Wild Catalina - a Living Laboratory

catalinae Arctostaphylos A publication of the Catalina Island Conservancy Spring 2004 Wild Catalina - A Living Laboratory Knowing the players in a natural area is an important aspect of conservation management. There are approximately 280 different bird species recorded for Catalina, over 400 native plant species, at least 225 non-native plant species, ten different kinds of mammals, and countless insects. That’s only a partial list of organisms that are big enough for us to see. A scientific survey or census is used to gather population information on a species or community. Monitoring, a process of rigorous, regular data taking in randomly selected locations, gives information of how populations change over time. Together, Conservancy staff took a side trip to Anacapa Island while attending the surveys and monitoring are used California Islands Symposium last December. to inform conservation management decisions for maximum effectiveness in The Catalina Island Conservancy’s The following are highlights from protecting a wild area. The presence at the California Islands four of the research papers and natural world is so complex that Symposium marks an important step for posters presented at the California understanding all the players and the organization as it seeks to Islands Symposium. A complete list their relationships to each other is disseminate information, results, and of research presented can be far beyond the scope of our case studies about the broad spectrum found on page 5. resources. Collegial sharing of of research and conservation work research findings and underway on Catalina. Continued on page 3 management scenarios is one important way to increase our knowledge and effectiveness. I N S I D E At a recent symposium regarding ecological challenges in the About the Conservancy. p. 2 Calendar of Events . p. 8 California Islands, 15 members of the Conservancy staff and From the President. p. 2 Membership . p.12 consulting partners funded by the Conservation Updates . p. 6 Support Opportunities . p.14 Conservancy presented papers on Missing acorns research, restoration and cause a stir. Volunteers in Action. p. 7 Nature’s Notebook. p.15 environmental education topics. See page 11. Wild Catalina CATALINA ISLAND CONSERVANCY From the President continued from page 1 Dear Friend of the Conservancy, only to development as a threat to biodiversity. When B ENEFACTOR M EMBERS you have more invasive plants than you can control at Robert Given, Chair Every organization reaches a critical one time, what do you do? You prioritize. To do that, James H. Ackerman you need to know which invasive plants you have, Paxson H. Offield juncture in its development when it where they are and in what numbers, and how Alison Wrigley Rusack has the opportunity to evolve and to make a greater impact in its field. damaging each species is relative to the others. Six With more than 30 years of months was spent mapping 75 invasive species over OARD OF IRECTORS B D outstanding work in conservation, every major ridge (200+) and drainage (233) on the Geoffrey Rusack, Chair restoration and education to its Island, along all roads (220 miles), coastline (50+ miles), and human inhabited areas such as: Avalon, Two Ann Muscat credit, the Catalina Island Clifford Hague Harbors, occupied coves and Middle Ranch. The research Richard Harp Calvin Parsons Conservancy is at that juncture and Charles Hathaway Maria Pellegrini we are looking ahead to discover includes learning more about each species, how it Robert Meistrell Ada Blanche Schreiner how we may best serve to keep impacts ecosystems, and how to control it. Putting it all Anthony Michaels Landbird monitoring relies on the keen observation together, the research will result in a world-class Catalina Island beautiful and wild for skills of many volunteers. prioritized invasive plant management plan for the Director Emeritus future generations. We also have begun evolving the structure of the Catalina Island Conservancy. To learn more about this Robert Thorne organization so that we may share the results of our work with Relative Abundance, Habitat Associations, and national and global communities, making possible an impact of a Population Trends of Landbirds on Santa Catalina Island project, go to the Catalina Island Conservancy’s website at: www.catalinaconservancy.org/ecology/research/knapp.asp. E LECTED O FFICERS scope not usually associated with local land trusts. Angela Aarhus, Field Biologist Ann Muscat, Catalina Island Conservancy President/Chief Executive Officer To become a model for Island conservation, the Conservancy will D. Knapp Mel Dinkel need to continue to streamline and create efficiencies in its The Island is home to 37 resident bird species: three endemic to Catalina (California quail, Bewick’s wren, Chief Operating Officer/Treasurer operations, and it will need to fully develop the wealth of resources Hutton’s vireo) and seven endemic to the Channel it already has in its talented and dedicated staff. In addition, we Islands (Orange-crowned warbler, Loggerhead shrike, must become more effective at communicating both internally and Spotted towhee, Allen’s hummingbird, Pacific-sloped D EPARTMENT M ANAGERS externally, identify new partners to help fulfill our mission, and in flycatcher, Horned lark, House finch). In spring 1999, the the process fine-tune our ability to collaborate. We will have to Conservancy initiated a landbird monitoring (LBM) program. The objectives of LBM are to monitor the Lenny Altherr Director, Facilities identify new sources of support, and continue to rely on the support abundance, distribution, and population trends of Management of long-time friends. But most importantly, we will have to develop with our stakeholders a cohesive vision, and a plan for reaching that landbird species—-as a means to alert the Conservancy Leslie Baer Chief Communications Officer to significant changes in landbird populations that may Steve Dawes Supervisor, Special Projects vision, that begins with hopes and dreams and ends with strategies and timelines. require mitigation, study or action. An Island-wide David Gardner Director, Security survey is conducted twice per year in spring and fall; 80 Mark Hoefs Director & Curator, point count stations are visited once each season by Wrigley Botanical Garden In January the Conservancy began a comprehensive visioning process, birders with the help of volunteers. From spring 1999 to Exclosures installed to monitor vegetation growth after the Deb Jensen Director, Education meeting first with its staff, Board of Directors and Benefactors. This Fall 2003, 11,612 birds were detected during the counts, fire at Goat Harbor reveal important information. Kathleen King Director, Volunteer Services Strategic Visioning and Planning Process will span a full year and will representing 75 species from 36 families. Resident birds include dialogue with Island residents, owners and operators of represented 80% of all detections and the most Paul Moritz Director, Airport Operations Rare Plants in the Goat Harbor Burn Area, Santa businesses associated with Catalina Island, visitors to the Island, abundant species was the Catalina subspecies of Jane Pulsinelli Assistant Treasurer Catalina Island, California California quail. The highest number of species (46) and Peter Schuyler Director, Ecological colleagues in science and education and in the media, and others as Denise Knapp,Vegetation Specialist number of detections (4,134 birds or 36% of total Restoration appropriate. I invite you to share your hopes and dreams for the Catalina Island Conservancy detections) occurred in scrub oak chaparral habitat. Charles Wright Director, Development Conservancy and the Island with me. Feel free to send me your Results indicate that some species, such as Loggerhead thoughts at [email protected]. The Goat Harbor Burn Area is a 300-acre plot that shrike and Burrowing owl, are not accurately surveyed burned in 1999. Fire is a natural and important with the survey protocol. There is a need for more ecosystem process, and this burn gave us an opportunity focused studies of these species. to learn more about its role in the plant communities Contact Us Invasive Plant Risk Assessment and Control Prioritization on the Island. What we’ve found is that, just as in (310) 510 - 2595 on Santa Catalina Island, Including Determination of similar mainland communities, many rare plants were Minimum Mapping Sample and Accuracy stimulated to germinate by the burn. We also found [email protected] Bravo, Good Job!! John Knapp, researcher that many of these plants must be protected from or visit us at From meetings to patrol, the Ranger Department congratulates the Reserve Cal Poly San Luis Obispo introduced animals such as deer in order to survive and 125 Claressa Avenue, Avalon, CA Rangers on a job well done: Jack Baldelli, Boyd Cargill, J. Paul DeMyer, Joseph thrive. Dlugokecki, Ronald Eroen, Cliff Hague, Richard Hague, Dean Hill, Bob Kopolow, Scott Each year, invasive plants in the United States cause 13 Visitor Services hours 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. daily Patterson, Steve and Ronna Schreiner and Chuck Wright. billion dollars worth of damage; this problem is second Please see page 4 2 3 Catalina Island Conservancy Conservancy Times Wild Catalina continued from page 3 Seven rare annual species were found in the burn area in each generation for domestic behavior to occur. One (both on sampling transects and out), and five of those component of the feral cat project is aimed at California Islands Symposium Presentations were not found elsewhere on the Island. Two of these quantifying the effects sterilization has on feral cat plants are found only on the movement and home range size. Presenter Title Channel Islands (Island endemic), Angela Aarhus Relative Abundance, Habitat Associations, and Population Trends of Landbirds on Santa Catalina Island, CA and one of them, fire poppy, had According to scientific literature, never been recorded before on female cats tend to have small, Angela Aarhus Abundance and Distribution of The Santa Catalina Island Shrew (Sorex ornatus willetti) in Cottonwood Catalina.

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