35 Years of the Catalina Island Conservancy and Recreation
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16229_RevBook.cla 4/19/07 3:07 PM Page 1 A PUBLICATION OF THE Spring/Summer 2007 The mission of the Catalina Island Conservancy is to be a responsible steward of its lands through a balance of conservation, education 35 Years of the Catalina Island Conservancy and recreation. By Bob Rhein Catalina Island fox (Urocyon littoralis catalinae) February 1975 – Philip K. Wrigley and his wife, Helen (both seated), pose with Conservancy friends and family after signing over 42,135 acres to the Catalina Island Conservancy valued at nearly $16 million. Pictured are (from left): Misdee Wrigley, Dorothy (Deedie) Wrigley Hancock, Frank Ernest, James Towsend, unidentified, unidentified, Shirley Davy, Doug Propst, INSIDE . Hollis Moyse, Fred Fraiser, unidentified, Malcom Renton. FROM THE PRESIDENT 2 From cattle ranch to an aspiring rom the first time humans set NEWS FROM THE CONSERVANCY 4 model for balancing habitat F foot on Santa Catalina Island FACES AND PLACES 6 protection and restoration with approximately 7,000 years ago, the Island has always been a place valued LIFE-LONG LEARNING 8 human use and enjoyment, the Conservancy looks to the future. for its natural resources. Ancient and MAKING A DIFFERENCE 10 more recent native inhabitants were DONOR APPRECIATION 12 The Conservancy recognizes the hunters and gatherers, exploiting many tremendous support of individual donors, types of marine and terrestrial resources. CALENDAR 17 foundations and other grantors too When the first Europeans arrived in OUT AND ABOUT 18 numerous to mention here who have 1542, to the mid-twentieth century, made its important work possible over Catalina’s unique location and resources NATURE’S NOTEBOOK 20 the years. We also wish to acknowledge continued to be exploited, by traders and all those staff, volunteers and others— smugglers, otter hunters and fishermen, also far too numerous to mention sheepherders and cattle ranchers, miners, here—who have served and partnered and tourism developers. with the Conservancy to accomplish its many milestones. continued on page 3 16229_RevBook.cla 4/19/07 3:07 PM Page 2 The Conservancy Times From the President is a publication of the It’s a Boy... and a Girl Benefactor Members ust as Conservancy Times was going problem has come Robert Given Paxson H. Offield J to press, a small miracle occurred on from the consistent Maria Pellegrini Catalina Island. For the first time in half a intake of heavily Alison Wrigley Rusack century—since eagles disappeared from contaminated tissues Board of Directors Catalina Island—two bald eagle eggs like those of marine Marie Knowles, Chair hatched in the wild without human mammal carrion Anthony Michaels, Vice Chair assistance. It’s not news to our members and sea gulls.” Geoffrey Rusack, Past Chair and supporters that DDT contamination Don Beaumont While this female eagle is probably not Norris Bishton in the waters around Catalina had for contaminant-free, Dave explained, she Jim Brown years thwarted the ability of eagles nesting apparently was free enough to have Victoria Seaver Dean on the Island to successfully hatch their Jane Fetter hatched these two eggs. Blanny Avalon Hagenah own eggs. Clifford Hague The irony of these eggs hatching shortly Richard Harp Many of you also know that 27 years Ann Muscat after the Montrose Settlement Restoration Calvin Parsons ago, Dave Garcelon came to Catalina— Program (MSRP) asserted that chicks George Pla devoid of eagles at that time—to begin weren’t likely to be hatched on Catalina a restoration program. That effort Executive Team and redirected the lion’s share of Ann Muscat became the Institute for Wildlife Studies, settlement funding to other restoration President/Chief Executive Officer and grew into the successful program efforts ($250,000 a year to IWS reduced Mel Dinkel responsible for the recent hatching. We to $30,000), was not lost on us. We are Chief Operating Officer/Treasurer th Leslie Baer couldn’t imagine a better 35 -anniversary hopeful that in light of this success, Chief Communications Officer gift for the Conservancy. funding levels for eagle restoration Jackie McDougall on Catalina may be reconsidered by Chief Development Officer Carlos de la Rosa The two eggs were laid in late February in the MSRP trustees. Chief Conservation and Education Officer a cliffside nest along the southwestern coastline of Catalina. According to Dr. On behalf of the Conservancy, I Department Heads Peter Sharpe, Wildlife Biologist with IWS would like to express my gratitude Lenny Altherr who is director of eagle restoration and Director, Facilities Management to Dave Garcelon for his persistent Scott Dennis monitoring projects in the Channel restoration efforts spanning nearly three Director, Visitor and Volunteer Services Islands, the first newly hatched eaglet was decades; and to Peter Sharpe, who has Mark Hoefs observed early on the morning of Director & Curator, Wrigley Memorial done much of the on-the-ground work and Botanical Garden Saturday, March 31, and the second on on Catalina. I would also like to thank Aisha Hoffmann the morning of April 1. The female eagle the vigilant staff of the Conservancy, Manager, Leases and Special Projects Paul Moritz is 8 years old and is the youngest breeding our donors and Board members, whose Director, Airport Operations female on Catalina Island. She was efforts to protect and restore Catalina’s Jane Pulsinelli hatched at the San Francisco Zoo, then wildlands have safeguarded the eagles’ Assistant Treasurer Charles Wright raised and released on Catalina in 1999. precious natural habitat—without which Director, Development The male is 21 years old and was removed they would perish. Thanks to these from a wild nest in British Columbia and efforts, countless visitors to Catalina Contact Us released on the Island in 1986. Island have already enjoyed the wondrous (562) 437-8555 x221 [email protected] sight of an eagle flying overhead, as will Why now? Dave explained that a young visitors in the years and decades to come. Editor: Bob Rhein female who wasn’t particularly interested Production Coordinator: Jeanne McKay Graphic Design: 2B Communications in eating marine mammals and sea gulls was likely the magic ingredient in this Contributors to This Issue hatching. “We’ve always said that if bald P.S.– Two additional eggs have hatched! Erica Cushing, Carlos de la Rosa, Scott Dennis, eagles on Catalina were to eat primarily Visit www.catalinaconservancy.org Rose Ellen Gardner, Mike Herrera, Denise Knapp, fish, they would be able to breed. The for the full story. John Knapp, Jackie McDougall, Jeanne McKay, Aaron Morehouse, Ann Muscat, Bob Rhein, Frank Starkey, Mary Stein, Chuck Wright Catalina Island Conservancy 16229_RevBook.cla 4/19/07 3:07 PM Page 3 COVER STORY • 3 35 Years of the Catalina Island Conservancy (continued from page 1) Middle Ranch as it appeared in the 1920s. This area is now the site of the Thompson Reservoir. Prior to building the reservoir, William Wrigley had the barn moved to the present site of the Conservancy’s Facilities and Conservation Departments. The barn burned in 1990 resulting in the loss of several vehicles and tools. When William Wrigley, Jr., the chewing was to preserve the land while keeping it American and were left after the filming). gum magnate, purchased the Santa available for the enjoyment of the public. During the 1960s, the herd had grown to Catalina Island Company (SCICo) in 1919 as many as 600 head. from the Banning Family he knew that he In February 1975 Phillip K. Wrigley and had something special. Under the Dorothy Wrigley Offield signed over Propst spent the next several decades leadership of several generations of 42,135 acres to the Catalina Island evolving the expertise and resources of the Wrigley family members, a strong Conservancy valued at nearly $16 million. Conservancy to be able to meet its conservation ethic began to emerge and A. Douglas Propst—a transplant from ambitious mission. accompany the philosophy that Catalina Colorado who came to Catalina in 1953— should be enjoyed by all, young and old, was named the Conservancy’s second “All that has been done so far, however, is rich and poor. president. For 22 years, Propst had been the prelude to what can and will happen,” heading Catalina Rock & Ranch, a Propst stated in the first Conservancy This conservation mindset had its subdivision of SCICo. CR&R was newsletter. “It is urgent but far from too culmination in 1972, when Philip K. responsible for overseeing the rock late to save the priceless biotic communities Wrigley along with members of the quarries that provided raw materials used of Santa Catalina Island for posterity,” Offield family incorporated the Catalina in road repair and other projects on the he wrote. Island Conservancy as a nonprofit Island, and for growing the hay and alfalfa organization dedicated to the protection that helped sustain herds of cattle at In those first formative years of the of Catalina Island’s wildlands in perpetuity. Middle Ranch. Conservancy, progress happened very Malcolm Renton, then SCICo Vice slowly. The very concept of “ecological President, was named president of the Staff of CR&R also tended to the growing restoration” was fairly new. The idea of Conservancy. That same year, the herd of non-native bison (fourteen were the wildlands surrounding Avalon and Conservancy was given 600 acres near brought to Catalina in 1924 to film the Black Jack Mountain. Its responsibility silent motion picture The Vanishing continued on page 14 Conservancy Times—Spring/Summer 2007 16229_RevBook.cla 4/19/07 3:07 PM Page 4 4 • NEWS BRIEFS NEWS FROM THE CONSERVANCY Death on the West End Number 72816 had disappeared. She had been missing for just The skull was sent to Dr. Winston Vickers, a wildlife veterinarian over a year somewhere in the wildlands of Catalina’s West End.