Santa Cruz Island

Wednesday Nov. 24, 2010 - Santa Cruz Island

We all awoke in good spirits & hit the road by 5:45am. We had a 9am ferry to catch to one of California's 8 Channel Islands, Santa Cruz Island. Santa Cruz Island is located 20 miles off California & is the largest of the Channel Islands at 22 miles long & 2-6 miles wide. Santa Cruz is also the most diverse with interesting geological features including two mountain ranges, many canyons & a rugged shoreline. There are at least 600 plant species, over 120 species of land birds & a vast expanse of wilderness area.

Our early morning ride to the terminal went great & we all arrived in Ventura Harbor on time! It was a lovely yet brisk day full of heavy winds, which led to us having a very adventurous ride to Santa Cruz Island; one that will definitely go down in our book as the most memorable boat ride for the sea worthy & not so sea worthy fans.

As we approached the island, a bit north of Anacapa Island, we can already notice the dramatic scale of its mountains in comparison to our home, Catalina Island. Sea lions, seals & sea birds were easily found in masses.

By the time we settled at Scorpion Campground, some restored their bodies by napping in tents while others took advantage of the last few hours of daylight to discover the island.

Our first night was a challenge for all do to the 35 degree weather. I think most of us wore every layer we brought on the trip, however didn't let that prevent some of us from doing a short night hike to Scorpion Cove just below our campground.

Thursday Nov. 25

Today was a swell Thanksgiving; Or as we called it, 'KatesGiving' in celebration of Kate Clovers birthday. Since it was our first full day on the island, we all packed up lunches & headed on a 7 mile roundtrip hike to Smugglers Cove. Even though we were on a totally different island, there was an aspect of it that felt familiar; to that of living on Catalina.

Throughout the day we were introduced to plants & animals, old & new. While hiking we saw a familiar Catalina invasive, fennel. Another Santa Cruz invasive plant identified was mullein. The endemic manzanita shrub & Santa Cruz Island Fox were often sited as well. It was interesting to also see some similar wild flowers growing on Santa Cruz; like the white morning glory flower, which will soon be happening on Catalina Island. Definitely excites us all for a green spring arrival on the island.

We headed back to camp in different waves & soon got to preparing 'Katesedillas,' in substitution for a turkey. Kate Clover's favorite food is quesedilla's & it was her first Thanksgiving celebration since she is from Burmingham, England. To substitute pumpkin pie.....cookies from Trader Joe's.

Friday Nov. 26

Do to high winds on Wednesday & Thursday, we were advised to not kayak till Friday. We rented four double kayaks which some got to enjoy while exploring the islands great ocean caves & snorkeling the cold waters to see the abundance of sea stars & sea urchins. The other option was to hike to Potato Harbor, which offered stunning north views of the island, steep ocean cliffs & mainland in the distance.

Our time on the island came to an end late afternoon. The waters were very smooth & the wake of the boat welcomed hundreds of dolphins halfway through our ride. Fortunately we just had a 3 mile ride to our accommodation in Ventura @ Kyla's friends house & were welcomed with great hospitality. A big 'Thank You' to Scott, Casey, John & Kaitlin for letting us all crash.

Los Olivos Organic Farm

Sunday, November 28th

After setting up camp on “The Garden Of” organic farm, we took a tour of the near-complete cob house that members of the bike tour helped to build last year. Then we picked her brains about organic farming. Here are some highlights of that discussion:

• Nothing about growing crops should be a “battle,” but rather an attempt to maintain a natural balance and allow the farm to completely self-regulate when failures occur.

• Noey explained that the primary insect prevention method utilized on her farm is planting the right crops at the appropriate time; good planning is the best way to avoid crop loss due to seasonal predators and the temptation to use any kind of pesticide.

• Always think at least two seasons in advance when planting any crop.

• The farm uses a combination of compost, manure and cover crops (usually nitrogen-fixing plants) instead of chemicals to fertilize.

• Mulch is a “lazy” way to retain moisture and is actually very accommodating to pill bugs and other pests. Noey suggests turning the soil manually (once the top layer hardens after watering) to mix in the varying soil components already present in a garden.

• Although the term “organic” and its practices have become somewhat main-stream, its introduction into pop culture should be considered a victory for proponents of sustainability. Despite the fact that many organic farms plant monocrops and rely heavily on plastic sheeting to retain moisture/inhibit weed growth, these industrial organic farms still must follow important organic guidelines, such as:

o No synthetic fertilizers, herbicides or pesticides

o Transparency in use of approved soil amendments (updated records)

o No ionizing radiation

o No bioengineered seeds

o Utilization of renewable resources

o Water and soil conservation practices

The next morning, before embarking on an eighty-mile cycle, we volunteered a few hours working on two projects preparing the farm for the winter:

• We helped build a greenhouse for saplings that is not only strong but also flexible, so that it can sustain winter winds. The simple materials involved (many of which were salvaged for re-use) are mostly available at Howlands, and we expect to utilize these new skills for our own garden program at Catalina.

• Another group helped de-string the support structures for tomato plants in order to prepare the plot for winter crops. Vetch and beans will be planted as cover crops to maintain nutrient-rich soil before the spring planting.

Surrounded by corporate farms that invade entire landscapes, the family-owned and operated organic farm was a beautiful breath of fresh air. “The Garden Of” farm represents what farming used to be: a relationship between farmer and environment that celebrates natural cycles and strives for limited human impact. Our cheery, welcoming hosts were testament to the ethic that organic farming supports—feeding healthy food to people who promote a healthy planet.

Twice Thankful

For the SLBT (Sustainable Living Bike Tour), Thanksgiving Day 2010 was a demonstration in adaptability and unconventionalism. For many of us, it was our first time not eating traditional foods, in copious amounts on Thanksgiving Day. We confirmed a hypothesis- a good way to make a holiday memorable is to do something different.
A significant highlight of previous bike trips has been Thanksgiving Day- a day where we reunite and catch up with former island friends, cook, reminisce, and feast together. Being secluded out on Santa Cruz Island, we missed celebrating the fall, food, and family with the broader CELP community. So after returning to mainland town, we rode into Santa Barbara and began to gather supplies for a holiday soirée. And in SLBT fashion, we made a commitment to be as green as possible. A goal was set to make a Thanksgiving Dinner with all local (grown within 100 miles), organic, preservative-free foods.
Thanks to local conscious food growers and the Santa Barbara Famers market, we did pretty darn good. We acquired all the fruits and vegetables needed from local certified organic vendors, and even found some pies for dessert that fit our standards. We hit up a bakery in town as they were closing up and were gifted bread galore-saving dozens of fresh loaves and baguettes from being tossed into the trash. Then it was off to the health food store for the rest. This is where things got tricky. We had to start weighing our commitment to Mother Earth with our palate and our budget. When feeding twenty-some people, sometimes the local and organic option is out of price range. In those instances, instead of compromising our moral values, we rethought our menu and our recipes and allowed our meal to be dictated by what was in-season, organic and grown and made locally.
We cooked up a storm, with new friends and old, and feasted on delicious foods like apple n’ herb stuffing, mushroom gravy, green bean casserole, yam delight, organic herbed turkey, sautéed Kale, and garlic mashed potatoes. And a good time was had by all.

A big thank you to the farmers at the farmers market, Grandma Sudman Laurie Henry, Nate Larson, Susan Boorujy, Ashley Bowen, Paula Glosserman, The Carey family, The Horner family and everyone in the CIC/ TSC office!

On the road...

Phew! We made it out of LA. Our day started like any other: a group of bright-eyed youths scrounging for coffee and left-over pizza while gathering our plethora of supplies (and cyclists) from various corners of Santa Monica. Our homestays were wonderfully accommodating and gave us one last taste of home comfort before an arduous week of camping. It was a treat to reconvene with our hostess and previous "Celpster," Ashley Bowen, who bravely led the first 3 mile leg of today's bike ride to the local REI for some last minute gear and riding essentials.

We had a sandwich lunch at the park that runs alongside Santa Monica Boulevard, showing passersby that high-priced bistros can't wave a stick at a good ol' fashioned oceanside picnic of fresh veggies and homemade bread. After fueling up, the riders took off and spent the afternoon on a 30-mile ride along the Pacific Coast Highway, with the sun on our backs and the wind on our faces (literally--the headwinds were fierce, but the view wasn't too shabby).

We noted the familiarity of many roadside plants, including the beloved Prickly Pear cactus, Laurel Sumac and the Lemonadeberry plant that we study on Catalina Island. In the strip where the Santa Monica mountains meet the sea, the botanical similarities our island community are striking--though the industrial landscape is a bit more pronounced in these parts.

We arrived at the Sycamore Cove campground not long after dark to establish our village of tents. Rains began midway through dinner preparation, so we scrambled to pitch tarps over the bikes and moved the cooking operation inside of the mini-bus. This apparently roused the attention of many other campers in the area. 8 people crowded inside of the short bus all chopping, spicing, and dicing until a delicious veggie couscous entree was prepared then shared with some rather motley utensils.

An early morning tomorrow as we have a 9:00 AM reservation for the ferry to Santa Cruz Island. We are super stoked to explore the ecosystems and communities on a sister Channel Island.

Cheers,

The Howlands Crew

Fundraiser at the Avalon Organic Co-op

Thursday evening the riders of the Sustainable Living Bike Tour and some friends made their way to Avalon to visit the Catalina Organic Co-op for a fundraiser. The Co-op meets weekly to provide Avalon residents access to fresh organic produce. They graciously invited us to set up a fundraiser for the bike tour at their event. We baked no less than 800 cookies, 16 loaves of Focaccia Bread, a dozen or so loaves of homemade bread, and three varieties of hummus with crackers made from scratch. It was a huge success and the donations made will go a long way in helping with expenses such as gas, food, and accommodations for the bike tour. A big thank you to the Catalina Organic Co-op and also to Autumn for taking some pictures and organizing our event!

Just over a week before we push off for the bike tour and the energy level is very high. Everyone now has a bike, food orders are being placed, and our route has been established. If we can stay away from the 200 or so leftover cookies we will be ready to embark on our journey next Monday!

the 6th annual trip is soon underway...

Greetings from Catalina Island! Our fall environmental education program is coming to a close and we have begun gearing up for our next adventure, the bike tour! On November 22nd, 15 educators from the Catalina Environmental Leadership Program will saddle up and hit the road for the 6th annual Sustainable Living Bicycle Tour, a 600-mile volunteer ride along the California coast. Our mission is two-fold: to both educate and inspire the communities that we visit, and to gather knowledge and inspiration to bring back to our program on Catalina.

Throughout the three-week tour, we will be visiting schools, community centers, farms, nature preserves, and local businesses, engaging people of all ages in a discussion of sustainability. The tour provides amazing opportunities for us to deepen our understanding of the complex environmental issues that we teach about on Catalina and use that knowledge to design programs that are meaningful and relevant to the lives of our students.

We will be posting tour updates on our blog and hope that you follow us on our journey. Some blog highlights to look out for include:

~ Tips on making this holiday season a sustainable one
~ 10 things you can do to give back to your community
~ Links to farmer’s markets and other community events
~ Information on current environmental topics including alternative energy, sustainable transportation, wildlife conservation and more!

Embarking on this journey is no easy task. In addition to the physical challenges we’ll face in riding our bikes from Los Angeles to San Francisco, there are many logistics associated with outfitting, housing, and feeding 15 cyclists. The tour relies on support from friends, family, businesses and the schools we visit. Support can be in the form of food, housing, gear or monetary donations.

Thank you for your time and support. This journey wouldn't be possible without the love and dedication of family and friends. Check the blog for updates and
pictures along our journey!

14 days until we hit the road!