Penny Owens
Penny joined Santa Barbara Channelkeeper in 2004 as our Education Coordinator and Assistant Biologist. After receiving a Bachelor’s in Biology and Environmental Studies from UC Santa Cruz, she assisted with several sub-tidal and inter-tidal monitoring projects, including work as a research diver in the kelp forests from Santa Cruz to the southern limit of giant kelp in Baja Sur, Mexico. Prior to joining the Channelkeeper staff to coordinate and implement our marine education program and assist with field work, she spent two years on Catalina Island as a science instructor with Catalina Island Marine Institute. She also volunteers for the National Wildlife Federation every summer as faculty for their Conservation and Family Summit Program, educating teens from across the nation to be environmental stewards. Penny’s knowledge of marine and coastal ecosystems is a natural complement to her diverse field experiences in environmental education.