Volunteer and Internship Opportunities There are many opportunities to get involved and work in our community. Santa Barbara Audubon is always in need of dedicated volunteers. We invite you to join us. It's great fun, and you get to do something tangible to improve our creeks and wetlands--better water quality and wildlife habitat. Choose your project: SBAS Board Members Programs Chair Science Chair Publicity Chair Eyes In The Sky Docent Program Snowy Plover Docent Program Brief review of the program Snowy Plover Docent Program website Habitat Restoration Projects Internship Opportunities and Docent Training Environmental Stewardship, ECE Field Trip Leader Science Committee Volunteer Projects Office Staff Volunteer Christmas Bird Count Arroyo Hondo Preserve Volunteers Volunteer opportunities at Sedgwick Reserve

Audubon helps recruits volunteers for habitat restoration for Coal Oil Point Reserve, Tecolotito Creek at Goleta Slough, and the Arroyo Hondo Preserve. Come spend a morning in a beautiful bird habitat, helping to restore our local natural areas.

Recently, the Southern California Wetland Recovery Project has highlighted the Audubon-managed restoration project on the North Shore of Devereux Slough, a recipient of their Small Grant Program. Click here to view the slides and their write-up of the project.

For the second year in a row Santa Barbara Audubon and UCSB's Coal Oil Point Reserve has been hosting the Brower Green Teens. The Brower Green Teens (website) is a group lead by the Community Environmental Council whose goal is to teach local junior high and high school students about the environment and stewardship. This is a great opportunity to get hands on experience in habitat restoration. You can also use this opportunity to do the community hours required by most high schools, not to mention it is also a great way to boost your college application. It's also a fun way to meet new friends and learn from restoration professionals and volunteers. We have had many students join us in the past. This winter we started with a restoration workday in. If you or someone you know is interested in joining us please contact us by email or phone: Julie Love Frederiksen 805.453.4840, email or Darlene Chirman 805.455.3541, email. We really look forward to seeing you out there!

• Coal Oil Point Reserve - Audubon manages a restoration site on the north shore of Devereux Slough. Call to find out more.

• Arroyo Hondo Preserve - We help recruit Volunteers for the Preserve, where we are assisting in expanding the riparian corridor.
  The turn-off from Highway 101 is right after Call Box 101-412; after our workday in the morning, you are free to take a hike in the wonderful canyon; call the Land Trust to sign up.

• Goleta Slough - site location: Tecolotito Creek near Goleta Beach Park.
  This project is managed by Audubon.

For more information on Audubon Volunteer Restoration Projects, contact

• Project Manager, or COPR contact: Tara Longwell, 252-4903
  or Darlene Chirman, 692-2008

• Land Trust, Arroyo Hondo Preserve Volunteer Coordinator: Jane Murray, 684-4405

• Eyes In the Sky: EITS, the Santa Barbara Audubon Society educational outreach program that presents live birds of prey to schools and community organizations, is moving to a permanent home. Our birds are no longer able to survive in the wild, but they are able to do a good service to the community through EITS.

  While our permanent home at the S. B. Museum of Natural History is being built, we are training docents to assist with care,maintenance and interpretive bird presentations at the museum. Contact Gabriele at 805-898-0347 or by email at eyes-in-the-sky@cox.net for more information and to schedule an interview.

• Coal Oil Point Reserve: Internships are available at the start of each quarter. Four internships are usually available. If you are interested, please apply at the start of the next quarter.

  These internships are funded through UCSB's Shoreline Preservation Fund. Work with habitat restoration ecologist, the Reserve Steward, and other interns. Assist with planting, plant maintenance, invasive weed control, plant propagation, and seed collection. Requires enrollment at UCSB. Requires a 30 hour commitment, generally 3 hours/week with occasional weekend time. Need one morning each week free, likely Friday; Tuesday possible. Stipend of $250 on successful completion. Please apply by first week of class, send resume and class schedule/time availability for the coming quarter. Contact Darlene Chirman at dchirman@starband.net or 692-2008.

• The Land Trust for Santa Barbara County: Internships may be available at the Arroyo Hondo Preserve for the coming quarter.

  The internships are funded through UCSB's Shoreline Preservation Fund. Work with habitat restoration ecologist, the Restoration assistant, and other interns. Assist with restoration of a creek corridor to protect steelhead trout, red-legged frogs, riparian birds--planting, plant maintenance, invasive weed control, and seed collection. Requires enrollment at UCSB. Requires a 30 hour commitment, generally 3 hours/week with first Sunday/month with volunteers. Need one morning each week free, likely Wednesday; Monday possible. Stipend of $250 on successful completion. Please apply by first week of the quarter, send resume and class schedule/time availability.

  To apply for a position, contact Darlene Chirman, Restoration Biologist, darlene.chirman@starband.net or 692-2008. Please send a resume and schedule availability.

Field Trip Leader

Qualifications:

You need to be a birder with a pretty good handle on our local birds, and more important, you must have the desire to help people, especially beginning birdwatchers, and enjoy our birds.

Background:

Our trips are pretty low key. People come to enjoy birds and to socialize. Beginning birdwatchers will expect help in bird identification. You're not expected to be the best birder in the group. If someone asks you to ID an immature gull, don't panic. Throw the question back to the group and the experienced birders will eagerly share what they know.

You may already have a favorite field trip place in mind. If not, I can offer suggestions. If you're intrigued, get in touch.

Jack Sanford
Field Trip Coordinator
(805) 566-2191, email

Science Committee Volunteer Opportunities

The Science Committee presently has year-round and seasonal volunteer projects.

Year Round Projects

New Project: Plover Docents

The Santa Barbara Audubon Society, in conjunction with the UCSB Coal Oil Point Natural Reserve, has established a Plover Docent program. Docents serve as "snowy plover guardians." Their job is to educate the public about the birds' presence and provide information about how people (and their companion animals -- mainly dogs and horses) can share the beach with the plovers, without causing unnecessary disturbance to the birds. Read more about the Snowy Plover Docent Program and how you can be a part of it.

White-tail Kite Monitoring

The Museum of Systematics and Ecology at UCSB began the White-tailed Kite Monitoring Project in the Winter of 1998. The Santa Barbara Audubon Society took over the project in October of 1999 and has been organizing the efforts ever since. One night a week volunteers are sent out to known or potential White-tailed Kite sites to record and document usage of Kites. through this effort we hope to learn what the Kites need to be able to survive with in the Goleta Valley in the way of foraging habitat, nest sites, winter communal roost sites, and movement corridors. We have also been able to follow season and yearly variation within the Kite population and increase our knowledge of Kite behavior. If you are interested in assisting, please contact Morgan Ball.

Seasonal Projects

MAPS Banding Station

In 1999 the Santa Barbara Audubon Society opened its first MAPS Banding Station. Volunteers and student interns should contact Kathleen Whitney in late January or early February if you are interested in taking part in this project. Space is limited so c her as early as possible.

Spring Seabird Migration Count

We will be looking for volunteers for the Spring Seabird Migration Count in late January to early February to take part in the Seabird Migration Count that runs from early March to mid-May each year. The counts are done from Goleta Point on the UCSB Campus and from Coal Oil Point Reserve. Contact David Compton.

Office Assistants

If you have a few spare hours each week and are interested in helping run the Santa Barbara Audubon Office, please contact the Office via e-mail or call 964-1468.