Channel Islands Restoration

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Channel Islands Restoration CIR is a non-profit organization that restores habitat on the Channel Islands and mainland.

Channel Islands Restoration protects rare and endangered species by restoring habitat in sensitive and unique natural areas on the California Channel Islands and adjacent mainland. We educate a variety of groups about the value of native habitat and how to protect it. We recruit volunteers and identify and develop public and private funding sources for habitat restoration programs. We create collaborative relationships within the environmental community

A couple of photos from the last day of the CIR eastern Sierra geology tour
10/12/2026

A couple of photos from the last day of the CIR eastern Sierra geology tour

10/11/2026

Hot Creek Geological site as seen today on the CIR eastern Sierra geology tour

10/11/2026

Geologist Sabina Thomas leads a discussion on the geology of McGee Creek on the CIR eastern Sierra geology tour

Day 3 of the CIR eastern Sierra geology tour.
10/11/2026

Day 3 of the CIR eastern Sierra geology tour.

Santiago M. Escruceria of the Mono Lake Committee talks to the CIR group today about lake ecology and water issues with ...
10/10/2026

Santiago M. Escruceria of the Mono Lake Committee talks to the CIR group today about lake ecology and water issues with Los Angeles on our eastern Sierra geology tour.

Mono Lake South Tufa area as seen today on the CIR eastern Sierra geology tour
10/10/2026

Mono Lake South Tufa area as seen today on the CIR eastern Sierra geology tour

10/10/2026

Ellery Lake as seen today on the CIR eastern Sierra geology tour

Last night geologist Sabina Thomas provided our group a slide show and lecture on the geology of western North America a...
10/10/2026

Last night geologist Sabina Thomas provided our group a slide show and lecture on the geology of western North America and gave us an overview of the rest of the trip.

Day 1 of our Eastern Sierra Geology TourWe kicked things off at Red Rock Canyon State Park, where CIR geologist Sabina T...
10/09/2026

Day 1 of our Eastern Sierra Geology Tour

We kicked things off at Red Rock Canyon State Park, where CIR geologist Sabina Thomas walked our group through millions of years of Earth history written in the canyon’s striped cliffs. Layers of ancient lakebeds, river sediments, and volcanic ash tell the story of a landscape shaped by faulting, uplift, and erosion, all right at the edge of the Mojave. Then we headed over to Fossil Falls for a quick exploration of the dramatic landscape.

Days like this are about more than great views. Every CIR tour helps fund our work restoring native habitat on the Channel Islands and across Southern California. When you join us, or give to support our programs, you’re helping protect the places that make California so remarkable.

More stops ahead as we head north along the Eastern Sierra. Follow along!

Here's a surprising fact: about 75% of the ground cover on eastern Santa Cruz Island shouldn't be there.During the ranch...
10/08/2026

Here's a surprising fact: about 75% of the ground cover on eastern Santa Cruz Island shouldn't be there.

During the ranching era, sheep, cattle, horses, and pigs trampled and heavily grazed the island while European grasses and weeds like oats, thistle, mustard, and fennel moved in. Island plants hadn't faced grazers since the pygmy mammoths 12,000 years ago, so they had no defenses. Today, roughly 1 in 4 plant species on the east end is non-native.

What's at stake: 8 plant species grow on Santa Cruz Island and nowhere else on Earth, and 9 Channel Islands endemics are listed as endangered.

There's good news, though. Over 9,000 sheep were removed by 1999 and the pigs were gone by 2007. Now the work is pulling back the weeds. For proof it works, look at San Miguel Island. It was called a "barren lump of sand" in the 1870s, and it's lush with native plants today.

Help us write Santa Cruz Island's comeback story. 💚 Donate or join a volunteer day at cirweb.org



1. Anacapa Island view from the Potato Harbor trail
2. Cavern Point in January 2026
3. San Miguel Milkvetch (Astragalus miguelensis)
4. View from Cavern Point looking towards Anacapa Island
5. Santa Cruz Island buckwheat (Eriogonum arborescens)
6. Lemonade berry (Rhus integrifolia)
7. Island Morning Glory (Calystegia macrostegia)
8. Red flower buckwheat (Eriogonum grande)
9. Scorpion Campground in January 2026
10. Seaside Daisy (Erigeron glaucus)

Address

PO Box 40228
Santa Barbara, CA
93140

Telephone

+18054481501

Website

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