Expedition Field Report

Hike Orientation I

Anacapa Island is an exciting adventure waiting to happen, so that's why we had to have a "Hike Orientation" before we left to start our mysterious, yet fun, adventure. We had to learn about all the dangerous creatures and plants awaiting us. We learned how to act if there was a bird swooping down on us and pecking our heads. For instance, if there was a bird swooping down on us we should just keep walking on the trail with our hands held high in the air. We learned how to treat the creatures and act as though we were just taking a nice quiet walk. -- Payal

Hike Orientation II

We also had to take a lot of safety precautions, so that we wouldn't fall off the island, or get injured. They also told us to stay on the trail and be really cautious because we were going to get really close to the seagulls and their eggs. -- Payal

The Climb

This is where we were climbing up the cliffs. We were lucky there were stairs (even though they were really old and rusty). It was actually a really tough climb if you have not been hiking in a while. The guides were not tired at all, because they have been hiking these islands for nine years! I think their legs are built up. Everyone except the guides was huffing and puffing. Mrs. Regalado quoted, "I didn't know we had to lose fifty pounds to get up that mountain!" That section was the worst part of the hike. When you go there you will experience it for yourself. -- Shae

Visitor's Center & "Church"

The visitor's center and "church" building were very interesting. The visitor's center had a little museum exhibit inside. It had an old light that they used for their lighthouse, some very pretty sea shells, and some information about the island inside. The church contains two 55,000 gallon redwood water tanks. This is the isolated island's water supply. The building was made around the tanks to protect the water supply from contamination and to preserve them from weather. Another good reason for the building is to protect it from sailors. They used to shoot the tanks and waste the supply. They shaped the building to look like a church because, well, shooting a church is just plain wrong!! -- Charlotte

Visitor's Center

This picture of the visitor's center (the building on the right) on Anacapa Island is a old fashioned looking building like one from the Rancho Era. It was built in the 1930's by the Coast Guard. Inside the visitor's center there is the original "light-bulb" or lamp belonging to the lighthouse. There also are posters of some of the animals you might see on Anacapa Island or on the rocky shores. There were maps of all of Anacapa's islands. When you were in the visitor's center, it was as if you had traveled through time back to when the building was built. -- Margarita

The Hikers

The hikers went on a hike around East Anacapa Island. The hikers saw lots of seagulls and their nesting places They couldn't bug them otherwise they would attack! The hikers also saw lots and lots and lots of flowers and plants, like the iceplant, Coreopsis, and Indian Paintbrush. On the hike, the hikers learned that the iceplant carries water in the plant and they want to get rid of the plant because it won't let the other plants have any water. The hikers also learned that there is a lot of fresh water stored in what looks like a church building because when the water was in a tank, the fishermen kept shooting at the tank with their rifles. It seems to be working out with the church building. Believe or not, the island was very, very HOT, but the hikers learned a lot and had lots of fun on the island. -- Ashley