Santa Barbara Channel Keeper

Programs: Highlights of channelkeepers 2014 accomplishments include:-partnering with a local craft brewer to convert used oak beer barrels to rain barrels and distribute them to water-conscious citizens as simple and attractive water conservation tools. -successfully lobbying the city of santa barbara to enact a plastic bag ban ordinance that has eliminated the use of 45 million plastic bags annually. -partnering with local business to create and promote opportunities for people to explore and learn about marine protected areas (mpas) in the santa barbara channel. Were providing subsidies to ocean recreation outfitters to incentivize them to add mpa tours to their offerings while also making them inexpensive and attractive to customers. Our aim is to raise mpa awareness and stewardship among the public and the business community by helping them realize the recreational and economic benefits that mpas can provide. -launching a new seafari program to offers free, on-the-water experiential education cruises on our boat to underserved youth and families in an effort to foster ocean awareness and stewardship. -convincing the state water board to adopt new regulations to reduce toxic runoff from large irrigated agriculture operations on the central coast. -helping strengthen policies to reduce trash and nutrient pollution in the ventura river. -launching a water quality monitoring initiative to identify and deter discharges of pollutants from cruise ship into the santa barbara channel in response to the dramatic increase in cruise ship visits to santa barbara. -engaging 126 volunteers to help us collect 3,500 water quality data points (in 2014 alone) from 44 stream sites across our region, and making our data available to the public online. -leading 88 volunteers on 10 creek and beach clean-ups, picking up 300 pounds of trash (in 2014 alone) and preventing it from polluting the santa barbara channel. -educating nearly 2,500 students (in 2014 alone) about watersheds, the marine environment and solutions to water pollution through our clean water environmental stewardship training (cwest) program, building their science and math skills while also inspiring environmental stewardship in the younger generation.