The residents of Southern California and especially the people who live in Ventura County are lucky to have a famous Channel Islands National Park just a few miles offshore. This unique Park is made up of the several offshore islands, off the coast of Southern California.
California’s Channel Islands are often called “the Galapagos Islands of North America” due to their unique and diverse array of plants and animals, 145 of which are found nowhere else on earth.
Close to the mainland yet worlds apart, Santa Cruz Island is home to plants and animals that are found nowhere else on earth. Like the Galapagos Islands of South America, these Islands exist in isolation, allowing evolution to proceed independently, fostering the development of 145 endemic or unique species. Santa Cruz Island is an example and is host to 70 of these endemic species. Some, like the island scrub jay and the Santa Cruz Island silver lotus, are found only on Santa Cruz Island. Ongoing research on this Island and the others is paving the way to a long term better environment for the creatures and plants of the islands and for the residents and visitors to the islands in the future. Santa Cruz Island, Our backdoor neighbor
Close to the mainland yet worlds apart, this Island is home to plants and animals that are found nowhere else on earth. Like the Galapagos Islands of South America, they exist in isolation, allowing evolution to proceed independently, fostering the development of 145 endemic or unique species. Santa Cruz Island is an example and is host to 70 of these endemic species. Some, like the island scrub jay and the silver lotus, are found only here. Ongoing research is paving the way to a long term better environment for the creatures and plants of the islands and for the residents and visitors to the islands in the future.