Annual Report 2013
W
e are pleased to share another year of achievements that were made possible through the support of our Board members, Benefactors, donors, volunteers and dedicated staff. All were essential to the many successes we have enjoyed in 2013. With their support and passionate belief in the Conservancy’s mission, we surpassed many of our goals in protecting and restoring Catalina Island, its wildlife and its plants, while sustainably growing many of the programs enjoyed by Catalina’s residents and visitors. We look forward to another year of working together to advance the Conservancy’s mission of being responsible stewards of this exceptional resource through a balance of conservation, education and recreation. Ann M. Muscat, PhD President and CEO John P. Cotton
Chair, Board of Directors
CATALINA ISLAND CONSERVANCY FEMALE ADULT BISON received contraceptives in a successful leading-edge wildlife management program aimed at keeping the herd at about 150 animals
1,852 FEDERALLY ENDANGERED Catalina Island foxes estimated to be on Catalina, up from approximately 100 in 1999, in one of the fastest recoveries of an endangered species
REGISTERED HIKERS trekked the wildlands trails
240 million PLANT SEEDS, many of rare and endemic species, now stored by the Conservancy
ACRES TREATED to remove invasive plants and restore native plants
202
3 Published peer-reviewed SCIENTIFIC ARTICLES by Conservancy biologists
58,289
AVALON RESIDENTS enjoyed Families in Nature's free experiences in Catalina's wildlands
VISITORS to the NATURE CENTERS in Avalon Canyon and Airport in the Sky
46%
1,000
16,783
PLANTS GROWN AND MAINTAINED at the Ackerman Native Plant Nursery
NEST SITES monitored for Scripps's Murrelet, a seabird classified as "threatened"
1,564
NATURALIST TRAINING
people have completed Naturalist Training through the Conservancy, a milestone reached in 2013
20,418
7
9.5 million
7,364
INCREASE IN ONE YEAR
3,969
FACEBOOK FRIENDS
INDIVIDUAL INTERACTIONS WITH STUDENTS by the Education staff
WEEKLY LISTENERS to the Conservancy-produced Isla Earth Radio Series
131% INCREASE IN ONE YEAR
JEEP速 ECO TOURS
3,848 PASSENGERS
919
TOURS
46% INCREASE IN ONE YEAR
61,281 YOUTH CAMPERS enjoyed Conservancy-owned lands, and many of them participated in Stop the Spread, the Conservancy's invasive plant education and removal program for campers
627
VOLUNTEER
PUBLIC ASSISTS by Conservancy Rangers
INA ISL AL
44,657 VISITORS to the Wrigley Memorial & Botanic Garden
25,000 VOLUNTEERS HOURS dedicated to Conservancy projects
CAT
EDUCATION
CONSERVATION
51
D AN
RECREATION
2013 A Year of Accomplishments
CONSERVANCY RANGER
Financial Highlights 2013 SOURCES OF FUNDING ($9.6 Million) Endowment Distribution 17%
Earned Income 57% Contributions 26%
The mission of the Catalina Island Conservancy is to be a responsible steward of its lands through a balance of conservation, education and recreation.
ff Contributions: Cash and goods donated to the Conservancy from a broad spectrum of
supporters, including individuals, foundations, governmental agencies, businesses and the net proceeds from the annual Conservancy Ball
ff Earned Income: Revenue generated via the operation of mission-driven activities
managed by the Conservancy, including admissions to the Wrigley Memorial & Botanic Garden; access to the Island’s interior via roads, campgrounds and the Airport in the Sky; educational tours, and various land, mooring and communications leases
ff Endowment Distribution: Funds distributed from the Conservancy endowment as
approved by the Benefactors and Board of Directors each year
Total sources exclude net investment income.
AREAS OF SPENDING ($9.9 Million)
Supporting Infrastructure 31%
Programmatic 47%
Administrative 13%
Development 9%
ff Programmatic: Spending that directly supported the Conservancy’s mission activities
of conservation, education and recreation, which included the cost to manage the Island’s ecological health through wildlife management and native and invasive plant programs; ecological literacy via communications and outreach, school-based and lifelong learning programs (including the Wrigley Memorial & Botanic Garden and the Nature Centers at Avalon Canyon and the Airport in the Sky); experiences with the wild via visitor services such as Jeep® Eco Tours, hiking, biking, camping and airport access, and management of the Conservancy’s volunteer program
ff Supporting Infrastructure: Spending that supported mission activities and maintained
Conservancy assets, including those that provide access to the approximately 42,000 acres managed by the Conservancy (roads, trails, rangers, facilities, equipment and vehicle fleet)
ff Administrative: Incurred to manage Conservancy operations ff Development: Supported fundraising activities, including the Conservancy’s
membership program, events, grant writing and individual giving
2013 spending was augmented by nearly $400,000 in restricted-use, multi-year donations and grants received in prior years but not reflected in current year sources of funding. Cover photo by Jack Baldelli