Santa Barbara ChannelKeeper (SBCK)

Advocacy - the organization advocates for science-based conservation policies that protect the Santa Barbara channel and its watersheds. In 2023, the organization worked to strengthen policies and deadlines to reduce nitrate and pesticide pollution from irrigated agricultrual lands that contaminate drinking water supplies, creeks, streams, rivers, and coastal waters. We led community efforts in a Santa Barbara city assessment of its cruise ship program and advocated for an annual cap on cruise ship visits, requirements or greater assurances that ships use advanced technology to prevent water and air pollution. We reached a legal settlement with a utility company to clean up a site near goleta slough that it used to store wooden poles treated with pentachlorophenol and is contaminated with dioxins and furans. The organization is engaged as the sole ngo party respresenting public trust resources in the ventura river watershed adjudicaton. Through this process, we are working to ensure sufficient water flows and a healthy aquatic ecosystem to support public trust resources. The organization submitted comments and encouraged public comments in support of the designation of the chumash heritage national marine sanctuary.

Community engagement - the organization motivates and mobilizes community volunteers to take specific actions that protect local creeks, beaches, coastal waters, and the channel islands. We trained 60 prospective volunteers to participate in shore-based surveys of three local, coastal marine protected areas, to supplement our staff-conducted boat-based surveys. Volunteers conducted 1,016 shore based surveys. The organization conducted 15 boat-based surveys of marine protected areas in coastal areas and at the channel islands. We carried out our watershed brigade program with 572 volunteers. They removed more than 11,000 pounds of trash and marine debris in clean-up events. Our staff and watershed brigade volunteers worked with local fishermen to remove 30 derelict lobster traps along a one-mile stretch of beach between leadbetter beach and hendry's beach.

Education - the organization inspires local students to understand and appreciate their local environment through a combination of interactive classroom lessons and outdoor educational experiences. In 2023, we provided lessons and/or experiences to 1,400 local students through our environmental science education program. We hosted our 20th annual student art show on the theme of "what the channel means to me." More than 250 pieces of artwork were submitted by local high school students for consideration in the show. We supported southern California based researchers examining the impact of harmful algal blooms by collecting plankton and biotoxin samples in the channel in the summer of 2023.