Coastal Fund Sponsors Elementary Education Program

Coastal Fund at UC Santa Barbara has granted the Santa Barbara Audubon Society $1,870 for science education. The program, Meet Your Wild Neighbor, will educate 50 2nd and 3rd grade afterschool students at two Goleta Boys & Girls Clubs in Goleta about local seabirds and their families.

Children will learn about bird families, biology, food sources, habitats, and conservation through fun activities. They will also participate in a live bird visit, seabird slide shows, storytelling, and field-trip to Coal Oil Point Reserve. The five-week series is taught by local wildlife rehabilitator and educator Gabriele Drozdowski.

“I’m thrilled that we will be able to offer it free of charge to students once again, especially since comprehensive science programs in public elementary schools have been largely eliminated, and fundraising is much more difficult than just a few years ago,” said Drozdowski.

For more information, contact Gabriele Drozdowski at (805) 898-0347 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (805) 898-0347      end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (805) 898-0347      end_of_the_skype_highlighting or eyes-in-the-sky@cox.net.

Santa Barbara Audubon Society is a local chapter of the National Audubon Society. Started in 1963, SBAS’ mission is to help conserve and restore the earth’s natural ecosystems and improve its biological diversity, principally in the Santa Barbara area, and to connect people with birds and nature through education, science-based projects and advocacy.

Coastal Fund is a student-funded, student-run organization that serves to preserve, protect, and enhance the terrestrial and marine habitats associated with the UCSB shoreline. Since the fall of 1999, Coastal Fund has granted $1.68 million to over 417 projects.

For more information on projects and funding opportunities visit www.coastalfund.org.