May ‘26 Chapter Call w/ R.J. Van Sant of California State Parks

Sunday, May 31

7pm Via Zoom

Stream the interview below.

With climate change and development putting so much stress on our region's biodiversity, it is welcome to hear about projects that restore habitat for native species.

R.J. Van Sant of California State Parks and California Trout joined our May chapter meeting to talk about his work leading the Malibu Creek Ecosystem Restoration Project, a Summit-to-Seabed Ecological Restoration Project that includes a dam removal.

In conversation with LA Climate Reality's Charles Miller, Van Sant explained why steelhead trout, a federally endangered fish, are considered an indicator species, and how dam removal can contribute to their habitat restoration and the entire watershed ecosystem's health.

Van Sant also shared about his career journey, which first focued on bio-diesel as an alternative way to power cars.

For more background on the project, please read this blog post about the project: “How Dam Removal Can Help with the Climate Crisis” by Judi Uthus, Public Engagement Specialist, California Trout.

You can stream the interview with R.J. Van Sant below.