Santa Barbara Island and my latest treasury

This past week I spent on the smallest of the Channel Islands - Santa Barbara Island.

This is the 3rd year I've gone - once was as a student the summer of 2005, and the last two years as staff (2010 and 2011).

The group that goes is a CSULB class called "Recreation in the Ocean Environment" and it's anywhere from 10-30 people, most of whom are recreation majors, some who just have an interest in spending a week on the island.

SBI is an amazing place - we hike, learn about plants and animals (largest mammal is the doormouse), get swooped by barn owls, watch pelicans, do compass/map orienteering stuff, explore the tidepools, jump off the dock, swim with sea lions, snorkel, kayak, sleep in tents and cook on campstoves. It's a phenomenal experience.

This year the group was particularly wonderful - a bunch of vivacious, enthusiastic and motivated csulb students who really upped my enjoyment of the island (and I love it already).

Spending a week camping on an island with no water, no trees, and so much amazing NATURE is the best thing for my mental health. I came home and haven't wanted to let go of it yet. So here's how I'm bridging my worlds - my latest etsy treasury - my homage to the SBI trip of 2011.