Restoring Native Habitat for Island Foxes

Last Saturday, Friends of the Island Fox and Channel Islands Restoration (a native plant restoration group) partnered up to remove invasive plants on Santa Cruz Island. 

Island foxes depend on a healthy native plant community for food and shelter. To survive, they have evolved to be highly omnivorous–eating a range of native fruit, insects, and other small prey. 

The island deer mouse may be food for the island fox, but in turn it depends on seeds from buckwheat, giant coreopsis, and other native island plants. Island foxes are directly and indirectly impacted when the native plant community is compromised.

Introduced species like this oyster plant (Tragopogon) can quickly invade hillsides pushing out native plants. Though the dandelion-like globe of seeds may look beautiful in the sunlight, it does not provide food or shelter for island wildlife and it is about to spread seed far and wide with the next good breeze.

On a mission to help restore the island's natural habitat and with grant support from LUSH Cosmetics, volunteers headed out to make a positive difference.

We learned about native plants on a hike to Cavern Point, then snipped our way through a quarter-mile section of Scorpion Canyon. 

We filled trash bags with the seed heads, to decrease the invasive plant's reproduction this spring/summer. It was amazing how heavy just the seed heads were as we filled our bags.

And of course, we were thanked by visits from several island foxes during the course of the day.

Smiling faces and black bags filled with invasive-plant seed heads being removed from the Channel Island ecosystem. It feels good to make a positive difference. If you're interested in participating in a plant restoration trip send us an e-mail at islandfoxnews@gmail.com. We hope to go out on a second trip sometime this year.

Thanks to a great day of team work! More bags behind us!

 

FIF 2015 Trip to See Channel Island Foxes

Early summer brings island fox pups out of their dens to explore their world. Parents are busy providing for growing youngsters and teaching them how to find their own food.

The successful recovery of endangered Channel Island foxes means there are greater opportunities to see these rare island predators in their wild habitat. 

TRIP SOLD OUT as of 5/7/15
Join Friends of the Island Fox for a day of discovery and adventure as we travel to:

Scorpion Cove, Santa Cruz Island

Channel Islands National Park

June 20, 2015

Day Trip Itinerary:  

• 8:15 AM: Check in with Friends of the Island Fox at the Island Packers’ Ventura Harbor dock, at 1691 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura, for a 9 AM departure to Santa Cruz Island, Scorpion Cove.

• Arrive on Santa Cruz Island mid-morning and explore with Friends of the Island Fox leaders to view island foxes and other endemic plants and animals. 
• 4:00 PM: Island Packers’ boat departs Santa Cruz Island, returning to Ventura Harbor around 5:00 PM

Tickets are $65.00 per person. 
(A percentage of the fee will go to support island fox recovery efforts.)
 

View from the bluff on Santa Cruz Island

Reservations are limited and will be provided on a first come basis. To book reservations, please download the Reservation Form.

Send the completed form with your check, made payable to the "Friends of the Island Fox" to the address on the form.  Reservations will be taken in the order received, and no reservations can be accepted without payment.

At the time of booking you will receive further trip details, including: maps of where to meet, what to pack, suggested clothing and other items of interest. 

Look closely at this photo. Island foxes are smart and curious, food items must be secured at all times.

If you have questions, contact FIF at islandfoxnews@gmail.com
or (805) 228-4123


What to remember when visiting the island fox. 

Previous trips to Santa Cruz Island:

May 2014 Trip
June 2013 Trip and Items on the Beach 
May 2012 Trip