What is this Project about?

There are eight California Channel Islands, drifting in the hazy horizon. Though only 20-60 miles offshore, they are a world away.  Catalina is the only one with convenient access.  What do we know about the rest?


What mysteries and changes have they captured over time?  What is their current state, and what lies in their future?


As animals, plants, and humans have come and gone, the face of the islands has completed shifted. In "Sailing with Pygmy Mammoths", we will visit the eight islands (or try to, weather permitting!) and explore the radical restoration efforts happening today.


Vast pig eradications.  Feral cat and goat removal.  Rat poison.  Sea otter embargoes. Extremely contentious marine reserves.


Why are we doing these hugely expensive and difficult restorations?  What state of ecologic health are we hoping to return to?  We need to look into the past, and visit the islands themselves, to understand this epic effort happening just over the horizon.