Santa Rosa Island Volunteer Field Trip

Youth Council members from Oxnard, Ojai, and Thousand Oaks went on a volunteer service trip to Santa Rosa Island this summer. We worked to build 20 wattles for the cloud forest project. Wattles are an erosion control technique used on hillsides to slow water runoff, capture sediment, and help stabilize the soil, creating better conditions for native plants to grow.

The wattles we built for the Santa Rosa Island Cloud Forest Project will play a crucial role in the environmental restoration happening on the island. As a result of ranching activities on the island between 1844 and 1998, grazing cattle caused serious impacts, including the vegetation loss, increased erosion, and harm to riparian ecosystems.

The island’s steep slopes are highly vulnerable to erosion from wind and rain, and wattles help slow water runoff, preventing valuable topsoil from washing away. By stabilizing the hillside, they create small, protected pockets where seeds can germinate and young plants can take root. This is especially important for reintroducing native species that will eventually rebuild the forest canopy. Together, these benefits directly support the long-term goal of reviving the island’s unique cloud forest ecosystem and ensuring it thrives for generations to come.