Current Habitat Restoration Projects

Arroyo Hondo Preserve on the Gaviota Coast, purchased for conservation and managed by the Land Trust of Santa Barbara County. Photo Credit Randy Leffingwell.

Santa Barbara Audubon began a new habitat restoration project on the north shore of Devereux Slough in September 2002. This project was jointly developed by Coal Oil Point Reserve (COPR) Director Dr. Cris Sandoval and Audubon President Darlene Chirman. SBAS is the grant recipient from the Wetland Recovery Project Small Grants Program of $28,820 over two years. The goals of the project are to restore a 1.42 acre portion of Devereux Slough seasonal wetland and upland margin, improve foraging habitat for the state-listed Belding's Savannah Sparrow and two species marsh-dependent butterflies, Pygmy Blue and Wandering Skipper. We are removing numerous invasive plants from the site: Pampas grass, Myoporum shrubs, Tamarisk, and Melaleuca, and controlling non-native Harding grass and annual weeds. We are enhancing the native wetland and transitional wetland-upland plant communities, and establishing populations of several species rare in Devereux Slough: Parish's glasswort, Santa Barbara Honeysuckle, Suaeda taxifolia. This is a two-year project.

The Santa Barbara Audubon Habitat Restoration Internship Program began in 1998, and each quarter provides an educational opportunity for students to participate in hands-on restoration. We usually have 2-3 interns each quarter; in fall 2002 we had four interns from UCSB, undergraduates from the Environmental Studies program, and graduate students from the BREN School of Environmental Management. With funding assistance from the Shoreline Preservation Fund, we have been able to provide stipends for these interns who commit 30 hours for the quarter to habitat restoration. Interns learn about ecological processes of wetlands and riparian systems, principles of ecological restoration, local native plants, and management techniques for control of non-native, invasive plants. Interns spend most of their time working on restoration projects managed by SBAS in Goleta and Devereux Sloughs, but get occasional experience in riparian systems on other projects such as the Arroyo Hondo Preserve, owned and managed by the Land Trust of Santa Barbara County.

Santa Barbara Audubon began its volunteer assistance of the Coal Oil Point Enhancement Project funded by the Coastal Resources Grant Program in August 1999, to restore the lagoon margin and protect valuable bird habitat. The Devereux Slough ecosystem is especially rich in bird diversity, and harbors sensitive bird species. Devereux Slough supports the western-most population of Belding's Savannah Sparrows, and large numbers of migrant and wintering gulls, ducks, terns and shorebirds utilize the open water, sand bars or mud channels (depending on water levels).

The project was restoration and enhancement of a half mile of lagoon margin along the road to Coal Oil Point and Cliff House. This buffers the slough from the road--protecting water quality from run-off and screening the slough from headlights. First Audubon volunteers assisted in covering with black plastic the "Hottentot fig", or iceplant, between the road and the salt marsh; this "solarizes" and kills the iceplant, and is an alternative to herbicides, as they might damage sensitive wildlife. Hottentot fig is an African native plant which has invaded natural areas an unfortunately displaced native plants and provides poor wildlife habitat. The native salt marsh vegetation--such as Pickleweed and Frankenia, and Coastal sage scrub shrubs--such as Coast goldenbush, Suaeda, and California sagebrush provide food resources for several marsh-dependent butterflies, and foraging for Belding's savannah sparrows. With the onset of winter rains in 2000, hundreds of native plants were planted along the margin. The existing salt marsh plants are creeping up the banks now that the iceplant has been eradicated. The project also provides a pedestrian/jogging path along the lagoon margin. There will be improved parking turnouts for birdwatchers, rustic benches, and informational signs.

Other Coal Oil Point enhancement projects include acacia and Pampas grass removal and replanting the dunes with native vegetation. Restoration Volunteer Workdays are scheduled regularly. Please check the Volunteer Opportunities page for a current schedule. Come out and help; learn about the wildlife of the Devereux Ecosystem. You can make a valuable contribution to improving water quality and wildlife habitat, and have fun with like-minded folks in a beautiful setting.

To volunteer or for more information, contact Ken Owen, the Audubon Restoration Volunteer Coordinator at emailor 568-1507. You may also contact Darlene Chirman, the Audubon Restoration Project Manager at email or 692-2008.

The Land Trust of Santa Barbara County purchased the property now known as the Arroyo Hondo Preserve in October 2001. In spring 2002 they initiated habitat restoration to expand the riparian corridor to protect the endangered Steelhead and Southwest Pond Turtle that inhabit the creek. Santa Barbara Audubon helps recruit volunteers for the restoration efforts.

A fifteen-acre avocado grove was abandoned about 10 years ago. Birds have used the dead and dying trees as perches, defecating seeds of fruits they consumed, and dropping acorns and bay seeds. The avocado trees have served as "nurse trees" protecting the young shrub and tree seedlings. Now we are removing the avocado trees and non-native plants such as castor bean, freeing the native Coast live oak, coffeeberry and redberry shrubs, bay trees, bitter gooseberry and other species to grow and expand the riparian corridor.

The abandoned avocado orchard served as a "nursery" for young riparian trees and shrubs. Birds perched in the trees, dropping acorns and defecating seeds from fruit consumed. Removal of the old trees gives the natives a chance to thrive and expand the riparian corridor. Photo courtesy Darlene Chirman, September 1, 2002.