The island fox is a descendant of the much larger mainland gray fox. The first foxes probably found their island home approximately 18,000 years ago by floating from the mainland on debris after a storm. The land mass where they landed-called Santarosae, about five to seven miles off the coast - consisted of what we now call Anacapa, San Miguel, Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz Islands.

Santa Cruz Island is located off the coast of southern California in the Channel Islands National Park. It is 19 miles from Ventura and 25 miles from Santa Barbara. At 96 square miles, it is the largest of the eight Channel Islands, as well as the most biologically diverse. The island supports 60 species found only in the Channel Islands. Twelve of those species-four animals and eight plants-exist only on Santa Cruz Island and nowhere else on Earth.

Until recently, feral pigs posed the biggest threat to Santa Cruz Island. Brought to the island as domestic farm animals in the 1800s, the pigs rooted up vegetation and disturbed the soil, which lead to the destruction of ancient Chumash archaeological sites, caused widespread erosion and facilitated the spread of invasive weeds. Their presence on the island also enabled golden eagles from the mainland to colonize Santa Cruz Island in the 1990s.

The Nature Conservancy contracted with a highly skilled, professional hunting firm to eradicate the feral pigs from Santa Cruz Island. The firm specializes in island eradications and has successfully removed destructive, non-native species from the Great Barrier Reef Island off New Zealand, and Lord Howe Island off Australia. The firm has also been consulted on eradication efforts to preserve the rare, biological diversity of the Galapagos Islands off South America.

For public safety and liability reasons, The Nature Conservancy is limiting public access to its property through June 2007. Landing permits will continue to be issued, and boaters may continue to anchor offshore at all anchorages and explore the island's magnificent sea caves, beaches and coastal areas. However, hiking 50 feet inland-past the mean high water mark-will not be permitted to ensure public safety.

Bald eagles disappeared from the Channel Islands by 1960, when high concentrations of DDT in their ocean-based food supply rendered their eggs too thin to hatch. The National Park Service launched a five-year program to re-establish bald eagles in the northern Channel Islands in 2002.

There are no services on the islands. This means you need to bring your own food and beverages. There are picnic benches and pit-toilets. Paddle Sports has a lock-box that you can safely leave you gear in while we are kayaking. There are also several short hikes that are perfect for after we are done kayaking.

The Nature Conservancy, the National Park Service and several public and private partners are engaged in a science-based program to recover the island fox and restore Santa Cruz Island's native habitat.

Our lovely city is located approximately 120 kilometers south of San Francisco, 72 kilometers from Monterey and Carmel and 44 kilometers from San Jose and the Silicon Valley.

Take 101 north to Victoria exit. Turn Left on Victoria 1/2 miles to Olivas Park Drive. Turn Right on Olivas Park Road and follow Olivas Park Drive into Ventura Harbor. As you enter Ventura Harbor, you are on Spinnaker Drive. Follow Spinnaker past shops and park at 2-story building near Village Lawn -- 1691 Spinnaker Drive. Parking is free. Take 101 south to Seaward exit. Turn Left onto Harbor Blvd for approximately 2 miles to Spinnaker Drive.

We teach you the fundamental skills of sit-on-top kayaking, which include entering and exiting your kayak, basic stroke techniques, beach launch and landing, and sea cave exploration techniques. As a result, you feel comfortable and confident exploring the exciting waters and sea caves of these enchanted islands. In addition to kayaking skills, our guides teach you about the natural history and wildlife of Santa Cruz Island.

For public safety and liability reasons, The Nature Conservancy will limit public access to its property from January 2005 to April 2007. Landing permits will continue to be issued, and boaters may continue to anchor offshore at all anchorages and explore the island’s magnificent sea caves, beaches and coastal areas. However, hiking 50 feet inland—past the mean high water mark—will not be permitted to ensure public safety.

A total of 59 eagles were hacked onto Santa Cruz Island from 2002-2006 and approximately 35-40 eagles remain on the Northern Channel Islands .

We suggest you contact your local animal shelter, veterinarian or hospitals for recommendations of local organizations that do pet visitations. You can also investigate Delta Society or any of the other resources we've compiled.

Scientists have fitted more than 94 wild foxes with ultra-light radio collars to monitor their movement patterns and study how they interact with their habitat. Having a large proportion of the population collared allows us to closely track the survivorship and mortality rates and quickly adjust our management actions if necessary.

The Program extends from mid-September to graduation in mid-June. The complete class schedule is available on this website. Class days occur at 3-4 week intervals on Fridays and run from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. There will be 10 training days, conducted on Fridays, plus a two-day Leadership retreat in mid-October.

Most students walk to classes. It is often the fastest and the most direct method â?" and itâ??s beautiful too! Youâ??ll find that many of your routes will leave you feeling like you are hiking in the forest. UCSC also has a great shuttle system â?" with weekday and weekend routes throughout the campus. Night shuttles and special shuttles to the Long Marine Laboratory and the local supermarket are available.

I was at San Luis Obispo last weekend. I was surprised to see the church laid out in a V with the sanctuary sorta angled to face both wings. Later, looking at pictures in the Sunset book and on various websites, I can see that it is totally different. The whole sanctuary is different, the crucifix is moved, the reredo doesn't have the all-seeing eye, and so on.

Send a check for $12.50 (includes priority mail postage within the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii), $15.50 (Canada), or $30.00 (all other international destinations) payable to UC Regents to:

Yes! We will arrange dormitory or homestay accommodation for you if you include a $235 housing placement fee and the housing application form with your ELI application form. Please note that this fee is not refundable if you change your mind about studying in the ELI program.

If you send us your airport pick-up confirmation [insert link to form] at least two weeks before the start of your program we will be happy to make airport transportation reservations for you. You can either travel to Santa Cruz with the airport shuttle van with other passengers or by private car service. For detailed rates and instructions, please contact us at cruzip@ucsc-extension.edu

Santa Cruz, capital of the island, is a mixture of tradition and modern times. It has become one of the most important capital cities in Spain, because of its beauty, tradition, culture, economy and, of course, its quality of life.