Live Campaigns

Wishtoyo understands that it is a collaborative effort to change the world. This is your opportunity to ACT NOW! These are live campaigns within our networks that we support. Please get more informed with the videos and links below.

Southern steelhead are a critically endangered keystone species of southern California River systems. The health of the species is tied to the health of these river systems as well as the wildlife and peoples that depend on these rivers. Poor management of water resources and harmful design of flood control structures have decimated Isha’kowoch populations and altered the natural river processes. Wishtoyo has developed a campaign to raise awareness of the anthropogenic impacts to the continued survival of the Isha’kowoch.  Wishtoyo’s campaign aims to engage the communities that live within the Utom watershed through public education forums, social media, and community organizing. Community members who participate in campaign action will be called to protest delays in the Vern Freeman Diversion Fish Passage design and construction, submit letters and show up to Ventura County Board of Supervisors meetings during the permitting and design of flood control infrastructure, and will be welcomed to join Wishtoyo’s Watershed Monitoring team to study Isha’kowoch habitat throughout the river and its tributaries.

Wishtoyo’s Watershed Monitoring internship will train interns to effectively organize advocacy campaigns for the protection of Isha’kowoch and other endangered species. Interns will learn the principles of environmental law and policy, effective comment letter writing, and will receive training on community engagement methodologies. Interns will also be able to take part in population monitoring of the southern steelhead, conduct water quality analysis, and survey habitat quality for the species throughout the watershed. These hands-on learning experiences are valuable for young leaders to intimately connect with the issues for which they organize and advocate.