Introduction

The A.S. Coastal Fund (CF) is a shining example of a grassroots community based effort to care for the coastal environment and can be used as a model for other campuses. It is fully student funded by a per quarter lock-in fee that students have consistently reaffirmed.

For over 10 years Coastal Fund, which was originally established as the Shoreline Preservation Fund, has supported environmental projects that allow the UCSB community to serve as a responsible steward of the local coastal environment. During that time CF has allocated nearly $1,500,000 to over 350 local projects. The Fund currently is able to allocate about $300,000 per year. In most cases the projects funded are required to provide paid internships for UCSB students.

Funds are generated and administered by the students and the work of the Fund benefits the community around UCSB in many tangible ways, including major capital projects like the Campus Point stairs completed this year, research projects to help preserve and enhance the UCSB coastal zone, and, as mentioned, providing paid internships for UCSB students.

Coastal Fund once again had a busy year. The many projects they funded and the Fund’s other accomplishments are documented on the Coastal Fund website, which has become a valuable resource for the campus and local environmental communities. Coastal Fund has also embraced and developed its presence on other social media sites, including Facebook, Twitter, Vimeo, Linkedin, and Stumble!

Campus Point Stairs Ribbon Cutting

Although the bulk of CF’s funding goes to research projects, it has also funded significant capital projects, both on campus and in the local community. One of it’s biggest projects this year was completion of the Campus Point stairs. The stairs opened to the public in Spring quarter. They are the product of a collaboration with the Cheadle Center for Biodiversity & Ecological Restoration (CCBER), the Office of Administrative Services, Campus Design and Facilities, Housing & Residential Services, and the State Coastal Conservancy.

The official ribbon cutting was a well-attended celebration. Attendees included Senior Associate Vice Chancellor of Administrative Services Marc Fisher, CCBER Director Jennifer Torsch, CCBER Director Ecosystems Management Lisa Stratton, A.S. Environmental Programs Advisor Scott Bull, and Coastal Fund Members Tanya Jones, Alex Tamura, and Julianna Trowbridge, pictured here.

The stairs are part of CCBER’s larger Campus Point restoration program, a multi-year Coastal Fund supported effort to restore the native habitat of the point, which will result in significantly increased biodiversity and a more balanced self-sustaining ecosystem.

 Coastal Service Program

To further involve students the Coastal Fund Coastal Service Program, offers student organizations an opportunity to raise funds by participating in local beach clean ups and native habitat restorations.

The program enables all student organizations to gain much needed funding for their programs while contributing to keeping our community clean and healthy.

Plastics Awareness: A Day Without a Bag

One of the main issues for CF this year was the proliferation of plastic in our environment. In fact, CF helped host a Plastics Awareness Week in January and the “Day Without at Bag” in April, which was part of the local campaign to ban the use of plastic grocery bags.

 UCSB Reads: Moby Duck by Donovan Hohn

It also meant that CF was one of the primary sponsors for the annual UCSB Reads event, which this year feature Donovan Hohn’s book Moby Duck: The True Story of 28,800 Bath Toys Lost at Sea and of the Beachcombers, Oceanographers, Environmentalists, and Fools, Including the Author,Who Went in Search of Them.  2,500 special edition copies with a special acknowledge page dedicated to Coastal Fund, were distributed to students, staff, and faculty. The book was also read on the air on KCSB.

CF was involved in a variety of public events. This included tabling at the Pardall Carnival, the OSL Fair, Santa Barbara Earth Day, and other on and off campus events.

Green Photo Contest

The Fund sponsored a Green Photo Contest with the winners taking home a variety of eco-prizes.

This year’s theme was plastic pollution and the winner was Marsha Kitogordsky!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Green Screen Film: Environmental  Film Festival

In collaboration with the Carsey-Wolf Center and the Environmental Media Initiative, the Fund co-sponsored the Green Screen Environmental Film Premiere to showcase student environmental films. The screening was held at UCSB’s new Pollock Theater.

As is the case each year, CF was one of the sponsors of the annual Isla Vista Earth Day celebration, which, as always, was a fun way to spend a day in the sun listening to local bands and gathering information about a range of organizations and businesses promoting environmental awareness and sustainability.

Awards Picnic

Coastal Fund closed out the year with their annual awards picnic a fitting close to a year full of accomplishments!