| Calendar |
For more information on all of these Conservancy and partner events, and more, click here.
Saturday, April 14, 2012
17th Annual Catalina Island Conservancy Ball. Sponsorships available, tickets on sale.
June 22 - 23, 2012
2nd Annual Catalina: The Wild Side Art Show and Sale
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Second Saturdays
Windward Beaches Cleanup
ISLAND CALENDAR
To check out the complete Catalina Island Chamber of Commerce events calendar, click HERE.
April 21, 2012Earth Day on Catalina, Avalon City Park
May 4 - 6, 2012
2nd Annual Santa Catalina Island Film Festival. For more information, click info@catalinaff.org.
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Greetings!
The Catalina Island Conservancy's annual Earth Day celebration will take place on Saturday, April 21, in Avalon City Park. Everyone in town that day is invited to join the festivities. Musical performances and food and fun for the entire family will accompany some lessons about making Planet Earth more sustainable. Intended to inspire awareness and appreciation for the planet's natural environment, Earth Day was first observed in San Francisco and other cities on March 21, 1970, and is recognized each year by the United Nations. A separate Earth Day celebration was founded by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin on April 22, 1970. Regardless of the dual origins, Earth Day annually helps increase our awareness of our own responsibilities in sustaining and restoring the natural environment. Join the Conservancy in Avalon or in spirit elsewhere to spend time and effort to help care for our environment's future. After all, Earth is an island. Click HERE for more information on Catalina events.
Banner photo:
Earth Day is April 21 -- This year's Conservancy-sponsored Earth Day celebration will be held, as it was last year, in Avalon City Park. This view from the park shows the Catherine Hotel on the right. The Catherine was bought last month by the Conservancy to sustain its core missions of conservation, education and recreation in the Island's wildlands and improve community outreach with its readily accessible location. For more on the Catherine Hotel purchase, click HERE.
Photo by Bob Rhein |
PHOTO GALLERY
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CONSERVANCY, USF&W TEAM FOR SYMPOSIUM
Both terrestrial and marine realms explored
By Linda Farley
Conservation Department Operations Manager
The 8th California Islands Symposium will be held
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California Islands Symposium - The 8th California Islands Symposium will be held in Ventura from October 23 to 25. The Catalina Island Conservancy is a co-sponsor. Poster courtesy of the Catalina Island Conservancy
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from October 23 through 26 in Ventura, California. The Symposium will bring together scientists, land managers, naturalists, administrators and educators to discuss new discoveries and ongoing projects in all the California Islands, stretching from Baja California to the Farallones, located off Northern California. The Conservancy is co-chairing the event with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The first call for abstracts began March 15, and registration for the event is now open. For more information, click HERE...
A 2013 calendar is being produced for the Symposium, featuring scenic vistas, endemic animals and plants, and cultural/archeological photos of many of the islands. For this month's Photo Gallery, a calendar preview, click HERE...
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FROM THE FIELD
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'SPECIES TURNOVER' A FACT OF ISLAND LIFE
Changes among breeding birds on Catalina
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Rare Endemic - The Catalina Island loggerhead shrike is a rare endemic bird on the Island. Although we know they breed here, it is important that we quantify their reproduction. In order to most effectively conserve the shrikes, we need to understand how many young they produce and if those young survive to reproduce. Photo by Olivier Born |
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By Linda Farley
Conservation Department Operations Manager
Today, new species of birds are breeding on Catalina, species which haven't been documented in the past. Some species which were found on the Island in the early part of the 20th century, such as bushtits and Phainopepla, are no longer seen on the Island. This illustrates what is known as "species turnover" in action. Species turnover is the rate at which the number of species on the Island changes over time.
Studies on species turnover in birds on Catalina go back to Jared Diamond, who is best known as the author of Guns, Germs, and Steel and The Third Chimpanzee. He began his scientific career as a physiologist. But few outside of the scientific community realize that Dr. Diamond began his second scientific career as an ecologist on Catalina Island in the late 1960s.
Diamond set out to study the Theory of Island Biogeography, a series of predictions describing the colonization of islands by species of plants and animals from the mainland. The predictions took into account the size of individual islands, and the distance from a major landmass, postulating that island species composition is in a state of dynamic equilibrium, constantly changing given the rates of immigration and extinction unique to each island. MORE... |
FROM THE FIELD
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GEOLOGISTS ROCK-OUT ON CATALINA
Island famous for its metamorphic rock
By Linda Farley
Conservation Department Operations Manager Sarah Penniston-Dorland, who led a research team on Catalina in January, studies the way that liquids, like the  | |
A Garnet Rock - This garnet-encrusted amphibolites was found in the Catalina Schist. Amphibolite is the name given to a metamorphic rock consisting mainly of hornblende and amphibole. Photo courtesy of the Catalina Island Conservancy
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molten rock in the outer layer of the Earth's mantle, interact with solid rock in subduction zones. Subduction is the process of one rigid tectonic plate forcing another plate of the Earth's lithosphere, or crust, to move under it.
If this happens in the ocean, a trench can form, if it happens under a continent, mountains can be uplifted. It is important to understand the way the fluid mantle interacts with the solid crust because it generates the
melt which forms volcanoes. According to Dr. Penniston-Dorland, Catalina is famous among geologists for its metamorphic rock: rocks that are formed by existing rock exposed to extreme heat or pressure. MORE...
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NEWS HEADLINES
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CONSERVANCY BUYS CATHERINE HOTEL
Purchase sustains mission, aids outreach
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Location, Location, Location - The Catherine Hotel is one of the first buildings that visitors encounter walking from the Mole to downtown Avalon.. Photo by Bob Rhein |
The Catherine Hotel, best known as the home of "the coldest, cheapest beer in town," changed hands on March 20.
The blue-and-white "cottage" that most visitors to Avalon walk by on their way into town, has enjoyed a decades-long run as a popular local hangout that comes alive with music on select nights during the off-season, and on many a summer night. This week, the Catherine Hotel began its next incarnation when escrow on the property closed and the hotel was acquired by the Catalina Island Conservancy.
MORE...
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NEWS HEADLINES
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450 RUN ONE-OF-A-KIND CATALINA MARATHON
Rugged race one of the 'Toughest in America'
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First Place Finisher - Chase Eldridge of Brooklyn, New York, won the Catalina Island Conservancy Marathon. He topped the field of about 450 runners with a time of 3:09:52. Photo by Pat Maxwell |
Laura Pryor of Encinitas won the women's division of the 35th annual Catalina Island Conservancy Marathon, one of the toughest in America with its hills and trails, finishing 42 seconds ahead of Emily Toia.
Chase Eldridge, 22, was the men's winner on March 10. He is from Brooklyn, N.Y. But perhaps most impressive was Jeff Creighton of Encinitas, second in the men's race. He is 48.
Pryor, 25, completed the 26-mile, 385-yard course in three hours, 51 minutes, and nine seconds (3:51:9). Toia, of Scottsdale, Ariz., clocked in at 3:57:51. Pryor was 14th in the race overall-beaten only by 13 men.
Eldridge topped the field of about 450 runners in 3:09:52. Creighton finished in 3:12:35.
The marathon drew 444 registrants while 166 turned out for the concurrent 10K run, 124 for the five-K, and 53 for the Kids Run. MORE...
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NEWS HEADLINES
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DIVERS DELVE THE DEPTH OF AVALON HARBOR
31st annual Underwater Cleanup a success
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Junk and More Junk - Kohl Schlunegger of Mission Viejo was one of the first divers out of the water. He shows off his trash - a key from the Hotel Mac Rae, and an old abalone shell. Photo by Bob Rhein.
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By Bob RheinAbout 30 pounds of junk per minute was hauled out of Avalon Harbor on February 25 during the 90 minutes of the 31st Annual Avalon Harbor Underwater Cleanup. One and a half hours of diving produced one and a half tons of trash - 1.52 tons for you sticklers. The 420 divers entered the briny at the Green Pier, Steps Beach and the rocky entry point at Casino Dive Park to participate in what was billed by dive chairperson Jill Boivin as the "largest dive event in Southern California." MORE...
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PARTICIPATE
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LAST CHANCE FOR BALL TICKETS, SPONSORS
Grand event nearing on Saturday, April 14
The Conservancy Ball is sold out! If you would like to be included on our waitlist for tickets, please send your name, phone number, number of tickets you would like, and the minimum time for notification before the event you are willing to receive the tickets (we sometimes receive a cancellation the day before) to ball@catalinaconservancy.org. Should a seat open up, we'll be sure to let you know where you would stand in the order of people on the waiting list.
If you are planning to attend the ball, Balboa Yacht Club will be offering a same-day charter boat from Newport Beach to Avalon and back the night of the Ball. The boat will depart the BYC dock in the afternoon and return after the ball. Tickets are $100 per person. Advance reservations are required. Contact Pattii at projects@balboayachtclub.com.
If you can't make the Ball, you can still show your support by contributing to our Raise Your Paddle Program, which will support our Fox and Bison Management Programs. To contribute, click HERE. If you are interested in some of the great items that will be for sale, click HERE for a preview. If you cannot attend, check with a friend who might be going and have them bid on that special item on your behalf.
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STAN LEE TO BE HONORED AT FILM FEST
Second annual festival to be held May 4-6
By Bob Rhein
Legendary comic book writer Stan Lee will be honored at the second annual Catalina Film Festival, which will be held at various venue
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Comic Book King Stan Lee - The creator of Spider-Man, The Hulk, X-Men, Fantastic Four, Iron Man and Thor was cited by President Ronald Reagan as an entertainer who "communicates important ideas to young people." Courtesy of Stan Lee |
s from May 4 to 6. Lee will receive the "Great Communicator" Award -- an honor bestowed by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation -- and host the Island premiere of the documentary based on his life, With Great Power - The Stan Lee Story. Following the screening, Lee will host the POW! party presented by POW Entertainment. Lee will also introduce a special screening of The Avengers on its opening weekend during the film festival with a Q&A to follow.
MORE...
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DINNER WITH THE PLEIN AIR ARTISTS
Second annual Wild Side Art Show and Sale
By Bob Rhein
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Wild Side Art Show & Sale - The 2012 edition of the event will once again be held in the courtyard of the Catalina Island Country Club. Photo by Bob Rhein |
The evening before the second annual Catalina: The Wild Side Art Show and Sale, join the Conservancy on Friday, June 22, 2012, from 6 to 9 p.m. for an al fresco dinner at Castillo del Mar, the spectacular cliff-side home of Blanny Avalon Hagenah, great-granddaughter of William Wrigley, Jr. A unique and stunning retreat built in 1932, this seven-level, oceanfront home and its hillside terraces have been lovingly restored.
The Catalina Island Conservancy's featured plein air artists will join the party and offer advance opportunities to purchase their favorite paintings from this year's show. To purchase tickets for the dinner and admission to the art show and sale, click HERE. For biographies and photos of the 11 nationally known artists, click HERE.
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PARTICIPATE
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WILD PASS DISCOUNTS ISLAND EXPERIENCE
Boat, bike, botany deals among the savings
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Wild Pass Deal - The Catalina Wild Pass offers unlimited admissions to the Wrigley Memorial & Botanic Garden, seen here, plus the Garden to Sky Hike. Photo courtesy of the Catalina Island Conservancy
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You can experience the magic and mystique of Catalina at half the normal price with the Catalina Wild Pass. You can also explore the hidden treasures of the Island on more than 42,000 acres of wild terrain, scenic coastline and secluded coves. Whether you enjoy mountain biking, hiking, camping, scuba diving, kayaking, or just relaxing in romantic Avalon, the Catalina Wild Pass is your ticket to paradise in your own backyard.
Catalina Wild Pass gets you: 50% off unlimited Catalina Flyer tickets from March 1 to November 30, 2012; one annual Freewheeler mountain bike pass; 50% off Conservancy campground fees (save up to $9 per person per night); up to 50% off room rates at participating Island hotels and lodging; 15% off Wildlands Express shuttle to Airport in the Sky; unlimited admission to Wrigley Memorial & Botanic Garden (plus Garden to Sky hike); discounts at participating Island merchants; invitations to exclusive social events, and an annual membership to the Catalina Island Conservancy.
Like us on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/CatalinaConservancy to get a discount code and link to buy the Catalina Wild Pass now.
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READERS PREFER ANIMAL, SEASHORE STORIES
Monthly Photo Gallery a favorite feature
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Seashore a Popular
Subject - Readers of the Conservancy's Update Online have indicated in a survey this year that they prefer stories on wildlife and the seashore. Photo courtesy of the Catalina Island Conservancy
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Readers of the Conservancy's Update Online have indicated in a survey this year that they prefer stories on wildlife and the seashore, and are interested in stories about ecotourism and creative exploration on the Island as well as intellectual pursuits, such as lectures and books, regarding Catalina.
The readership indicated that it often visited the edition's Photo Gallery before other articles, and wanted news and features solely about the Island in this publication. The staff and management vow to continue giving the readers what they want. MORE...
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GRAN FONDO OFFERS THREE DISTINCT COURSES
55-mile-long course to Two Harbors and back
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Biking the Backcountry -- Team Sho-Air checks out
some of the bike trails on Catalina Island. The Two Harbors Route is 55 miles long with a combined 8,000 feet of climbing. Photo courtesy of www.mbaction.com |
By Christie Collins
Conservancy Manager of Leases & Special Projects
The Gran Fondo, also known as the Catalina Island Mountain Bike Event, will be held on May 12, presented by U.S. Cup MTB Event Management.
Three course options will be available for riders of all abilities: The Ridgeline Route is 13 miles long with a combined 2,300 feet of climbing; the Middle Island Route is 35-plus miles long with 5,000 feet of climbing, and the Two Harbors Route is 55 miles with 8,000 feet of climbing.
The entry fee includes a Friend Level Membership to the Conservancy, which includes an annual bike pass. The U.S. Cup will donate a portion of the proceeds to the Catalina Island Conservancy to help maintain the trails for everyone. Please visit www.uscup.net and follow the links for more information.
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EXPLORE STORE GETS BOOKISH THIS MONTH Page-turners at half-off for Earth Day
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Earth Day Volumes - The Explore Store has discounted 365 Ways to Save the Earth by Philippe Bourseiller at just $14.95, and Green Living Los Angeles by the Green Media Group at $8.95. Photo by Scott Dennis |
By Scott Dennis
Conservancy Director of Visitor/Volunteer Services
Just in time for Earth Day, the Conservancy's Explore Store offers its most popular environmental books at half off the regular prices. These are 365 Ways to Save the Earth by Philippe Bourseiller at just $14.95, and Green Living Los Angeles by the Green Media Group at $8.95.
Find out MORE...
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aft Display Day at Airport in the Sky 
