Celebrating 50 Years of Catalina Island Conservancy

CATALINA ISLAND CONSERVANCY

SINCE 1972

You may notice our style looks a bit different this year! Catalina Island Conservancy is thrilled to celebrate our 50th Anniversary with a new look and a new logo to carry us through the year.

Inspired by the magic of Catalina's sunsets, we hope this inspires you to explore the wildlands of Catalina Island this year and experience that magic firsthand.

1972

Santa Catalina Island Conservancy is established. In 1972, members of the Wrigley and Offield families established the Catalina Island Conservancy as a nonprofit organization dedicated to the restoration and protection of Catalina’s wildlands. Today, the Conservancy preserves the Island’s wildlands and wildlife, helps the public enjoy Catalina’s natural offerings and promotes learning about Catalina Island and conservation.

In the past 50 years, the Conservancy has made instrumental strides in protecting the Island’s crucial flora and fauna. The Conservancy has educated and engaged hundreds of thousands of children and adults about the uniqueness of Catalina Island and the importance of nature and has provided crucial access to nature to inspire wonderment and encourage healthy minds and bodies.

The Conservancy will be celebrating its anniversary with events including the iconic annual Conservancy Ball on April 23, 2022. With your help, the organization cannot wait to continue this important work into the future for another 50 years and beyond.

1987

The Native Plant Nursery opens in Middle Ranch.

1990

To protect fragile habitats, efforts began to remove the non-native pigs and goats.

1975

Wrigley and Offield families deed 42,135 acres to the Conservancy.

1990

A bald eagle egg hatched successfully through artificial incubation. High levels of DDT had been making eggs too fragile to hatch naturally.

50 YEARS OF CONSERVATION

One of the key tenets of Catalina Island Conservancy’s mission has always been a focus on conservation of the unique Island landscape. The flora and fauna of Catalina Island are incredibly distinctive, including the more than 60 endemic species found on Catalina and nowhere else in the world. Our Catalina Habitat Improvement & Restoration Program (CHIRP) team continually battles invasive plant species, while the native plant team works to restore local and endemic plants on the Island. The wildlife crew constantly monitors key species on Catalina Island, has been instrumental in the recovery of bald eagles and the Catalina Island fox (both in partnership with the Institute for Wildlife Studies), discovered two new bat species and recently sighted an endemic Catalina Island shrew for the first time in years.

1994

Introduced Eco Tours, bringing the public a new opportunity to experience the Wildlands.

Laura Stein Volunteer Camp dedicated in her memory for launching the volunteer program.

1996

Conservancy assumes management of the Wrigley Memorial & Botanic Garden.

1994 2000

Launched fox recovery program after Island foxes were near extinction due to a canine distemper outbreak. The captive breeding and vaccination program was a huge success and the population stabilized by the end of the program in 2004.

2006

New Nature Center at Avalon Canyon opens on Earth Day, becoming the Conservancy’s educational gateway to Catalina’s wildlands.

2003

Initiated the Catalina Habitat Improvement & Restoration Program (CHIRP) Invasive Plant Project.

2007

Launched the Conservation and Education Symposium to highlight work from key staff and Island experts. This has since transformed into the Catalina Island Conservancy Annual Symposium.

50 YEARS OF EDUCATION

Our education team has offered hands-on learning adventures, volunteer opportunities and programs for locals, visitors and students for more than 40 years. Recently, programs expanded to include virtual educational opportunities as well, garnering interest from learners around the world. The Conservancy provides Avalon students and families free access to the wildlands through several programs led by trained naturalists, exposing them to the wonder of Catalina Island. Adult programs, such as the expansion of the Last Friday Lecture Series, the multi-level Naturalist Training Program and locations such as the Nature Center and the Wrigley Memorial & Botanic Garden provide additional educational enrichment. We are proud to help nature lovers learn about the Island’s history and our important work to protect and restore Catalina.

2007

Four bald eagles hatched without human intervention for the first time in nearly 50 years on Conservancy lands.

2009

The 38.5-mile Trans-Catalina Trail opened continuous trail access across the Island’s wildlands from its east to west ends.

2007

After the May 2007 fire scarred 4,000 acres of land, rare plants such as Island rush rose (Helianthemum greeni) and Ocean spray (Holodiscus discolor) were discovered at new locations.

2009

Non-hormonal Porcine Zona Pellucida (PZP), a contraceptive, was administered to female bison of more than two years old to better manage the population.

2016

Catalina Island foxes downgraded from the endangered species list and comeback hailed as the fastest recovery of any mammal listed under the Endangered Species Act.

2010

To date, more than 60 endemic species have been found on Catalina and nowhere else in the world.

Waging Battle Against50 YEARS OF RECREATION

Providing access to nature to hundreds of thousands of hikers, campers and outdoor enthusiasts each year is essential to Catalina Island Conservancy’s mission. Recreational opportunities abound on Catalina, and the Conservancy has maintained more than 165 miles of roads and trails while developing dozens of miles of new trails on the Island and consolidating social trails. We have also added many amenities like waterless, eco-friendly restrooms and shade structures and expanded accessibility to the natural wonder of the Island by offering Eco Tours led by knowledgeable naturalists that access remote areas of Catalina. The Conservancy recently opened up its flagship Trailhead visitor center to help connect the more than 1 million annual visitors to Catalina and the important work of the Conservancy. We are grateful to the more than 4,200 members that support our nonprofit mission to be good stewards of Catalina’s wildlands.

2017

Last Friday Lecture Series debuted.

2019

Airport in the Sky and ACE Clearwater Airfield reopened after unique partnership with Department of Defense brings military members to train by repairing the aged runway.

2020

New acoustic bat monitors detect the presence of two new bat species on the Island. 2020 COVID-19 pandemic disrupts operations.

2017

Launched a sustainable master trails system, Trekking Catalina, with 27 miles of new and expanded trails and high-tech, more sustainable restrooms, creating a world-class hiking experience. TransCatalina Trail is expanded to 38.5 miles.

2019

State-of-the-art, LEED gold certified Trailhead visitor center opens, enhancing the Conservancy's presence and exposure to hundreds of thousands of visitors arriving annually in Avalon.

2020

Launched new virtual education programs and transitioned popular programs online to keep them available to nature lovers.

LOOKING TOWARD THE FUTURE

Catalina Island Conservancy is proud of the progress we have made on Catalina over the last 50 years, but our work is far from complete.

“It’s not only about the critical strides that we have already made, but also continuing the important stewardship that we’ve demonstrated the last five decades,” said Conservancy President & CEO Tony Budrovich.

Looking forward, the Conservancy will continue to adapt to the ever-changing environmental situation while furthering the return of the greenscape to the Island that has been worn away. Over time, the Conservancy is making a significant investment in IT resiliency, improving infrastructure and looking at a variety of green technologies to explore more sustainable power sources on the Island.

The organization prioritizes welcoming all people to Catalina and will continue to work with its Diversity, Education, Accessibility and Inclusion (DEAI) committee to to integrate best practices and connect more deeply with our community. Fire mitigation strategies persist as a key concern and continuing to strengthen our great relationships with LA County Fire, CAL FIRE and our local fire authority on the Island is of utmost importance. By prioritizing education of Island visitors and locals alike, the Conservancy hopes to create and retain stewards of nature and Catalina Island.

2020

Upgraded the irrigation system at the Ackerman Native Plant Nursery to more efficiently care for 85+ plant species.

2021

Completed experimental oak restoration project at Bulrush Canyon.

Completed repairs at White’s Landing exclosure, a future public showcase site rich with rare and endemic Island plants.

2021

Installed new Discovery Trail at Wrigley Memorial & Botanic Garden, enhancing the educational experience.

2021

Conservancy’s innovative partnership with the Department of Defense leads to road and culvert improvements by the U.S. Marine Corps.

2021 2021

First live endemic Catalina Island shrew sighting in 15 years.