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Dear Leslie,
Summer is here and Catalina's interior beckons hikers and bikers on its many miles of trails. Many campgrounds have additional fire pits and upgraded shade structures and are available for outdoor overnight experiences. Our unique boat-in campsites offer a very special opportunity for those who enjoy a secluded camping experience.
The Conservancy is once again offering its Summer Naturalist Series that presents a number of hikes and other activities to be enjoyed by the entire family. For detailed information on our summer calendar, click here.
Note: Look for valuable coupons especially for our readers at the end of this newsletter. Photo in banner: The Summit Vista Native Plant Garden near the Wrigley Reservoir along Airport Road is a perfect place to enjoy the view while traveling through the interior. Conservancy Board Member Roy Rose created the garden in 1990 as a tribute to his parents, Leonard and Phyllis. The garden is open to the public all year long.
Photo by Bob Rhein
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ALIENS ALIVE! PART 2
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Beauty is only 'petal deep' for these invasive species.
 Here is another batch of plant species alien to Catalina Island. Some, like Aleppo pine, pampas grass and ice plant, are very invasive and tend to overwhelm our native species. Others, such as tree tobacco, are poisonous to animals and humans. And yet, others are interesting in their origins and in the uses people have for them. For example the statice that is used in flower arrangements has a little surprise hidden in its purple flower bunches. The hooked fruits of the spiny cocklebur have inspired a common household tool. (You'll have to go into the gallery to find out more about these interesting plants!). You'll also find out what the Conservancy is doing to control these species and about our most powerful and effective weapon against invasive species.
So come explore "Aliens Alive! Part 2" and learn more about Catalina's alien plant species. |
ISLA EARTH RADIO SHOW IS FINALIST FOR AWARDS
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Series now heard on more than 150 stations
 The Conservancy's Isla Earth radio program is a finalist in two categories of the Los Angeles Press Club's 50th Annual Journalism Awards. The
show is vying for the top position in the "News Bureau" and "Use of Sound" categories,
keeping company with the fine programming of Los Angeles public radio
stations including KCRW and KPCC. The awards ceremony will be held at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles on Saturday, June 21st. Good news for Isla Earth listeners: The series is now carried by more than 150 radio stations across the United States. The 90-second program that provides listeners with news about environment and conservation issues that are shaping today's natural world - and our very lives - reaches more than 6 million listeners every week. It is produced by the Conservancy with a special grant in fulfillment of its mission to help inform the national discussion about the topics that are shaping today's world and our very lives. "Tune In" to Isla Earth
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FIREMAN'S FUND AIDS 'FIRST RESPONDERS'
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$5,000 grant will purchase much-needed equipment.
 Fireman's Fund, the Conservancy's property insurance provider, has awarded the Conservancy a grant for $5,000 to protect Conservancy personnel who are among the first responders to fires and other emergencies in the Island's interior.
"Conservancy Rangers and field staff in Middle Ranch are the first line of defense in the case of a fire. They need to be equipped to rescue stranded hikers, bikers and campers who might be in harm's way," said Lenny Altherr, Director of Facilities.
The grant will cover four sets of personal protection equipment consisting of coat and pants, helmet, gloves, shoes, and goggles; five McLeods (combination rake and hoe for clearing a fire break) and shovels; five gas chain saws, five hand water sprayers; and 2,250 feet of fire hose and fittings in 50- and 100-foot lengths.
Altherr says the equipment will be ready for use by the end of this month.
Photo:(From left:) Gary Ward, Senior Vice President of Aon Risk Services, the Conservancy's insurance broker; Leah Young, Fireman's Fund Territorial Underwriter; Lenny Altherr, Conservancy's Director of Facilities; and Ric Victores, Fireman's Fund Field Vice President.
Photo by Bob Rhein |
| SUMMER NATURALIST SERIES SCHEDULE IS SET
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Start here for fun family activities on Catalina:
 Botanical Garden Guided Walks (Avalon)
Monday-Friday 1p.m.-2 p.m.
Saturdays & Sundays 1 p.m.-2 p.m. Free with your admission to the garden. Leaves from the Garden Entrance at 1 p.m.
Meet a Naturalist (In Two Harbors right off the pier)
Wednesday- Friday 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Saturdays & Sundays 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Evening Exploration at the Campgrounds
Two Harbors Campground: Saturdays, 7:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.
Hermit Gulch Campground (Avalon): Saturdays, 7:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.
Little Harbor Campground: Fridays, 7:30 p.m.-8:30 pm
Meet at the main fire circle at 7:30 p.m.
Two Harbors Hike
Saturdays & Sundays: 9 a.m.-11a.m.
Hermit Gulch Hike (Avalon)
Saturdays, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
For the Hermit Gulch (Avalon) program, meet at the Hermit Gulch Campground main office at 9 a.m. In Two Harbors, meet at the end of the pier at 9 a.m.
Click on these links for more on our Summer Naturalist Programs or the Summer HIKE series, or call the Catalina Island Conservancy's Education Office at: (310)510-0954.
Photo: Aaron Morehouse, Conservancy Education Program Supervisor leads a hike into the Island's interior.
Photo by Kelly Callaghan-Skoff
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'KIDS IN NATURE' SPEND AN EMERALD BAY WEEKEND
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Deserving students get the time of their lives.
 For the third consecutive year, the Western Los Angeles County Council-Boy Scouts of America have hosted an extended weekend of fun and good food at beautiful Emerald Bay for young people from Avalon.
Fourteen students from the Avalon Schools earned their invitations by actively participating in the after-school Kids In Nature (KIN) program offered by the Catalina Island Conservancy during the 2007 - 2008 school year.
"I would like to thank Esther Eder, Alice Arbogast and Kirk Hetherington with the Western Los Angeles County Council-Boy Scouts of America for hosting many of the activities our kids enjoyed along with the food they ate, the Catalina Experience and the use of the Shamrock II to get to Emerald Bay, and all of our chaperones," said Rich "Mr. Z" Zanelli, the Conservancy's School Programs Specialist.
"I especially thank the parents of the students that participated in the adventure. We hope that lifelong memories were made."
Photo: 2008 Kids In Nature at Emerald Bay (Back row from left) John Raymond Meza; Jared Meza; Esther Eder; Glenn Sunderland, Emerald Bay staff member visiting from Australia; Kelly Callaghan-Skoff; Makaela Ballard; Maia Villagra; and Susanna Savitt. (Front row from left) Justus Ramming, Megan Gonzalez, Alice Arbogast, Nathan Parrish, Daniel Bergstedt, P.J. Bergstedt, Abby Vickers, Jonathan Luna, Nathan Barrow and Xavier Sanchez.
Photo by Rich Zanelli
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| LEGACY SOCIETY EVENT PLANNED - SEPTEMBER 28th
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Society supports Conservancy protection, restoration goals and vision.
 Each year the Conservancy's Legacy Society hosts members for an exclusive function
on Catalina Island. This year's event will be a brunch held at the
Wrigley Memorial and Botanical Garden on Sunday, September 28th.
Legacy Society members are able to spend time discussing future plans
for the Conservancy and the Island with the Conservancy's Benefactors,
Board Members, and Staff.
The Catalina Island Conservancy Legacy Society recognizes supporters who have advised us of their intent to list the Conservancy as a beneficiary in their will, trust, insurance policy, or other deferred giving instrument or plan. The purpose of the Society is to support the goals and vision of the Conservancy and to ensure the restoration, preservation, and protection of Catalina Island for today and for future generations to enjoy. We do not need to know the extent of the bequest, only that members have decided to support the Conservancy in this way.
For further information on the Legacy Society, please contact Chuck Wright, Director of Development, at (562) 437-8555 x225 or by e-mail at cwright@catalinaconservancy.org. Download the Conservancy's Legacy Society brochure.
Photo: Catalina Island Conservancy Legacy Society brochure
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Mention this coupon and cruise completely around Catalina Island with Captain John aboard the 
