JUSTIN, Joel

JUSTIN, Joel (b. 1960) developed a passion for the California Channel Islands, eventually becoming a Naturalist Corps volunteer. In his own words:

“I’ve always been intrigued by islands. My folks had a summer place in Maine for many years and when we’d vacation there, one of my favorite activities was going out in their boat exploring the rivers and bays along the Maine coast, as well as the many islands. We purchased our own boat shortly after that and began going out to Anacapa and Santa Cruz Islands for day trips in the summer. As a Boy Scout leader, we did summer camps at Emerald Bay on Catalina as well as a backpack trip to Del Norte on Santa Cruz.

When my son achieved Eagle Scout and went off to college, I needed something to satisfy my love of the outdoors. That’s when I learned about the Channel Islands Naturalist Corps. After attending an open house, I was all in. I quickly got trained on Anacapa and Santa Cruz leading hikes for day visitors, but I wanted more island time, so I signed up for overnight trips. I then added Santa Barbara and finally San Miguel. Along the way, I got involved with Channel Island Restoration and was able to add San Clemente and San Nicholas.

I love being a steward of the islands as well as sharing them with the visitors. I now spend the majority of my time on San Miguel as I have truly grown fond of it’s remoteness, wilderness and sense of adventure I experience whenever I’m out there.”

Joel Justin became member #152 of the All 8+ Club of the Santa Cruz Island Foundation in 2014, having visited: