Santa Barbara Zoo to open conservation center at CSU Channel Islands

Isaiah Murtaugh, Ventura County Star
·1 min read
The Santa Barbara Zoo raises and releases western snowy plover chicks as one of its conservation efforts. The zoo plans to move the majority of its conservation program to CSU Channel Islands.
The Santa Barbara Zoo raises and releases western snowy plover chicks as one of its conservation efforts. The zoo plans to move the majority of its conservation program to CSU Channel Islands.

The Santa Barbara Zoo plans to open a conservation outpost at CSU Channel Islands, an effort to expand the available workspace for the 28-acre zoo that will be backed by the university's biology program.

The university announced the project Thursday as part of a larger collaboration agreement that will see the zoo lease a 60,000-square foot parcel — about 1.4 acres — at the western edge of the campus south of Camarillo to build the new conservation center.

University and zoo leaders will ink the agreement on Friday, allowing the zoo to move forward with plans to construct classroom and meeting spaces, conservation staff offices and facilities for animal care, containment and breeding.

Officials said in a statement the zoo plans to house the "majority" of its conservation program at the new center in coming years. The zoo has worked with local species including California condors, island foxes, western snowy plovers and California red-legged frogs.

California red-legged frogs are one part of the Santa Barbara Zoo's conservation program, set to be housed at CSU Channel Islands.
California red-legged frogs are one part of the Santa Barbara Zoo's conservation program, set to be housed at CSU Channel Islands.

"It's game-changing," said Estelle Sandhaus, the zoo's conservation director. "It enables us to scale up what we are doing in terms of direct conservation interventions."

Zoo president Richard Block said the center will be the first university facility owned and operated by one of the 238 institutions accredited by the nonprofit Association of Zoos and Aquariums. America's Teaching Zoo, housed at Moorpark College, is not accredited by the nonprofit, according to its website.

The CSUCI and the zoo will partner beyond what Block called the "learning laboratory," with performing arts, Spanish and early childhood education students all getting opportunities to pitch in on zoo programming.

Isaiah Murtaugh covers education for the Ventura County Star in partnership with Report for America. Reach him at isaiah.murtaugh@vcstar.com or 805-437-0236 and follow him on Twitter @isaiahmurtaugh and @vcsschools. You can support this work with a tax-deductible donation to Report for America.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Santa Barbara Zoo to open conservation center at CSU Channel Islands