California State University Channel Islands is awarded a grant to plan the development a research station on Santa Rosa Island in Channel Islands National Park. The station will serve as a platform for multidisciplinary research on and stewardship of the unique natural and cultural resources within the park. The facility includes a four acre parcel and several existing buildings that are being renovated to accommodate visiting researchers, as well as undergraduates engaged in research projects on the island. The project will rely heavily on the experience of individuals associated with field stations and existing institutional partners, including the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. The grant will support travel and consultation with key individuals at other institutions that have experience developing and operating field research facilities (particularly those located in island settings). The project will allow CSU Channel Islands to develop a long-term strategic plan to guide the research facility?s physical development, its organizational structure, and its programmatic activities.
Santa Rosa Island supports a diverse array of terrestrial animal and plant species. The waters surrounding the island are cold and nutrient rich, with an array of marine life including kelp forests, pelagic fish and numerous marine mammals. Isolation from the mainland fostered allopatric speciation which has yielded numerous endemic species and subspecies. Many of Santa Rosa Island?s endemic species have become endangered over the past century. The current understanding of the earliest colonists to the Americas is based on finds such as the Arlington Man on Santa Rosa Island. The field station will serve as a platform to enable work by researchers and students from a range of disciplines and institutions. Being part of the California State University system, CI is well positioned to foster research and educational partnerships with many of the CSU's other 22 campuses, as well as nearby University of California campuses. As a Hispanic Serving Institution, CI has a special opportunity to use the Santa Rosa facility to engage underrepresented minority students in field-based undergraduate research experiences.
" project facilitated a strategic planning process that will enable California State University Channel Islands (CI) to develop its field research station. This effort was designed to take maximum advantage of the resources located in the station’s unique setting in Channel Islands National Park. Creating the strategic plan provided a structure to guide decisions about short term opportunities for research on the island as well as future development of permanent facilities. Major goals of this project were to identify needs (physical and organizational) related to the development of a fully functioning research station on Santa Rosa Island in Channel Islands National Park and to develop a strategic plan to guide the allocation of resources and creation of programs at the facility over the next five years. At the time this project started the Santa Rosa Island Research Station (SRIRS) was just beginning its operations and preparing to host its first groups of faculty and undergraduate researchers. This project enabled SRIRS to establish valuable contacts and seek out resources through the Organization of Biological Field Stations (OBFS). In preparation for the planning process relationships were developed with established networks of field stations, particularly those within the University of California Natural Reserve System (NRS) and campuses of the California State University system. Major Activities: The planning process involved information gathering, a site visit by directors of other field research facilities, and multiple sessions to gather input from a wide range of stakeholders. The initial event in this process was a day-long workshop that brought together key faculty, campus community representatives and administrators from CI with managers from Channel Islands National Park. This group worked to develop a mission statement, draft elements of a strategic plan and outline strategic priorities for development of the research station. A team of four field station directors from other institutions conducted an assessment of the Santa Rosa field station. Their 25 page report examined facilities, operations, organizational structures and support systems, and program activities associated with the research station. The team traveled to Santa Rosa Island, met with Park Service partners, and assisted in facilitating discussions at a large stakeholder session held during their visit. An important element in the planning process was a second day-long planning session that brought together a large and diverse group of stakeholders. The more than 60 participants included representatives from NPS, NOAA, USGS, K-12 schools, businesses that support travel to the Channel Islands, non-profit organizations, and CI faculty. Feedback from this session was incorporated into both the final strategic plan and into the development of specific projects and initiatives related to the research station. The final draft strategic plan was reviewed by CI’s cabinet and approved by President Richard Rush in summer 2014. Specific Objectives: The project resulted in creation and adoption of a strategic plan. It also led to the development of plans for facilities improvements and the development of programmatic activities. Significant Results: Based on the needs identified through this project CI was able to work with NPS and other partners to plan and make significant improvements to the research station facility including: bunkhouse roof replacement, planning replacement of propane system, telecommunications infrastructure, creation of additional overnight capacity, acquisition of a vehicle for on-island use, and creation of an outdoor classroom. Several new research and educational programs developed as a result of conversations initiated during the strategic planning process. Key outcomes or Other achievements: During the period of this grant the research station hosted its first students and researchers in September 2013. In the 2014 calendar year the facility recorded over 2,500 user days and hosted 69 different groups. Since September 2013 a number of new research projects have been initiated and numerous CI undergraduate students have utilized NPS monitoring protocols to collect data in support of long term monitoring activities in the park. The rapid growth in activity is due in part to plans and resources identified as part of this planning process.
