Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Island Fox Summer 2013 Campfire Talks

It is a great time to visit California's Channel Islands or the mainland beaches that look out at the islands.

Santa Cruz Island looking south to Anacapa Islands in the distance.

Join Friends of the Island Fox at Carpinteria State Beach for a campfire talk about the endangered Channel Island fox.


FIF will be presenting the campground campfire program at Carpinteria State Beach:

  • Friday, June 14
  • Wednesday, July 24
  • Saturday, August 24

June and July campfire programs begin at 8:30 pm; August campfire is at 8 pm.

Why is the island fox endangered? Why is it important that we make efforts to save this animal now and into the future? Programs answer these questions and are geared for the whole family. 

Come out and join us!

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Challenge Grant to Microchip Island Foxes

Friends of the Island Fox has a goal of funding...

for island foxes counted this fall on the northern islands

(See NPS biologist Tim Coonan's talk on the status of island foxes on the northern Channel Islands).



What is a microchip and why do endangered island foxes need them?

Each microchip costs $10 and it provides important individual identification for the entire life of an island fox.



So far in 2013 FIF has raised:

$1,198 to fund microchips for 119 island foxes
We are almost half way to our September goal of 250

FIF Education Director, Keri Dearborn and her husband Michael Lawshe propose:
  
A Challenge Grant in the name of their dog, Inali


Inali means "black fox" in Cherokee and this big black dog was a strong supporter of island fox conservation. She was the photo model for FIF's campaign to educate people about not taking pets onto the Channel Islands. Dogs, cats and raccoons can all be vectors for diseases that threaten island foxes. 

She also loved watching the videos of island foxes produced by Michael and Eclipse-1 Media for Friends of the Island Fox.


The Challenge Grant will 
match the next $300 donated to FIF for microchips

It's as if your donation is doubled.  

Inali was microchipped as a puppy. Though she passed away earlier this year, she continues to be a friend of the endangered island fox and we hope 30 island foxes will be microchipped in her name. 

Help an island fox have an identification microchip for life. 

Island Fox Donations

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Channel Island Fox Status Update for Northern Islands 2013

In the year 2000, Channel island foxes on San Miguel, Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz Islands were facing extinction. But just thirteen years later, these endangered animals are making a strong comeback.

The video below "Keeping Every Cog and Wheel: Saving the Island Fox from Extinction" is a presentation given by Channel Islands National Park senior biologist Tim Coonan in April 2013 as part of the Shore to Sea series at the National Park. (this is the full hour lecture)



See Tim Coonan releasing the last captive island fox back into the wild.