 If you have never been to CINP then you need to plan a trip RIGHT NOW...okay first read my blog post then go and book your trip LOL. I should start off by how this trip came about. I follow National Park Geek on Instagram and they had a volunteer meetup back on Earth Day. However, by the time I tried to sign-up, the boat was sold out so I couldn't go. A few months later, I wrote up my 2018 Summer Bucket List and included visiting a new national park with this one in mind. Shortly after, NPG posted about another volunteer day so I signed up ASAP! Not only did I get to visit a new park, I met amazing people AND I got to give back which was something else on my Summer Bucket List! Follow my journey to the park and find out how you can help restore this lovely island. Anacapa Island Bound      You can reach the park by boat and purchase tickets for $59pp round-trip through Island Packers. The boat ride is only about an hour and you are almost guaranteed to see Common Dolphins and sea lions. Upon arrival to Anacapa Island, be prepared for over 150 stairs to get to the top of the island. This is a "no service" island which means all visitors must bring their own food, water & supplies. They do have pit toilets though! You can take a day trip or choose to camp; enjoy some hiking although they only have about 2 miles of trails which include Inspiration Point & Cathedral Cove vistas. Volunteer Work  So happy I was able to help with the Restoration Project at Anacapa Island. Pictured above is the nursery on Anacapa, where plants are sowed and grown to restore the landscape of the island. The plants provide a nesting habitat for some seabird species, but shade for all species and a cooling effect on island during the hot summer months.
The Iceplant (pictured above) is a coastal succulent shrub native to the coast of South Africa, where the climate is similar to that of coastal California. It is a coastal invader, it competes with many endangered, threatened, and rare plants. It absorbs all of the water (and forms salt crystals which then gets into the soil and the native plants hate it). When the iceplant was brought over, it was not known that it would be bad for the island. So now the first step is to remove the iceplant and put native plants back in to where they belong. 
 We helped get around 700 plants ready to be put in the ground. We re-potted the plants from 1-inch pots to 4-inch pots then in October those same plants will be put into the ground by volunteers (you could help!). Hiking     Inspiration Point  Cathedral Cove   After a few hours of working in the nursery, we were treated to short & fun hike! We were able to check out Inspiration Point & Cathedral Cove. Make sure to bring plenty of water to stay hydrated and a HAT for sun protection! Once we got back on the boat, we took a cruise by Arch Rock (pictured below).  Arch Rock  How Can You Help?  Find out how you can help: Channel Islands National Park California Institute of Environmental Studies National Park Geek Channel Islands Park Foundation I hope you enjoyed learning about this beautiful place off the Cali coast! I can't wait to go back and do other activities and volunteer as much as I can. Be sure to friend me on social media & follow me along my adventures! 
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