California

Changes for Catalina Island Conservancy

Ann Muscat, president and chief executive officer of the Catalina Island Conservancy, wants the harbor town of Avalon to become the gateway to the island’s 42,000-acre nature preserve, a desire consistent with the vision that chewing gum magnate William Wrigley Jr. had when he bought up much of the island in 1919: a destination for people to enjoy in many ways.

Ann Muscat, president and chief executive officer of the Catalina Island Conservancy, wants the harbor town of Avalon to become the gateway to the island’s 42,000-acre nature preserve, a desire consistent with the vision that chewing gum magnate William Wrigley Jr. had when he bought up much of the island in 1919: a destination for people to enjoy in many ways.  (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

Share

The Catalina Island Conservancy plans to raise funds for its stewardship of the island by opening new tourist attractions, raising the ire of biologists who say the nonprofit has all but given up on field research. See full story

Carlos de la Rosa

Carlos de la Rosa looks for insects in a stream on Santa Catalina Island. A critic of the Catalina Island Conservancy’s redevelopment plans, De la Rosa stepped down as the organization’s chief conservation and science officer earlier this month.  (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)

Dragonfly larva

Carlos de la Rosa, the former chief conservation and science officer for the Catalina Island Conservancy, holds a dragonfly larva near a stream on Santa Catalina Island. De la Rosa, who stepped down from his position earlier this month, said: “In this conservancy, conservation is no longer a passion. It is more interested in generating tourism dollars with flashy attractions.”  (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)

Carlos de la Rosa and Steffani Jijon

Carlos de la Rosa, former chief conservation and science officer for the Catalina Island Conservancy, hugs Steffani Jijon, a biologist working on a Catalina Island bald eagle restoration project for the Institute of Wildlife Studies. De la Rosa’s departure from the conservancy has saddened Jijon, who said: “It’s a huge loss, personally and professionally. It shows how the conservancy’s focus is off-target.”  (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)

California

More From the Los Angeles Times