Today, we visited the Channel Islands National Park Museum and learned about five of the eight Channel Islands off the coast of Santa Barbara. After watching a short documentary about the islands narrated by Kevin Costner, all of us became inspired to visit the beautiful islands one day. Then, we listened to a tide pool talk about the many different marine species that inhabit the island such as sea stars, swell sharks, lobster, and ghiribaldi (the state fish!) We even got to see the feeding of their ocean critters.

In the afternoon, we stopped at a local farm, McGrath Farms, and met with Farmer Phil. He taught us a lot about organic farming and how it has become his main form of farming. He emphasized the importance of eating fruits in season to avoid the chemicals they use on the produce during the other times of the year. He also discussed the effects of climate change on his farming. For more than a decade, it was the lack of water and the drought that plagued California. When asked if he thought climate change would remove farming from California, he said no because the farmers are very progressive and always find ways to improve. Lastly, we talked about the rise of electric vehicles with him. He was very excited to announce the creation of the electric tractor and all the benefits it will have for farming and the environment.

As for food, we ate a continental breakfast in the hotel before our morning activities. For lunch, we stopped in Ventura to eat at the Saticoy Club for a meal and to watch a bit of the San Francisco 49ers game. Finally, we ate together at Yolanda’s Mexican Restaurant for dinner!

- Allie, Gabby, and Pauline