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Date |
Wednesday, April 27, 2005 |
Speaker |
Kate Faulkner |
Location |
Farrand Hall, Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History
Parking: |
Time |
Doors open at 7 and program starts at 7:30 pm |
Cost |
Free |
Title |
Restoration of Santa Cruz Island: the Facts |
Topics |
Close to the mainland yet worlds apart, Santa Cruz Island is home to plants and animals that are found nowhere else on Earth. Like the Galapagos Islands of South America, the Channel Islands exist in isolation, allowing evolution to proceed independently, fostering the development of 145 endemic or unique species. Santa Cruz Island is host to 70 of these endemic species. Some, like the island scrub jay and the Santa Cruz Island silver lotus, are found only on Santa Cruz Island.
Unfortunately, this isolation has also made these species vulnerable to extinction. The melodic song of the Santa Barbara Island song sparrow and the crimson flower of the Santa Cruz Island monkey flower are no longer heard or seen within the park. The destruction of these species' habitats by non-native, exotic plants and animals have caused their extinction along with eight other rare and unique island species. In order to save 10 other island species, including the island fox, from the brink of extinction as well as protect 3,000 internationally significant archeological sites, the National Park Service and The Nature Conservancy have embarked upon a multi-year program to restore Santa Cruz Island. This restoration program is part of the NPS mission, as mandated by Congress, to preserve unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the national park system for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations. |
About the Speaker |
Kate Faulkner, with the Channel Islands National Park, will present a program about the restoration of Santa Cruz Island which includes removal of feral sheep, reintroduction of bald eagles, live capture of golden eagles, captive breeding of island foxes, and eradication of feral pigs. |
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