Mission Statement

The mission of South Coast Habitat Restoration is to protect, conserve, and restore the various habitats and native biodiversity of the Santa Barbara and Ventura areas.

About Us

South Coast Habitat Restoration is a project of Earth Island Institute, a non-profit, public interest, membership organization that supports people who are creating solutions to protect our shared planet. www.earthisland.org

Vision Statement

SCHR works towards increasing the amount of habitat available to steelhead trout, decreasing the amount of non-native flora in watersheds and raising public awareness on watershed issues and preserving our natural environment.  We believe that through an increased participation comes a sense of responsibility for the natural environment and its protection, conservation and ultimate restoration. SCHR works with private landowners,

biologists, engineers, consultants and local, state and federal agencies in the region.  This collaboration fosters an environment for success with on the ground results.

Strategies

Habitat restoration projects often need to take place on private property.  SCHR has been able to demonstrate beneficial results for private landowners who are interested in voluntary habitat restoration projects.  Projects are implemented by applying for and receiving grant funding from various agencies/organizations (private foundations and State, Federal, and Local agencies) for the various stages of planning and implementing habitat restoration projects.

Our restoration work has primarily focused on holistic watershed restoration, with an emphasis on steelhead trout recovery, non-native invasive plant eradication and improving water quality. We also work by organizing and convening community based watershed groups. This process allows for an increased community support as well as increases the opportunity for funding from various granting organizations.  SCHR staff works with the following community based watershed groups:

Carpinteria Creek Watershed Coalition – www.carpinteriacreek.org

Santa Barbara Task Force of the Southern California Wetlands Recovery Project – www.scwrp.org

Staff

Mauricio Gomez - Director

Mauricio has been working on local habitat restoration projects for the past eight years in the Santa Barbara and Ventura region.  He enjoys managing restoration projects which build partnerships amongst diverse groups and teaching people the value of restoring the environment.  Mauricio is a Southern California native and has been living in the Santa Barbara area for the past 15 years.  He moved to Santa Barbara to study at UCSB and earned a Bachelor of Science in Aquatic Biology.  Prior to being the Director of South Coast Habitat Restoration, Mauricio managed the Watershed Restoration Program of the Community Environmental Council, worked at UCSB as a staff researcher with the restoration ecology group, and the Marine Science Institute.  In his free time, Mauricio enjoys spending time outdoors hiking, running and playing with his wife, son and dog. 

Erin Brown - Project Manager

Erin is a recent graduate of the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management at UCSB, where her Masters degree specialized in Water Resource Management and Conservation Planning. Erin is a California native originally from the San Francisco Bay Area. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of California at Davis in Biology with an emphasis in Evolution and Ecology, and a minor in Landscape restoration. Erin has participated in a variety of biological field work and natural resource monitoring efforts including: life cycle monitoring of salmon populations in the Klamath watershed, monitoring an mapping of populations of threatened and endangered plants outside Sacramento. Most recently she worked at the Point Reyes National Seashore participating in salmonid monitoring, water quality monitoring, wetland restoration and monitoring efforts. In her free time Erin enjoys traveling, hiking, cooking, and working in her garden at home. 

New SCHR Interns

Andrea Blue is a recent graduate of the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management at UCSB, where her Masters degree specialized in Conservation Planning. Andrea is a California native originally from the southern California. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Redlands in Environmental Science. Andrea has participated in a variety of biological field work and natural resource monitoring efforts including: vegetation monitoring in chaparral ecosystems, habitat restoration in coastal ecosystems, and mapping of forest resources for the Los Padres Wilderness Campaign. In her free time Andrea enjoys hiking, knitting, reading, and photographing wildflowers.

Dillon Brook is a recent graduate of UCSB, where he completed his Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Studies. He grew up in the rural town of Lotus which is nestled on the South Fork of the American River in the foothills outside of Sacramento. Both academics and athletics brought him to UCSB where he ran cross-country and track for the Gauchos. During his education Dillon spent time in the Big Sur area doing field research and wildlife monitoring, notably participating in Steelhead counts and stream surveys. Locally, he has worked for a native plant nursery as well as being an intern who aided in restoration efforts of native California grasslands. With his free time Dillon enjoys backpacking, surfing, skiing and white-water rafting.

Past Staff – Andrew Raaf (currently employed by Santa Barbara County Flood Control District) 

 

 

South Coast Habitat Restoration is a local non-profit organization based in Carpinteria that is dedicated to environmental stewardship and habitat enhancement.  We emphasize steelhead trout recovery through a variety of watershed restoration projects throughout Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. Our mission is to protect, and restore habitat as well as native biodiversity throughout the Santa Barbara and Ventura area. This is accomplished through the management and implementation of restoration projects as well as public outreach events.  We strive for positive partnerships with the private property owners, local governments, wildlife agencies, and other community groups to accomplish our goals.