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Board Members: Who are we?

Shorelines & Watersheds (S&W), formerly known as Friends of Coal Oil Point Reserve (FOCOPR), is 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization incorporated in 2003.

The mission statement of Shorelines & Watersheds is to assist in the preservation of the natural and cultural resources of Coal Oil Point and Devereux Watershed, and to educate the public to understand and appreciate its values.

S&W is composed of 6–10 board members that function as a "working group" board. Different than a "governing board" that oversees a group of staff members who do the organization's practical work, S&W's board does the work of our organization including: creation of a bi-annual newsletter, organization of finances, and coordination of members. S&W does, however, contract with individuals who run our programs (i.e. Tour Program, Devereux Slough Monitoring Program).

S&W originally resulted from a local, collective effort to protect Coal Oil Point Reserve (COPR), part of the University of California Natural Reserve System. A group of COPR's volunteer docents recognized the insufficient funds available for COPR's stewardship. It became obvious that outside support would be needed if COPR was to receive adequate protection and restoration. FOCOPR began from the personal investment of these volunteers.

In 2007, we expanded our mission statement to assist in the protection of the entire Devereux Watershed. However, our primary focus remains Coal Oil Point. This watershed is 9.7 square kilometers and extends from Camino Corto in Isla Vista, west to the Sandpiper Golf Course and north to the Santa Ynez mountains. Over the years, board members came to realize that activities in the northern part of our watershed directly affect COPR's ecosystem functions. With a broadened mission statement and a new name, we can reach out to the community whose actions affect our watershed and eventually Coil Oil Point Reserve.

S&W is always looking for new board members. Please contact us if you are interested.

Board Members

Nicole Cerra is a graduate student in the Global and International Studies Program at UCSB.

Tara Longwell, Secretary, is the Coal Oil Point Reserve Steward and is involved with many projects at Coal Oil Point Reserve including propagating native plants, coordinating habitat restoration volunteers and interns, and assisting with Devereux Slough Ecological Monitoring Program.

Jennifer Stroh, currently on leave from the board, graduated from UCSB with a B.S. in Zoology in 2000 and has a well-developed background in wildlife conservation as well as public relations. She is currently the Snowy Plover Docent Program Coordinator at Coal Oil Point Reserve.

Julia Vraspir, President, is a graduate student in the Marine Science department at UCSB. She has designed and maintains the webpage, as well as is editor of our newsletter.

Pat Walker, Treasurer, is a Contract and Grant Analyst in the Chemistry Department at UCSB.

Scientific Advisor

Darcie Goodman has a PhD from the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management at UCSB, focusing on estuarine monitoring and management. She has an extensive background in wetland monitoring and wildlife conservation and management. She was a researcher for Coal Oil Point Reserve from 1998-2007.

Past Presidents: Nicole Cerra, Edward Easton, Steve Ferry, Darcie Goodman