![]() Managing the Present, Protecting the Future Oak seedlings abound, now that the pigs-which feasted on oak acorns-are gone.Native plants are flourishing and are re-vegetating formerly barren hillsides.No golden eagles have nested on the island since 2006.Bald eagles now reside and nest successfully on the island, for the first time in over half a century.More than 1,200 foxes now live in the wild, up from fewer than 100 in 2004.Unprecedented removal of feral pigs in 18 months the island has been pig-free since 2006.Santa Cruz Island restoration milestones: Bald eagle chicks were reintroduced and carefully raised and released into the wild.Įfforts to restore the fox population were initiated in 2002, and the fox program has been heralded as one of the fastest and most successful endangered species recovery programs in the country.įor the first time in over 150 years, the island is free of non-native animals and native species are flourishing. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Department of Fish and Game-to engage in an intensive, science-based restoration program to save the island fox and revitalize the natural communities of Santa Cruz Island.Īs part of this effort, feral sheep and pigs were removed from the island and golden eagles were captured and relocated to the mainland. The Nature Conservancy worked with its partners-the National Park Service, U.S. The island’s native bald eagles, which are highly territorial and prey on fish rather than foxes, had been wiped out by DDT contamination nearly five decades ago, leaving golden eagles free to devastate the fox population.A new island predator-the golden eagle-moved in from the mainland to prey on piglets and island foxes, wiping out 95% of the fox population in less than a decade.Ten species of plants and animals faced extinction, including the Santa Cruz Island fox-the island’s top predator for thousands of years.Feral pigs and sheep-descendants of introduced domestic livestock-overgrazed the island, severely altering its natural systems and landscape.When The Nature Conservancy purchased most of Santa Cruz Island in 1978, it was an island in crisis. ![]() Today, TNC and its partners are focused on preserving the island’s unique plants and animals and sharing lessons learned in island restoration with other island conservation projects around the world. Once on the brink of ecological collapse, Santa Cruz Island now offers visitors a glimpse of what southern California used to be like hundreds of years ago.Īfter three decades of tireless work, Santa Cruz Island has emerged as a leading example for successful island restoration and innovative conservation. More than 1,000 species of plants and animals inhabit the island’s high peaks, deep canyons, pastoral valleys and 77 miles of dramatic coastline. ![]() Twenty-five miles off the coast of southern California lies Santa Cruz Island, the largest of California’s eight Channel Islands.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |