Explore the Island The Nature Conservancy's portion of Santa Cruz Island requires a landing permit to go ashore. Celebrating 50 Years in the Golden State 2009 marks the Conservancy’s 50th anniversary protecting California. In these 50 years, we’ve safeguarded hundreds of parcels of land and waterways and millions of acres of ocean — natural habitats essential to the survival of all species, including us. Learn about the California natural habitats you've helped protect.

Walking up the canyon bed, no sound but gravel crunching underfoot, a cloudless, cornflower blue sky above, the sweet smell of the native wild lilacs fills the air. It's early spring on Santa Cruz Island, and spikes of deep purple lupine punctuate the setting. Suddenly a fox, no bigger than a house cat, darts across the trail. An island scrub jay calls out as though urging us not to miss the fox.

Twenty-five miles off the coast of southern California, yet a world away, Santa Cruz Island has been under the care and protection of The Nature Conservancy since 1978.

After three decades of tireless work, Santa Cruz Island has emerged as a model for successful island restoration and innovative conservation. Today the Conservancy and its partners are focused on preserving the island’s delicate balance and sharing what’s been learned with other island conservation projects around the world.

Restoration Milestones

Working closely with the National Park and U.S. Fish and Wildlife, we’ve restored and preserved the island’s unique plants and animals — effectively reversing the negative impacts of 150 years of habitat degradation brought on by ranching and agricultural operations on the island.

• Island fox recovery program. The island fox has one of the fastest recovery rates of any endangered species. Five years ago, the native island fox teetered on the brink of extinction and was listed as an endangered species. Foxes now number more than 700 in the wild, with the population having increased more than tenfold since that time.
   
• Bald eagle comeback. Once nearly wiped out by DDT contamination, bald eagles have been successfully reintroduced to the island, with several eagles now nesting island-wide — including the first wild-born bald eagle chicks on the Channel Islands in more than 50 years!
   
• Native habitat restoration. Thousands of feral sheep and feral pigs were removed from the island, encouraging the recovery of the island’s lush flora. Dense vegetation now covers the previously barren hillsides, and native flowers not seen in decades color the landscape.
   
• Protection of rare species. More than 1,000 species of plants and animals inhabit Santa Cruz Island, 12 of them found nowhere else on Earth.

The Story of Our Success

The remarkable restoration of Santa Cruz Island, part of the Channel Islands National Park, has been a resounding success and serves as a globally significant example of island conservation. From Hawaii to New Zealand to Isla Guadalupe off the shores of Baja California, the Santa Cruz Island restoration has been a model for other islands and a promise that restoration is achievable.

Our research, restoration and outreach efforts continue, to ensure the health and vitality of this inspiring and unique landscape for generations to come.

Nature picture credits (top to bottom, left to right): Photo © Stephen Francis Photography (sunset and fog bank on Santa Cruz Island); Photo © Stephen Francis Photography (hikers on Santa Cruz Island).