Ocean Discovery Institute's habitat stewardship efforts are focused upon six urban canyons in the community of City Heights. This work is mobilizing the community to actively transform these canyons into safe and healthy places for urban youth to play, learn and explore.

Ocean Discovery Institute initiates multiple strategies that work in conjunction with one another to restore and protect habitat. These strategies include:

City Heights Canyons & Communities Alliance (CCA)

Ocean Discovery Institute chairs the CCA and helps to enact its mission to integrate urban communities with their local natural canyon environments to achieve environmental sustainability and increased quality of life. The CCA has 10+ members from non-profit organizations, neighborhood associations, government, and schools and has developed a multi-disciplinary model that incorporates 13 distinct strategies (including restoration, education, access, public health, enforcement, community organizing, and maintenance).

Restoration Education & Action in City Heights (REACH)

A small team of high school students work throughout the year to better understand the issues that drive environmental problems and develop strategies that will create lasting change. REACH focuses on developing sustainable solutions that address the root of the problem.

Wetland Avengers/Campeones de los Cañones

Every two years student participants spearhead a major habitat restoration project that mobilizes 1,000 local community volunteers to learn about and restore habitat. The event is consistently among the largest community-based wetland restoration events in the country.

Kids in Canyons

Each year, Ocean Discovery Institute provides thousands of low-income students with classroom and field-based science education. Each of these students participates in an environmental service project that connects their scientific understanding to environmental action. In particular, the Kids in Canyons environmental service project brings 4th grade students out of their classroom and into neighborhood canyons where they explore, learn, and restore habitat.

Restoration

While the majority of habitat restoration can be maintained by volunteers, there are some problems that require the expertise of contracted professionals. In order to ensure proper removal and decreased re-growth of invasive plants, consultants are hired to aid in the restoration process.

Results: The Impact of Habitat Stewardship

• Habitat Stewardship Report - July 2009