Coastal Fund
Introduction
The A.S. Coastal Fund (CF) is a shining example of a grassroots community based effort to care for the coastal environment and provides a model for other campuses. CF is student-funded and student-run. It serves to preserve, protect, and enhance the terrestrial and marine habitats associated with the UCSB shoreline.
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. Since the fall of 1999, Coastal Fund has granted $2.6 million to 416 local projects and programs. 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.
The Committee
The 2012-2013 Coastal Fund committee was comprised of:
Board
Marissa Bills, Chair
Christina Dover, Vice Chair
Leslie Stirling, Undergraduate Representative
Danny Wescott, Isla Vista Surfrider Representative
Taylor Debevec, Graduate Student Representative
Jenna Driscoll, Graduate Student Representative
Natalie Testa, Undergraduate Representative
Staff
Alex Tamura, Administrative Assistant
Alyssa Hall, Outreach and Education Coordinator
Julianna Trowbridge, Outreach and Education Coordinator
Megan Roy, Outreach and Education Coordinator
Marcee Davis, Outreach and Education Coordinator
Sara Rosenblatt, Coastal Service Program Coordinator
Genesis Herrera, Legislative Council Representative
Scott Bull, Grants Manager/Advisor (Fall)
Aaron Jones, Advisor (Winter, Spring)
Alex Jauregui, Web Development Intern
The Chair and Vice Chair are re-elected each quarter to provide balance to Coastal Fund operations.
Applications for Funding
Coastal Fund accepts proposals for minor ( less than $1000) and major (more than $1000) funding from UCSB students, faculty, and community organizations that have a direct impact on the UCSB coastline. Applications are accepted in three cycles: Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters.
In 2012/2013 Coastal Fund received 67 applications. Out of the 67 applications, 48 projects and 104 internships were funded totaling $164,742.50. Complete descriptions of funded projects and internships can be found on the Coastal Fund website.
Restoration projects made up about 20% of the Fall Quarter funded projects. Two restoration projects came from the Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration (CCBER), including the Restoration Intern Training Program and the Santa Barbara Restoration Project Data Base. These projects supported 6 internships during the Winter and Spring quarters. The projects will be pivotal in furthering restoration on campus and in the Santa Barbara community. Another project from the Trust for Public Land is the Upper Devereux Slough Outreach and Design Project which will restore Upper Devereux Slough and Ocean Meadows Poperty to its historic wetland status.
The GreenScreen Environmental Media Program, funded Fall 2012, provided students with the opportunity to create environmental films while collaborating with local organizations and research groups. The GreenScreen Program taught students how to effectively communicate the importance of coastal issues to the community with a screening event in Spring 2013.
Another opportunity for the community to get involved was at UCSB’s Natural Reserve System (NRS) Day which was UCSB’s Natural Reserve System (NRS) Day, which was held at the Bren School of Environmental Science & Management in February. The reserves administered by UCSB include Coal Oil Point and the Sedgewick Reserve in the Santa Ynez Valley pictured here. The NRS day provided graduate and undergraduate students with a chance to converse with professors and leaders at the NRS.
Education Initiatives
Coastal Fund was proud to fund education initiatives including the Goleta Beach Protection & Education Project and the Devereux Native Tree Nursery and Intern Education Project. The Goleta Beach Protection & Education Project will adress the impacts of Santa BarbaraCounty’s proposed Reconfiguartion Plan for Goleta Beach Park. The project supports a geologic survey of the area and a student intern. The Devereux project will use its funds to continue their organic nursery operations that provide trees for volunteer planting projects, and to train interns about aboriculture and greenhouse operations and urban forestry education programs.
Research Projects
Research is an important part of Coastal Fund’s mission and last quarter it was able to fund several new research projects.
The Marine Science Institute at UCSB was funded for their project to assess the endangered El Segundo Blue Butterfly habitat at UCSB in order to map adequate habitats for the butterfly on the UCSB coastline. The second research project Coastal Fund supported is the Santa Barbara County Trails Council, which will now be conducting a Gaviota Coastal Trail Planning Study to inform and educate the public and decision makers regarding a California Coastal Trail that would stretch along 20 miles of the unspoiled Gaviota Coast. This comprehensive study will help determine coastal access locations, environmentally friendly design options and techniques to improve access while minimizing environmental impacts on the pristine coastline.
Projects Funded
Coastal Sustainability
Coastal sustainability by keeping beaches free of plastic pollution is a central component of Coastal Fund’s work. This is why projects like the Community Environmental Council’s “Rethink the Drink” and BEACON and IV Surfrider Foundation’s Regional Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for Plastic Bag Ban Ordinance were funded during Fall quarter. “Rethink the Drink” promotes more sustainable alternatives to platic water bottles by installing hydration stations throughout the Santa Barbara area, with the goal of reaching every school in the county. The regional environmental impact report regarding the plastic bag ordinance will provide supporting evidence for moving forward with a single-use plastic bag ban ordinance. With Coastal Fund’s support, the EIR will be fulfilling the desires of UCSB students to reduce bag consumption in the region while preserving water quality in the near shore environment.
Coastal Service Program
The Coastal Service Program (CSP) offers campus organizations an opportunity to raise funds. CSP is the most direct way that the Coastal Fund reaches students. Groups can earn $100 for participating in a beach or street clean-up, and $200 for participating in a restoration.
Over the past year, Coastal Service Program’s popularity and influence has grown. During the 2012-2013 school year, Coastal Fund hosted 71 restoration activities, 7 street clean-ups, and # (21) beach clean-ups. The Fund awarded $15,160 to 97 different groups. A total of 1,085 students participated in the program and they collectively removed 681 pounds of trash from our local beaches. Sign ups for the CSP fundraising events for all three quarters reached capacity within the first three days of the start of the quarter and each quarter’s waitlist had over 46 groups.
In addition to hands on benefits to the local environment, the CSP encourages students from different disciplines to learn about coastal and environmental issues. Students participating learn about the impact of trees on the coastal ecosystem, as well as the important impact that the Ocean Meadows Golf Course Project and the Mission Creek lagoon have on the ocean and indigenous species.
Internship Program
Due to growth in its outreach program, Coastal Fund often hires additional student interns to help with outreach activities. This in-house program allows UCSB students to work directly with Coastal Fund staff to learn exactly what it takes to be a Coastal Fund staff member.
Over the past year students have served as Press and Advertising Intern and Web Development and Media Relations Intern. These interns help to effectively develop marketing strategies both on the web and in print. They assist in Coastal Fund’s marketing and outreach by providing news to the local campus and Santa Barbara communities.
Outreach and Education Activities in Detail
Throughout the academic year, Coastal Fund has grown exponentially. Its visibility in the local and national press has increased and the Fund has drastically increased the number of co-sponsorships with community and campus organizations. 2012-2013 outreach events and co-sponsorships are listed below.
Events
September 26, 2012 Beach Clean up
October 6, 2012 Pardall Carnival
October 2012 ECS Fall Feast
October 19, 2012 Sustainability Week in Dining Commons
October 31, 2012 AS Recruitment Fair
November 17, 2012 Beach Clean Up
November 27, 2012 Blue Horizons Film Premiere
December 4, 2012 Island President Film Premiere
January 13, 2013 Beach Clean Up
Feb 8, 2012 IV Surfrider Beach Clean Up
Feb 9, 2013 Winter Retreat
Feb 13, 2013 Coastal Fund Recruitment
March 6, 2012 Oceans Fair
March 16, 2013 Photo Contest Deadline
April 2, 2012 Day Without a Bag
April 6, 2012 DPHS Eco-Fair
April 7, 2012 Freshman Beach Festival
April 12, 2012 Annie Leonard
April 14, 2012 Spring Insight
April 20-21, 2013 SB Earth Day
April 27, 2013 IV Earth Day
May 23, 2013 Annual Gala
June1,2013 Concert for the Coast
Co-sponsorships
Natural Reserve System Day
Kids In Nature Celebration Day
IV Parks and Recreation Adopt-a-block Halloclean
Island President
Blue Horizions
Compost Pilot Project
Partnership for Excellence
Blue Water Ball
Concert for the Coast
EDC Environmental Hero
EENG Gala
Coastal Fund Promotion
This year, Coastal Fund expanded its use of promotional materials to increase its visibility in the wider campus community. This included giving away branded Costal Fund tide calendars, stickers, pens, reusable tote bags, and t-shirts.
Listserv Distributions
Coastal Fund-sponsored events, funding opportunities, and available internships were listed in various campus listservs, including the Environmental Studies Department, the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, Film & Media Studies, Environmental Affairs Board, and Surfrider. Its own list reach grew from around 500 recipients to over 1,200 recipients.
Press
Our press coverage was significant this year. We received press from local press entities like Santa Barbara Independent, Newshawk, EdHat, Daily Nexus, The Bottom Line, Santa Barbara NewsPress, and the Plastic Pollution Coalition.
Blue Horizons Media
BLUE HORIZONS students explore how to communicate vital stories about the ocean through media.
Annual Reception
On May 23, 2013, Coastal Fund held its 13th Annual Reception. All organizations, individuals and UCSB students funded by Coastal Fund since its inception were invited to celebrate. The event allowed people to share the successes and general accomplishments achieved through Coastal Fund-ed projects, the Coastal Service Program, and outreach-education activities. We highlighted the Kids in Nature Program, the installation of hydration stations around campus, and the Environmental Defense Center’s project to map the use of the Channel off our coast.
Photo Contest
The winner of this year’s Coastal Fund Photo Contest was Anisha Sisodia. Her entry definitely speaks to pollution in an IV context!
