Los Padres ForestWatch is a community-based nonprofit organization that works to preserve and restore the forests, mountain streams, rolling hills, wetlands, coastal areas, and wildlife of this spectacular area.
The Los Padres Sierra Club serves Ventura and Santa Barbara counties in Southern California and includes four geographical groups. The Arguello Group serves northern Santa Barbara County while the Santa Barbara Group serves the South County. Southern Ventura County is served by the Conejo Group while the North County is served by the Ventura Sierra Club.
In 1985, the Land Trust for Santa Barbara County was formed when the Santa Ynez Valley Land Trust and Carpinteria Valley Land Trust combined to serve the entire county. Today, the Land Trust for Santa Barbara County has helped to preserve nearly 23,000 acres of natural resource and agricultural land, including the Arroyo Hondo Preserve, Sedgwick Reserve, Carpinteria Bluffs, Coronado Butterfly Preserve, Point Sal, Carpinteria Salt Marsh and several ranches on the Gaviota Coast. The Land Trust works to preserve and enhance our county’s natural open spaces and agricultural heritage for present and future generations.
Channel Islands Restoration protects rare and endangered plants and animals 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. CIR is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
Ken Owen, Executive Director (805) 448-5726
Wayne R. Ferren Jr., Principal Ecologist (805) 722-2324
Kevin Thompson, Operations Manager (805) 660-7399
Duke McPherson, Board President (805) 705-9529
Jane O’Dell, Bookkeeper (805) 689-4120
Linda Benedik Volunteer Coordinator (805) 448-6203
The Environmental Defense Center protects and enhances the environment of California’s south central coast through education, advocacy, and legal action.
Our Mission:
To protect the unique natural, scenic, agricultural, recreational, educational and cultural resources of the open space lands of the Gaviota Coast for the benefit of current and future generations.
CEC’s mission is to identify, advocate, raise awareness, and develop effective programs to solve the most pressing environmental issues that affect the Santa Barbara region. We are a solutions-based organization, currently focused on moving the Santa Barbara region away from fossil fuels and energy-intensive products.