Santa Barbara, CA - City Data Information Link
CDFW Santa Barbara (90%)
Ojai Valley Land Conservancy (10%)
City of Santa Barbara Creeks Division (1%)
Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission (PSMFC) (1%)
Ventura County Public Works Agency (<1%)
8-hour days: 5%
10-hour days: 85%
>10-hour days: 10%
In the field: 80%
In the office: 20%
Spawner/Redd Surveys: 15%
Education & Outreach: 13%
Electrofishing: 10%
Volunteer Management: 8%
Snorkel Surveys: 6%
Commuting To/From Field Sites: 7%
DIDSON Installation/Monitoring: 5%
DIDSON Footage Review 4%
Data Entry: 6%
Native Planting: 5%
Post-Restoration Monitoring/Maintenance: 5%
Field PIT Tagging: 4%
Habitat Surveys: 4%
Invasive Plant Removal: 3%
GIS Mapping: 3%
H2O Monitoring: 2%
The primary objective of the CDFW Santa Barbara office is to fulfill annual monitoring requirements for federally endangered and California state endangered candidate southern California steelhead rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in a manner consistent with the California Monitoring Program (CMP). This CDFW office primarily monitors streams within Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties, but occasionally performs stream and watershed assessments in Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego Counties. The site conducts a variety of field surveys including but not limited to spawner (redd) surveys, snorkel surveys, electrofishing, Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tagging and PIT tag array deployment, sonar camera deployment, fish rescues, habitat and channel typing, barrier assessments, and water quality monitoring. In addition to a myriad of field experience, CMs will also be participating in data organization, quality assurance and quality checks, data analysis, and report preparation.
The Ojai Valley Land Conservancy (OVLC) is a non-profit land trust whose mission is to protect and restore the natural landscapes of the Ojai Valley forever. OVLC manages approximately 2,300 acres of open space, most of which are public access, including 10.2 miles of stream habitat along the Ventura River. OVLC conducts a variety of restoration, native planting, and environmental education projects to support a healthy Ventura River watershed. They train and manage a large team of volunteers and operate a native plant nursery to support restoration efforts. CMs would participate in managing restored oak woodland habitats, monitoring previous restoration planting sites, coordinating volunteer events, helping to manage and enhance bioswales, collecting and transplanting cuttings, cleaning, and processing seeds, and conducting cost-benefit analyses of native planting efforts.
Mentors Dane St. Geroge and Casey Horgan will share Mentor responsibilities for CMs at the Placement Site throughout the term. As Mentors, they strive to maintain regular communication with CMs to ensure their needs are met and assure they remain engaged for the duration of their term. CMs will receive formal training on survey methods, monitoring equipment operations, and extensive hands-on experience for all fieldwork. Mentors strive to equip CMs with the necessary training and resources that allow CMs to have agency in making decisions independently while completing tasks and use their best judgement to problem solve. Mentors will share their knowledge and experience as well as direct CMs to the variety of learning resources available through the department.
Dane St. George and Casey Horgan will continue fulfilling all administrative Placement Site responsibilities while CMs are serving with OVLC. For four months of the term (May-August), CMs will serve one day per week for 8 hours (7:00 am – 3:00 pm) with OVLC. Vivon Crawford Sedgwick will oversee field protocol training and relevant safety training for activities performed while with OVLC. OVLC will provide CMs with survey and restoration equipment, field vehicles, and proper PPE when CMs are at their site. When feasible, CDFW will provide a vehicle for CMs to commute to the OVLC office. If CDFW is unable to provide a vehicle for CMs to commute to the OVLC office, CMs will be reimbursed at the federal mileage rate ($0.67/mile) by OVLC. Dane St. George and Casey Horgan will communicate with Vivon Crawford Sedgwick and with CMs to verify service hours while CMs serve with OVLC.
The primary study species, Southern California Steelhead Rainbow Trout, are federally endangered and are currently a candidate species for listing on the California Endangered Species Act. Thus, CMs will acquire extensive experience surveying for an endangered species, which can be beneficial for them in the future if they go on to work with other threatened or sensitive species. CDFW Santa Barbara is the leading practitioner of salmonid monitoring in Southern California and employs several different survey methods. CMs will learn how to use a sonar camera (DIDSON & ARIS), operate a backpack electro fisher, conduct PIT tagging surveys, and operate a PIT tag array - all of which are highly sought-after skills in fisheries monitoring. CMs are also given the opportunity to see through and participate in the entire life cycle of data collection and presentation.
The CDFW Santa Barbara placement site offers a variety of microbiomes and unique conservation circumstances. CMs will conduct surveys in short, high-gradient, spring-fed coastal streams as well as expansive, large floodplain watersheds that expand farther inland where elevation and temperatures are higher. Many of the watersheds are impacted by urbanization and development, and these watersheds present unique opportunities for balancing conservation and restoration efforts with public use. This dynamic offers many possibilities for CMs’ volunteer events.
Through CDFW Santa Barbara’s close partners, there are opportunities to participate in other monitoring outside of fisheries (e.g., native plant propagation, water quality monitoring, invasive removal, fish passage barrier assessments) so the interests of CMs can best be met. CDFW also hosts an extensive network of trainings and software licenses to allow CMs to seek additional experience in other fields.
The partnership with OVLC offers first-hand opportunities to participate in watershed restoration, native planting, and nursery management for a highly respected local non-profit. It also allows CMs to contribute to fisheries monitoring and restoration work in the same watershed and helps them better understand and appreciate contributing factors to a healthy watershed as well as see the diversity of potential ecological careers. Since OVLC has a large team of volunteers, CMs will also have a leadership opportunity to share their expertise with engaged community members.
The city of Santa Barbara and the surrounding areas are highly desirable, albeit expensive, places to live. Hiking, camping, and surfing are all available within a 20-minute drive and the downtown area is bustling with restaurants, theaters, and art galleries. The weather is pleasant year-round and opportunities for community engagement are plentiful. Many of the streams in southern California are highly impacted by urbanization, so there are many opportunities for stream restoration and collaboration with local conservation organizations.
Experience hiking, particularly through streams/riparian areas, handling fish/aquatic species, and fish species identification are helpful for conducting fieldwork
Experience with data collection and entry is useful
Enthusiasm, willingness to learn new skills, and curiosity about the bigger implications of ecological monitoring and restoration will help CMs be successful