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News Article Archives
2009-2010 Report of Accomplishments
 
Help
support Wishtoyo Foundation
by purchasing Terry
Tamminen’s latest
book Watercolors: How JJ the
Whale Saved Us. For
each book purchased, $5.00 will be donated Wishtoyo!
Click
here for
details and be sure to
choose our organization from the drop
down menu!
Wishtoyo's
Ventura Coastkeeper Program and project partner California Trout
welcome two fulltime Americorps Watershed Stewards for 10 months to
work on projects vital to the restoration of the Santa Clara River
Click
here for Steward bios
- Dec 15, 2011
Wishtoyo's
Ventura Coastkeeper Program and project partner California Trout
welcome two fulltime Americorps Watershed Stewards for 10 months to
work on projects vital to the restoration of the Santa Clara River.
Click here for Steward bios
- Dec 15, 2011Wishtoyo
& its Ventura
Coastkeeper Program Reach Storm Water Settlement Agreement with E.J.
Harrison & Sons to Protect the Santa Clara River and Ventura’s
Coastal Waters -
Nov 3, 2011
The
consent decree filed in Federal Court provides for E.J. Harrison
& Sons to construct additional storm water treatment
infrastructure to protect the ecological, recreational, and cultural
uses of the Santa Clara River and Ventura’s Coastal waters.
Click
here
for Ventura County Star article
Click
here
for Joint Press Release Announcing Settlement
Click
here
for Notice of Intent to Sue
Wishtoyo
Foundation hosts the Pacific Voyagers who arrived in Malibu on
their Native Vaka's from across the Pacific - August 19, 2011
Hundreds
came to Paradise Cove in Malibu to welcome the Pacific Voyagers, who
sailed on vakas (canoes) to honor their seafaring ancestors and
bring awareness to the plight of our oceans' health and importance.
The six outriggers were crewed by Pacific Islanders of various
nations who launched their voyage from New Zealand. Wishtoyo
Foundation hosted an open, free dinner at their Malibu Chumash
Village, attended by 300 visitors.
Click
here for
Malibu
Surfside News publication covering the event
Click
here to
view YouTube video
Pacifixc
Voyagers' Vakas Arrival Welcome
by Wishtoyo's Mati Waiya and Luhui Isha Waiya
- Photo courtesy of The Deltacs - We Share the Same Ocean
Wishtoyo,
its Ventura Coastkeeper Program, and Heal the Bay enter into
settlement with the City of Ventura to protect the Santa Clara River
Estuary and to reclaim tertiary treated effluent.
- August 17, 2011
Settlement
provides for diverting a minimum of 50% and up to 100% of
Ventura’s tertiary treated effluent from discharge to the Santa
Clara River Estuary to reclaimed water uses, for only allowing
effluent discharge to the estuary if needed for the estuary’s
species, and for sending all tertiary treated effluent, if any,
needed for the estuary’s species through a treatment wetland
engineered to further treat the effluent and to reduce its nitrate
concentrations to less than 4 mg/l.
Click
here for
Ventura County Star Article Click
here for
Spouting Off Article
Click
here for
Joint
Press Release with Q&A
Wishtoyo
Experts review environmental impact of Ventura’s Tertiary Treated Sewage Discharge into the Santa Clara River
Estuary: Study Released - June 14, 2011
Study
conducted by Dr. Richard Ambrose and Dr. Sean Anderson, and commissioned by Wishtoyo
and its Ventura Coastkeeper Program, provides an independent expert
review both of the environmental
effects of the City of Ventura’s water
reclamation facility
discharge to the Santa Clara River Estuary and of Ventura’s Estuary
Subwatershed Study.
Click
here for Santa Clara River
Estuary Independent Expert Review
Wishtoyo
and its Ventura Coastkeeper Program welcome two public interest
summer law clerks to protect Ventura County’s inland and coastal
waterbodies and Chumash cultural resources. –
May 25, 2011 Click
here for bios
Wishtoyo
and its Ventura Coastkeeper Program take action against nine companies
to stop illegal discharges of pollutants from 37 acres of automobile
dismantling and scrap metal facilities -
April 20, 2011
The
move under the Clean Water Act aims to halt the illegal discharge of
pollutants from 9 neighboring companies into the Santa Clara River
and groundwater to protect the public from Proposition 65 listed
carcinogens & reproductive toxins, and to protect the ecological
integrity, cultural resources, and Southern California Steelhead of
the Santa Clara River Watershed and Ventura’s coastal
waters. Click
here for
Press Release
Click
here for
Ventura County Star Article
Wishtoyo Board Member Carole Goldberg appointed
to Vice Chancellor post -
Apr. 19, 2011
Wishtoyo
Foundation's long time Board Member and active supporter Carole
Goldberg, UCLA Law Professor, has been appointed UCLA Vice Chancellor
- Academic Personnel.
Click
Here for more
information!
Ventura Coastkeeper Honors Erick Burres of the
State Water Resources Control Board's Clean Water Team with its
2009-2010 Sacred Waters Award - Feb.
16, 2011
The
award honors Mr.
Burres' important role in protecting the water quality and
ecological integrity of Ventura County’s and California’s inland
and coastal waterbodies.
Click
Here for Ventura County Star Article Click
Here for Press Release 
Mati
Waiya awards Erick Burres at Patagonia, as
Jason Weiner looks on
Wishtoyo's
Board Member
Terry
Tamminen nominated
for Zayed Future Energy Prize at the World Future Energy Summit in
Abu Dhabi - Feb. 14, 2011 Click
Here for
Article on finalists and how the award was divided Also,
Terry has just released his new book: "Cracking The Carbon Code
- The Key To Sustainable Profits In The New Economy" Click
Here for more information
and to Order!
Wishtoyo
files appeal with CBD and a coalition of public interest groups to
protect the Native American Cultural Resources and California Condor
habitat on Tejon Ranch from a luxury mega development
-Feb. 9, 2011
Click
Here for
The Mountain Enterprise News Article
Click
Here
for Press Release
Wishtoyo
Board Member Carole Goldberg Appointed by President Obama to Indian
Law and Order Commission -Jan.
18, 2011
Click
Here
for News Article
Wishtoyo
Foundation,
Ventura
Coastkeeper, and a coalition of public interest groups file suit
against the DFG over Santa Clara River Newhall Ranch Development
- Jan. 3, 2011
Lawsuit opposes
wildlife agency's approval of massive Newhall Ranch Project;
Development would devastate wildlife habitat, Native American
Cultural Resources along Santa Clara River Click
Here
for Ventura County Star article
Click
Here
for Ventura County Reporter article
Click
Here
for Press Release
Click
Here
for AP news article
Wishtoyo's
Ventura Coastkeeper Program and Scrap Metal Company Standard
Industries Reach Storm Water Settlement Aggreement; Standard Industries Funds CSUCI Santa Clara River Estuary Emerging Contaminants and Toxicity
Study
- Dec. 28, 2010
Settlement Agreement provides for Standard Industries’ storm water discharge to comply with the Clean Water Act and to protect the Southern California Steelhead, and for Standard Industries to fund Cal State University Channel
Islands' Santa Clara River Estuary Toxicity and Emerging Contaminants Study. Click
Here
for Press Release
Click
Here
for Ventura County Star Article
Wishtoyo's
Mati
Waiya
performs blessing for first Surf Preserve at Malibu's Surfrider
Beach -
Oct.
31,
2010
Save
the Waves held the dedication of the first-ever world surf preserve,
in Malibu, on October 9th. After scouring the globe in search
of the perfect wave, Malibu's Surfrider Beach was honored with this
distinction, which may lead to future environmental and cultural
protection. Wishtoyo's Executive Director, Mati Waiya, was invited
to perform the blessing ceremony. Click
Here
for video of Surf Preserve blessing
Wishtoyo's
Women's Elders Council
Wishtoyo's Chumash
Women's Elders Council held
its first gathering on Oct. 16th, 2010. These
women are the seed of our cultural preservation and provide the
traditional governance for the Village. - Oct.
16, 2010.
Click
Here
for
Women's
Elders Council announcement
Wishtoyo's
Mati
Waiya
appears
in
the
new
book,
Sea
Voices, Working
Towards a Sea Change, featuring prominent scientists,
environmentalists,
oceanographers, artists, celebrities and filmmakers worldwide, who
care about our environment and are working to help protect our
oceans! -
Sept. 26, 2010
Click
Here
to view the Sea Voices interview with Mati Waiya Click
Here
to order the book!
VCK to Appear on Heal the Bay's KTLA Channel
5 Annual TV Special to Discuss Trash Pollution in Oxnard's OID
Wishtoyo
Foundation’s Ventura Coastkeeper Program (“VCK”) is appearing
on Heal the Bay’s KTLA Channel 5 Annual TV Special on Sunday
September 19th from 2-3 pm to discuss trash pollution in the Oxnard
Industrial Drain as it impacts wildlife and water quality in the
Ormond Beach Wetlands and Pacific Ocean. - Sept. 18, 2010
Wishtoyo Foundation’s
Cultural Resource & Education Director, Luhui
Isha, has been appointed to serve
on the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council
-Sept
1, 2010 Click
on Picture for larger view: 
200
Junior Lifeguards Visit Wishtoyo's Chumash Village! -
August 4, 2010
Click on
Picture for Larger View: 
CSU
Channel Islands and Wishtoyo's Ventura Coastkeeper Program Form
Collaborative Environmental Stewardship, Research, and Education
Partnership
Partnership will provide students with enhanced hands-on professional and
educational experiences, research opportunities, and internship
positions, while providing VCK’s Watershed Monitoring Program with
an on-campus laboratory and an increased capacity to monitor and
protect Ventura County’s waterbodies.
-
July 6, 2010
Click
Here for Ventura County Star Article
Click
Here for CSUCI Press Release
Wishtoyo Holds Summer Solstice Sunset Ceremony and
Open House on June 26th - Malibu Chumash Village
Wishtoyo
Board Member and Šmuwič
language teacher, Deborah Sanchez, gets
into the spirit of the dance at the Summer Solstice Ceremony, as she's moved to get out of her chair and dance around the sil’i’yik, joining Matt Ward, and growls like a mama bear.
David
Paul Dominguez entertains onlookers as he tells the story of how the
owl, Muhu, came to look like an owl.
Click on
Picture for Larger View:
Wishtoyo
Hosts 1,100+ at Chumash Village WORLD OCEAN DAY Event for Schools
Star ECO Station, Wishtoyo Foundation and others hosted a World Ocean Day event for students from 42 classrooms
from the Los Angeles Unified School District at Wishtoyo's Chumash
Village. Students learned about marine ecosystems and conservcation, and our interdependent relationship with the ocean and its species.
- June 17, 2010
Click
Here
for Malibu Surfside News Article
(see p. 13)
Above: Mati Waiya
leads group in World Ocean
Day Commemoration
Jason
Weiner, Wishtoyo's
Ventura Coastkeeper Program Associate Director and Staff Attorney,
teaches about water quality at World Ocean Day Event
Wishtoyo Announces Opening of Smuwich Language School - Spring
2010 - June
3, 2010
Click
for Language School infomation
Language
Teachers Deborah Sanchez
and Johnny Moreno
Group
protests proposal to lift 1986 commercial whaling moratorium
On Sunday, May 23rd, Mati Waiya, Wishtoyo
Foundation's Executive Director and Chumash cermonial elder,
performed the opening ceremony and prayed
for the whales during a demonstration attended by 120 people on the
Santa Monica Pier.
Click
to view L.A. Times article -
May 24,
2010
Fishable,
Swimmable, Drinkable?
California Coastkeeper Alliance and Ventura
Coastkeeper Train Local Community Members and Activists to Take the
Clean Water Act into Their Own Hands at Patagonia's Headquarters
Click
here for article -
May 11, 2010
Wishtoyo
and its Ventura Coastkeeper Program Welcome Three Public Interest
Summer Legal Clerks to Protect the ecological integrity and water
quality of Ventura County’s Inland and Coastal Waterbodies and
Chumash Cultural Resources. Click
here for bios
-
May 5, 2010
Wishtoyo's Chumash
Discovery Village Featured in the Spring 2010 Edition of News
from Native California -
Please
Click
Here to see photos and coverage
of the Malibu Chumash Village! - April 1, 2010
Wishtoyo's
Ventura Coastkeeper Program issues a 60 day notice of intent to sue
scrap metal giant Standard Industries to halt its toxic stormwater
discharge into the Santa Clara River
- March 25, 2010
Move marks the
Launch of its Industrial Stormwater Campaign and Aims to Protect the
Ecological Integrity, Water Quality, Endangered Steelhead
Populations, and Cultural Resources of One of America’s Most
Endangered Rivers by Demanding Compliance with the Clean Water Act.
Click
Here for VCK's Press
Release
Click
Here for Ventura County
Star article
Click
Here for American
Metals Market article
The
Wishtoyo Foundation’s Ventura Coastkeeper Program Files A Notice
of Intent to Sue the City of Ventura To Abate its Illegal Discharges
of Toxic Sewage Into the Santa Clara River Estuary and Ventura’s
Coastal Waters
–
January
5, 2010
Move
Aims to Protect Public Health; the Southern California Steelhead;
and the Ecological Integrity, Water Quality, and Cultural Resources
of the Santa Clara River Estuary, Santa Clara River Ecosystem, and
Ventura’s Coastal Marine Waters
Click Here
for
VCK's Press Release
Click Here
for
VCK's Notice of Intent to Sue & Exhibits Detailing Ventura's CWA
Violations
With
an Eye on Developments at the Vern Freeman Diversion Dam, Wishtoyo
provides input to improve the Southern California Steelhead Recovery Plan to Save and Restore the
“Isha’ kowoch” (Southern California Steelhead). – November 25, 2009
Following its notice of intent to sue United Water Conservation District that helped result in United’s then rapid settlement with Cal Trout promising to provide fish passage around the Vern Freeman Diversion Dam, Wishtoyo and its Ventura Coastkeeper Program submit comments to improve the Southern California Steelhead Recovery Plan. Along with policy, implementation, and science based recommendations, Wishtoyo’s Recovery Plan comments call for the involvement of and assistance from Chumash Native Americans to enhance the Plan's likelihood of success and to recognize the steelhead as a cultural resource.
Click to view
Wishtoyo’s Steelhead Recovery Plan Comments
Click
to view Ventura County Reporter’s “Isha’kowoch” article
Click to view
Wishtoyo’s Notice of Intent to Sue
Press Release
68 Oxnard Community Members Volunteer with the Wishtoyo Foundation's Ventura Coastkeeper Program to Remove 3,989 Pieces of Trash from the J-Street Drain.
- November 22, 2009
Efforts enhance the environmental health and well being of surrounding neighborhoods, and prevent the degradation and contamination of the Ormond Beach Wetlands and Ventura County's Beaches from the trash deposition which would occur following the next rain event which would sweep the trash down the drain. The 53 bags of trash weighing roughly 400 pounds contained approximately 2,255 pieces of plastic.
Click
to view
Trash Pickup Data Card
Click
to
view
Ventura County Star Article
Wishtoyo and Public Interest Groups File Tejon Mountain Village Suit
- November 12, 2009
The Wishtoyo Foundation files a lawsuit to overturn Kern County’s approval of the Tejon Mountain Village resort development to prevent it from jeopardizing the California Condor; displacing and destroying Native American sacred grounds, Native American burial sites, and Chumash cultural resources; and from harming our environment.
Click here
for Joint Press Release
Click here for TMV DEIR Comment Letter
Click here for DHCP & DEIS Comment Letter
Click here
for Wishtoyo's Comment Letter Press Release
Wishtoyo's
Ventura Coastkeeper Announces the Launch of its
New Ventura County Watershed Monitoring Program -
with
Six Stream Team
routes and 35 sampling sites!
- October 18, 2009
Through monthly monitoring at 35
sites in the Calleguas Creek, Santa Clara River, Ventura River, and Ormond Beach Watershed, and in storm drains that discharge into Ventura County’s Coastal Waters, Ventura Coastkeeper is gathering water quality data that
will enable VCK and the pubic to: identify impaired waterbodies and pollution sources; enforce the Ventura County Stormwater (MS4) Permit; inform and enable policy that abates pollution; find the most effective solutions to improve water quality; prosecute polluters; and enforce water laws that our government is unable to enforce.
Click here
for VCK Article
with a Map of Monitoring Locations
Click here
for Ventura County Star Article
Click here
to inquire about
volunteering with a VCK Stream Team near you
Wishtoyo's
Ventura Coastkeeper’s Stormwater Campaign leads by example with its J-Street Drain Trash Clean Up Event
-
October 10, 2009
Efforts are not enough though, as at least 1,375 pounds of trash are swept into Ormond Beach and Oxnard’s Coastal Waters
following the first storm event of the rainy season! 23 Ventura Coastkeeper volunteers worked hard to clean up 35 bags of trash from J-Street Drain and to prevent it from impairing the Ormond Beach Wetlands and Oxnard’s coastal waters.
Please
Click Here for Press Release
Click here for
Hueneme Pilot article
Click here for
J-Street Trash Clean Up Data Card
Wishtoyo's Ventura Coastkeeper Program advocates to
protect the water quality and ecological integrity of the Santa Clara River and Ventura County’s coastal waters from the proposed Newhall Development. - August 25,
2009
Click
Here
to read VCK's press release
Click
Here for VCK's joint Press Release with Friends of the Santa Clara River and
SCOPE
Wishtoyo and its Ventura Coastkeeper Program file a notice of intent to sue the California government to make Ventura County’s air safe to
breathe. - August 18,
2009
Wishtoyo's and its Ventura Coastkeeper program's move to reduce Volatile Organic Compounds (“VOC”) emissions from pesticide emissions to help eliminate smog and PM2.5 pollution, aims to improve the health of Ventura County residents and pesticide applicators.
Click here for Press
Release
Click here for Ventura County Star article
Wishtoyo
& VCK advocate for Protection of Critical Marine Ecosystems and
California’s first Native American Co-Managed Marine Protected
Area -
August 13, 2009
Click
Here for Malibu
Surfside News article
about Wishtoyo Foundation's efforts in support of Marine Protected
Areas. (Please scroll down news page to view article.)
The
efforts of Wishtoyo's Ventura Coastkeeper Stream Team land six river reaches of Calleguas Creek on California's 303(d) impaired waterbody list for trash
pollution. - July 22, 2009
Click
Here to see Ventura
County Star article
Click Here to
see Press Release
Wishtoyo / Ventura Coastkeeper Issue Notice of Intent to Sue to Restore and Protect Steelhead on the Santa Clara River -
May 12, 2009
Wishtoyo Foundation and its Ventura Coastkeeper Program have issued a notice of intent to sue United Water Conservation District and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, whose operation of the Vern Freeman Dam and its dysfunctional fish ladder on the Santa Clara River is jeopardizing the continued existence of the endangered “Isha’kowoch” (Chumash name for Southern California Steelhead).
Wishtoyo’s move to save and restore the “Isha’kowoch” and the ecological integrity of the Santa Clara River, aims to protect Chumash Native American cultural resources and the
health and natural resources of our communities.
Click
to view Ventura County
Reporter article
Click to view Press
Release
New!
Online DONATION option
Wishtoyo
Foundation / Ventura Coastkeeper has a new online donation option! Please
go to our Get
Involved - Donation page to
access the online donation system. You will receive a receipt online
instantly, and, you may select to set up a donation schedule online
as well. We look
forward to hearing from you; Thank you for your visit and youir
interest! -
from the Wishtoyo / VCK Team
"AGRITOXINS:
Ventura County's Toxic Time Bomb"
- Wishtoyo Pesticides Study
Wishtoyo Foundation's Agritoxins study quantifies the hazardous effects of
agricultural pesticide use on the habitants and environment of Ventura
County.
To view a pdf version
of the paper, please click here: Agritoxins:
Ventura County's Toxic Time Bomb (Please
note, it may take a moment for it to appear on your
screen.)
For Project Updates,
please click on
the following links:
Chumash
Village Update
Nicholas
Canyon Creek Restoration
Ormond
Beach Wetlands
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