes. One is to collect\u00a0a baseline of water data to monitor over\u00a0time to see if things are getting better or\u00a0worse. Another reason is it\u2019s a great way\u00a0to reach out to the public, educate and\u00a0to reach out to the public, educate and train them about watersheds, and help\u00a0them to become environmental stewards\u00a0themselves. The third is that looking at
\nthe data helps us identify actual problems,\u00a0and then we can relay that information to
\ndifferent public agencies who are responsible\u00a0for regulating water problems to try\u00a0to get them fixed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Working with public agencies is a big\u00a0part of what Channelkeeper does. When
\nbudget cuts forced the county to stop its\u00a0marine monitoring program this past fall,
\nChannelkeeper rallied its supporters and\u00a0pitched in thousands of dollars to continue
\nthis important warning service system\u00a0for surfers, swimmers and beachgoers at\u00a012 county beaches. Santa Barbara city\u00a0officials also helped pick up the slack by\u00a0testing at four additional locations.<\/p>\n

In addition to partnering with county\u00a0and city officials, Channelkeeper works\u00a0closely with researchers at UCSB and\u00a0Channel Islands Marine Sanctuary<\/a>, and is\u00a0collaborating with the state to implement\u00a0a Marine Life Protection Act that will create\u00a0a network of marine protected areas or\u00a0underwater parks along the entire\u00a0California coast.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the work that we do in the field,\u00a0we work with agencies that don\u2019t have\u00a0the resources to be everywhere themselves,\u201d\u00a0says Redmond. \u201cFor instance, the\u00a0city of Santa Barbara has two code\u00a0enforcement staff. So they\u2019re out there\u00a0like we are, looking at businesses that\u00a0might have a high potential to pollute\u00a0and checking up on them. But they can\u2019t
\nbe everywhere at once, so with budget\u00a0cuts our role is becoming increasingly\u00a0important. We have really good relationships\u00a0with people at these agencies,\u00a0Basically, they\u2019re grateful to us for helping\u00a0them do their jobs.\u201d<\/p>\n

For more information about Santa\u00a0Barbara Channelkeeper, call 805\/563-3377\u00a0or visit www.sbck.org<\/a>.
\n\"n<\/a><\/p>\n

Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons Summer 2009. Click below to read the story as it appeared in print.<\/p>\n

SB Seasons Summer 2009<\/a><\/p>\n

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