Into the Blue

How to Help the EPA Document the TRUE State of the Environment

2012-02-16T15:45:00.000-08:00

By guest blogger and former SOS intern Sara Cannon

Interested in helping the EPA document the true state of our environment?

Over the past weekend, I was lucky enough to help my friend, Christopher Chin (executive director and founder of the Center for Oceanic Awareness, Research and Education) represent his nonprofit at the Shark Days event at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. One of my favorite things about volunteering at these types of events (whether it be for COARE or for Save Our Shores, as I volunteer with both of them pretty regularly) is getting to interact with such a huge variety of people; seasoned ocean advocates, young children, or tourists who may not have much experience in conservation issues but are eager to learn more. I have always come away from these experiences feeling optimistic about the myriad of challenges the conservation movement faces, and every time I’ve made contacts that I know will be meaningful to my future involvement in future efforts.

Shark Days at the Monterey Bay Aquarium was no different; among the many people I talked to, I spent some time speaking with an employee from the Environmental Protection Agency about a project they’re working on to document the true state of the environment all around the world.

The project, called the State of the Environment Photo Project, is based on a similar project they conducted 40 years ago called Documerica, which had the goal of documenting environmental problems and every day life across America by asking the public to submit photos. To me, it seems like an exciting way to involve the public in bringing attention to the diverse environmental concerns facing different locations around the world.

One concern that the employee had mentioned was that people were sending in nothing but GOOD pictures. Of course, the world is a beautiful place, and the EPA certainly wants to recognize all the wonders there are to behold through this project. However, if the submitted photographs are only showing the beautiful things and ignoring the bad, it’s a pretty inaccurate view of the state of the environment. I happen to know for a fact that a number of COARE and SOS supporters have taken stirring photographs that could be invaluable contributions to the project (I know because I’ve seen some of them myself).

The EPA is going to pick a number of photos from the submissions to exhibit across the country once the project is over. I hope that this project may be a way to reach an entirely new audience; if enough people send in pictures showing plastic pollution, threats to marine life, or other depictions of the environmental challenges we fight against, it’s possible that we can motivate them to get involved.

So, are you interested in helping the EPA document the true state of our environment, as things really are, and hopefully motivating more people to get involved in conservation efforts?

The EPA will pick a number of photographs out of the submissions to be featured on their webpage, their Facebook page, and to be exhibited all across the country after the project ends. The information you need to participate, including ideas for what to post, can be found on the project’s website here and their Flickr page here.

A photo I submitted of animals eating trash left on the beach, taken July 5 morning in Santa Cruz, by Sara Cannon

How to Make the Ocean Your Valentine!

2012-02-14T11:44:00.001-08:00

I love you, Ocean! Will you be my Valentine?

Instead of a box of chocolates, I'm giving you a Valentine's Day Gift by Saving Our Shores!
My gift will keep you healthy, clean, and safe. It will protect you from plastic pollution and inspire others to take care of you for future generations.

Thank you, Ocean, for all the wonderful gifts you've given me throughout my life. From your sunsets to your waves, to those perfect family beach days spent playing on your shores, this gift is my little way of saying "thanks."

THANK YOU to all of our Stewards, volunteers, Supporters, partners, and ocean lovers everywhere for all you do to protect the ocean!

Love, your friends at Save Our Shores

Legendary Oceanographer Dr. Sylvia Earle Comes to Santa Cruz February 16th

2012-02-09T11:35:00.000-08:00

When: Thursday, February 16, 7:30pm (doors open at 7pm)

Where: UCSC Music Recital Hall

Ocean advocates around Monterey Bay won't want to miss legendary oceanographer, explorer, and author Dr. Sylvia Earle, as she presents on "Oceans, Life and Survival" at the UCSC Fred Keeley Lecture on Environmental Policy.

Named the first "Hero for the Planet" by Time magazine, Sylvia Earle is a friend to oceans across the globe. Find out more about the event...

Save the Date. This lecture is free and open to the public.

About the Fred Keeley Lecture:

Doors open at 7 p.m. Acclaimed nature photographer and UCSC Trustee Frans Lanting will give a special introduction. The lecture is made possible thanks to the generosity of donors. Parking is available for $3.

Earle's many scientific achievements include leading the first team of women aquanauts during the Tektite Project in 1970 and setting a record for solo diving in a submersible to more than 1,000 meters. Her research focuses on marine ecosystems with special attention to exploration and the development and use of new technologies in deep ocean environments.

The Keeley Lecture series was established in 2003 and is named in honor of Fred Keeley, a Santa Cruz County civic leader and former member of the State Assembly, who for many years has helped shape environmental policy in California. It aims to foster discussion and awareness of major environmental challenges and the role of environmental policy in reaching solutions.

Vote for Save Our Shores in the GT Best Of Poll!

2012-02-07T09:42:00.000-08:00

The polls are open for the Good Times Santa Cruz's Best Of poll.

Please take a minute to vote for Save Our Shores as Best Non-Profit in the 'Best of the Rest' category!

Earlier this year, as I was strolling down Walnut Street with my friend, he called Save Our Shores 'the darling non-profit of Santa Cruz.'

How cool, I thought. As a newcomer to Santa Cruz's non-profit world, that was the reputation he was hearing about around town. And he was right! But this is only partly because of how great we, the staff, are.

A large part of why Save Our Shores is so well regarded, so well loved, and so well known around Monterey Bay is because our community is growing more and more each year!

Our Stewards and volunteers are absolutely amazing, and our Supporters bring a great deal of protection to the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and surrounding communities, especially during the Summer of Clean Beaches.

THANK YOU!! We would not be able to do it without you.

Cheers to a most successful 2012 in the Save Our Shores family!!

Protecting my Playground with Save Our Shores, by Nancy Connelly

2012-01-18T09:52:00.000-08:00

By Nancy Connelly, Sanctuary Steward Class of 2011

Having lived on the coast my whole life, east then west, beaches have always been my “backyard”, my playground. Like all the other active kids (young and old), I spent innumerable hours both in the water and on the sand, and continue to do so.

When I prioritized volunteering last year and began researching local non-profit organizations, Save Our Shores was a natural fit.

In the eight-week training course that all volunteers commit to, I was quickly disheartened when the SOS staff and guest speakers revealed the general state of the oceans, the garbage patches, and the specific threats to our backyard, the incredible Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. I was especially surprised to learn the direct correlation between our daily dependency on plastics and the negative impact on marine life. Fortunately, I also learned some simple actions to curb my dependency and ways to educate others.

Cleaning beaches with local residents, community groups, school kids and UCSC students, and companies that have “adopted” beaches has been far more fun and rewarding than I ever imagined. For some that make their way to the beach it turns in to an “eye-spy” game, for others a competition for who gathers the most, sometimes it’s a family activity or time with friends and neighbors. But without a doubt, when these local caretakers head home, they’ve all had some fun, they’re all more aware, and they all feel good.

Beach clean-ups are only part of what I’ve done with Save Our Shores, but so far it’s been the most fulfilling.

Seeing the smiles, community spirit and watching bag after bag, pound after pound of trash and recyclables removed from my playground is the best feeling there is.

The 2012 Sanctuary Steward course starts on Tuesday, February 21st!
Act NOW - Apply online today!

It's Elephant Seal Viewing Season at our Local MPA: Ano Nuevo State Park

2012-01-17T16:18:00.000-08:00

A visit to the Wildlife Protection Area at Ano Nuevo State Park during the winter months feels like you’ve stepped right into a film project of the Discovery Channel. With a northern elephant seal colony into the thousands, Ano Nuevo is a place unlike any other here on the Central Coast.

In fact, there are only a few places on earth so special that elephant seal colonies return year after year to breed and give birth, and we just happen to be lucky enough to have one of them some 25 miles North of Santa Cruz on our famed Highway 1.

Ano Nuevo is also a Marine Protected Area!
This means the ecosystem is protected, thriving, and monitored.

The number of northern elephant seals in the Pacific Ocean used to be in the hundreds of thousands, but after being harvested at a devastating rate in the 1800s for their oil, less than 100 remained in the entire Pacific Ocean by 1892. But luckily for the elephant seals as well as us wildlife enthusiasts, both the Mexican and U.S. governments gave elephant seals protected status in the 1900s, and their numbers have been on the steady rise ever since.

The first northern elephant seals were sighted on Ano Nuevo Island in the 1950s, and because of the nutrient-rich waters right offshore, the protective sand dunes on land and the isolation of the small island offshore, Ano Nuevo State Park has become a mecca of wildlife viewing for visitors from around the world.

The most popular time to view the elephant seals is during breeding season, which runs from mid December to the end of March. It is during this time that the females give birth to their pups, the giant male "bull" seals (some weighing up to 8,800 pounds!) battle each other for breeding access to the female harems, and the mothers nurse their pups until returning to sea sometime in the month of March.

And while January and February are considered the peak season for viewing elephant seals in their natural environment, a visit to Ano Nuevo in the month of March, and especially early March, is still an exciting time to step into your own real-life version of the Discovery Channel.

It’s important to note that because the northern elephant seals are humongous, sometimes aggressive, federally protected and often even a little bit moody, visitors to Ano Nuevo between Dec. 15 and March 31 must accompany a trained naturalist on a guided wildlife hike to view the animals. This naturalist-guided walk is the only way you can reach the wildlife viewing area, and the only way you can access the elephant seals in their natural habitat.

It’s a beautiful, 3-mile hike with a finale unlike any other, and reservations are usually an absolute must. I still share stories to this day of my first visit to see the elephant seals at Ano Nuevo, an experience I wouldn't trade for the world.

So with the Pacific gray whales migrating south through the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary right now, and the northern elephant seals colonizing at Ano Nuevo State Park, winter on the Central Coast is an incredible time to experience wildlife right in our own backyard.

You can make reservations online at anonuevo.reserveamerica.com or by calling 800-444-4445.

A Life on the Ocean that Brought me to the SOS Sanctuary Steward Course, By Ronn Rygg

2012-01-09T15:46:00.000-08:00

"I think I'm a lot like most other people who find solace in being near the ocean. It has not only been a source of comfort and rejuvenation, but has persistently influenced my life to one degree or another. I feel fortunate to have had a long association with it from my early years living close to the beach and body surfing in SoCal, to my early adult life when I joined the Navy and made it a career. It was a place to honeymoon many years ago, and a place I now call home, on the Monterey Bay.

While at sea in the Navy it was easy to see the ocean as vast and limitless. I flew helicopters off the fantails of ships which gave me many different angles and countless pleasant memories. On calm, cloudless days, you could climb to altitude where you'd see open ocean from horizon to horizon - and the only human presence, your small ship. You could see the wake of your ship rippling out in a great “V” reaching out mile after mile to those horizons and then disappearing.

It was all so humbling - the vastness of it all.

Many years ago, I had heard about an organization called Save Our Shores up in Santa Cruz and it got me thinking about becoming more active with the stewardship of the oceans. But living in Monterey County, it seemed better for me to work locally. It wasn’t long before I heard about the 2010 Coastal Cleanup Day being conducted at beaches around the Peninsula and I signed up to volunteer with my teenage son Travis, who has his own love for the ocean.

The beach we went to was manned by Andrew Hoeksema from SOS. Andrew shared that SOS was just starting to work in Monterey County and was looking for Stewards from the Monterey area. Perfect!! So I volunteered and then went to the Sanctuary Steward training which started a few months later.

The Sanctuary Steward program was a very enjoyable and informative course about the beauty and bounty of the ocean, but was also disturbing. The training enlightened me as to how much we have lost just in the course of my lifetime, but also hopeful about what we can do together to turn things around and bring it back. It has been a great personal experience and by-the-way, a terrific father/son activity that Travis happily and frequently participates in.

By Ronn Rygg, Sanctuary Steward Class of 2011

Why should YOU join the Steward Class of 2012?

Learn more and apply online today!

Classes start soon on February 21st!

Save Our Shores is Looking For a Few Great Stewards...

2011-12-19T14:37:00.000-08:00

Save Our Shores is looking for the next class of local leaders to join the 2012 Sanctuary Steward Program. Sanctuary Stewards are the core volunteer force of Save Our Shores, each one of them instrumental in advancing ocean conservation work in the communities surrounding Monterey Bay.

The Sanctuary Steward training course begins in Santa Cruz on February 21, and continues on Tuesday evenings through April 10. The course includes presentations from local experts on the ecology of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, sustainable fisheries, plastic pollution, clean boating, ocean policy and advocacy. Stewards also receive hands-on training in classroom and outdoor event leadership with the staff of Save Our Shores.

An alternate training based in Monterey will be held in April and May.

Following the training, Stewards will take the lead on Save Our Shores' beach and river cleanups, as well as have numerous opportunities to educate, advocate, and share their skills. Those looking for opportunities to make a difference in ocean conservation are encouraged to apply to the 2012 Sanctuary Steward Program.

"I had three goals for the summer of 2011: do something that would benefit my local community, be outdoors as much as possible, and hopefully learn something in the process. The Save Our Shores Sanctuary Steward program allowed me to achieve all three," said Curtis Luckado, 2011 Sanctuary Steward.
Read Curtis' post about the rewarding life of a SOS Sanctuary Steward...

"The Sanctuary Stewards Program is your chance to make a difference for the ocean and your community. Get educated, get trained, and get busy as a volunteer leader for the environment with Save Our Shores in 2012," says Andrew Hoeksema, coordinator of volunteer programs at Save Our Shores.

For more information contact Andrew, Coordinator of Volunteer Programs at 831.462.5660 ext. 3 or volunteer@saveourshores.org.

Find information and applications online...

Dive the Coast Continues to Build Along the Central Coast

2011-12-13T14:50:00.000-08:00

Dive the Coast, an idea spearheaded by a handful of California SCUBA divers in the fall of 2011, continues to grow along the Central Coast with a large group dive set for June, 2013.

Save Our Shores' own Lauren Gilligan, experienced diver and marine biologist, took part in the launch event for Dive the Coast this past October called Dive the Bay. The launch event tested the waters to help determine dive distances and times and lay plans for the larger dives planned in the coming months and years. Thanks to Raj, owner of Silver Prince out of Monterey Harbor, the divers had a great time out in the deep waters of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

With the group of divers, Lauren shared news about California's Marine Protected Areas, our underwater state parks, and the importance of supporting MPAs now and into the future. Read more...

The next group dive is scheduled for January 21.

Stay up to date with Dive the Coast on their website and facebook pages.

The background:

Dive the Coast is scheduled to take place in June 2013 and will be the largest mass dive in history. It involves organizing thousands of scuba divers to travel the entire coastline underwater, raising money for conservation organizations along the way.

The idea for Dive the Coast originated in Santa Cruz in August 2011, and participants have since been conducting outreach to dive clubs, dive shops and non-profit organizations, as well as forming partnerships to help pull off this epic adventure.

On Oct. 15, 2011, divers from five different California counties held a kick-off event in Monterey to calibrate dive distance, depth and tank time. More calibration dives and test runs up and down the coast will be held in the coming months.

The ultimate goal of Dive the Coast is to bring divers across the state together for a common goal and to raise money for conservation organizations. But it will also provide an opportunity for divers to explore areas of the state where they would otherwise not go, and gives exposure to the sport as a whole.

For more information, email Kim White at kim@divethecoast.com.

Bring Your Own Bag Day Hits Santa Cruz on Thurs, Dec. 15th!

2011-12-08T15:14:00.000-08:00

We are excited to announce the first ever Bring Your Own Bag Day in Santa Cruz County on Thursday, December 15!

In the spirit of holiday giving, Save Our Shores will distribute over 5,000 reusable bags to community members on Bring Your Own Bag Day with the help of our many Partner locations.

SOS will hand out custom-made, reusable canvas bags from 4-6pm at the following locations:

Mi Pueblo Foods in Watsonville
The Capitola Mall
Live Oak Supermarket
Staples
Scotts Valley Market
Kmart in Scotts Valley
Nob Hill

John Leopold, Santa Cruz County Supervisor, will be at Live Oak Market at 4pm to talk to residents about Santa Cruz’s progress in stopping plastic pollution in our community. Says John, "Using your own bag is a great way to help the environment and stop pollution from hitting our beaches."

Longtime friend of SOS Dan Haifley will also take part in the event while spreading the reusable bag cheer at the Capitola Mall!
5 Safeway stores throughout the county will give away reusable shopping bags while supplies last at each of their 5 locations.
All 5 New Leaf Community Markets will host Double Enviro-Token Day to encourage reusable bag use and further support local non-profits!
Whole Foods Markets on Soquel Avenue and 41st Avenue will hand out reusable produce bags while supplies last.
Deluxe Foods is handing out their own bags.
And our friends at Charlie Hong Kong will also hand out their own bags, making this a community-wide effort supported by retailers large and small.

SOS is also partnering with the Cities of Capitola, Scotts Valley, Santa Cruz, Watsonville, the County of Santa Cruz, and Green Waste, to conduct this county-wide reusable bag giveaway.

Why? Because plastic bags are a harmful, petroleum-based product of convenience, are not biodegradable, rarely recycled, harmful to marine species, and are constantly found polluting the waterways and communities surrounding the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

“The detrimental impacts of single-use plastic bags are indisputable. From the oil needed to manufacture and transport bags around the planet to the massive amount of plastic trash destroying our oceans, threatening marine life, and contaminating our food web, this relic of the past is a wasteful contributor to pollution,” says Mark Stone, Santa Cruz County Supervisor and author of Santa Cruz County’s ordinance to ban single-use plastic bags.

Find all you need to know at: http://saveourshores.org/news-events/BYOB-day.php

The Rewarding Life of a SOS Sanctuary Steward, by Curtis Luckado

2011-11-29T11:47:00.000-08:00

Guest blog post by Curtis Luckado, Sanctuary Steward Class of 2011

"I had three goals for the summer of 2011. Do something that would benefit my local community, be outdoors as much as possible, and hopefully learn something in the process. The Save Our Shores Sanctuary Steward program allowed me to achieve all three.

The weekly classroom lectures in early spring not only educated me about the many threats to our Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and its marine life, but about the threats to marine life and oceans around the world. I learned about the dangers that plastic bags and Styrofoam pose to marine life, and was provided with avenues to proactively participate in the process of having them banned in my community.

But it wasn’t until I was out of the Steward classroom and onto our local beaches that the true value of being part of Save Our Shores became shockingly clear. I participated in beach and river cleanups in which literally hundreds of pounds of trash and recyclables were collected. I walked the docks volunteering for the SOS DockWalker program talking to local boaters about the dangers of oil spills and providing free clean up materials, and I even participated in school presentations in which the importance of recycling was passed on to grade school children.

The most fulfilling moment for me as a Save Our Shores Steward was on the 4th of July. As I walked around the beach passing out trash and recycling bags, all while encouraging beach goers to pack their trash, I was told on numerous occasions how much my efforts were appreciated, and how thankful they were for my being there.

I had a great sense of accomplishment at the end of the day when I saw those same bags being removed from our beaches full of trash that would have otherwise been left on the beach."

Written by Curtis Luckado

In early 2011, Curtis accumulated so many volunteer hours in such a short amount of time, that we bought him a cake and thanked him for his hard work on behalf of our ocean. Curtis continues to remain one of the most active Sanctuary Stewards today, and we are oh so lucky to have him on team Save Our Shores!

Learn more about the Sanctuary Steward program and apply online today!

Celebrating Over Three Years of Marine Protections around the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary

2011-11-09T15:23:00.000-08:00

Do you ever wonder what’s happening to protect marine life here on the Central Coast?

Or how we’re going to revitalize depleted fish populations for future generations?

They’re called Marine Protected Areas, our underwater state parks.

For the past three years, twenty-nine different Marine Protected Areas have been set aside in local waters to conserve essential marine habitats unique to California's Central Coast.

Ano Nuevo, Greyhound Rock, Natural Bridges, and Elkhorn Slough are some of the most visited natural areas in Santa Cruz County and the Central Coast. To the south, Asilomar, Lovers Point, the Carmel Pinnacles, Carmel Bay, Point Lobos and Point Sur encompass some of the most breathtaking views the Pacific Ocean has to offer, each with it's own level of protections.

California's Marine Protected Areas limit, restrict, and regulate fishing and harvesting of marine animals and plants so ecosystems can bounce back after years of depletion and mismanagement. Join Save Our Shores in celebration of three years of local marine protections, of sustainable seafood, and better ocean policy.

Take Action for better ocean policy by signing our MPA Petition today!

For more information visit saveourshores.org/mpa...

Nov. 11 Event: Discovering the EcoMind Connection with Frances Moore Lappe & Friends

2011-11-04T16:28:00.001-07:00

Date: Friday, November 11

Time: 6:30-9pm

Place: Cabrillo College's Crocker Theater

Featuring internationally-renowned environmental writer Frances Moore Lappe, Discovering the EcoMind Connection will be an evening of lively discussion and learning. Joined by SOS Board Member and marine biologist Wallace J Nichols, best-selling author John Robbins, and Michael Levy of Transition Santa Cruz, you won't want to miss this event!

Information and tickets are available on Eventbrite!

About EcoMind:

What's In Your Head Can Heal Our Planet!

Frances Moore Lappe, author of Diet for a Small Planet will be joined by local author John Robbins, Diet for a New America, Transition Santa Cruz founder Michael Levy and ocean scientist, author, advocate Dr. Wallace J. Nichols.

Author of 18 influential books on subjects ranging from democracy to environmental justice, Frances Moore Lappe is the recipient of the Right Livelihood Award, Rachel Carson Award, Women's National Book Association, James Beard Humanitarian of the Year, as well as seventeen honorary doctorates.

Frances' Santa Cruz appearance will feature a lively discussion based upon her new book EcoMind, as a forum to share the message of personal action and empowerment with our community at a time when we need it most.

You won't want to miss this one-time opportunity to witness Santa Cruz's leading change-makers engage with one of the foremost environmental leaders of our time.

Protecting Starts with Respecting Marine Life from a Distance

2011-11-02T16:44:00.000-07:00

A note from Paul Michel, Superintendent of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, about observing wildlife from a respectful distance:

During the past few days, Humpback Whales have been concentrating close to shore near Santa Cruz, prompting considerable interest from the boating public.

Unfortunately, the intensity of waterborne spectator activity has lead to several reported collisions with whales, resulting in significant damage to at least one vessel and the overturning of small vessels. It is unclear whether whales have suffered injuries from these collisions.

Humpback whales are protected from disturbance or injury by three federal laws - the Endangered Species Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and the National Marine Sanctuaries Act. Any action by an individual, regardless of their distance from a Humpback whale, that causes the whale to change its behavior constitutes "harassment" under federal law, subjecting the individual to potential federal fines and penalties.

The Humpback whales currently near Santa Cruz are chasing prey, and recurring disturbance by boaters can affect their energy reserves and overall health. It is important that the public not crowd or surround these animals. As a rule of thumb, boaters should stay 100 yards to the side of transiting whales and should not cross in front of them, pursue them from behind, or surround them. If approached by a whale, a vessel should disengage its drive system and drift until the whale moves away.

Marine Wildlife Viewing Guidelines for observing marine mammals are available from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary has regulations protecting marine mammals, including Humpback whales, from harassment or injury. Federal and state law enforcement patrols will be increased in the Santa Cruz area to address harassment issues, and the sanctuary's Team Ocean volunteers will deploy in kayaks to explain to boaters how best to view the whales safely and responsibly. Team Ocean kayaks display "National Marine Sanctuary" lettering on the hull and volunteers will wear clothing identifying them as sanctuary interpreters.

I urge the boating community to help the sanctuary protect the visiting whales by giving them the space they need to feed and by reporting whale harassment or injury to the NOAA Enforcement Hotline at 1-800-853-1964.

Paul Michel

Superintendent

Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary

>Photo credit: Steve Lawson

UC Santa Cruz Grows Community through Service Learning

2011-10-31T15:42:00.001-07:00

By Guest Blogger Julia Doloff, UCSC student and member of Praxis

"At UC Santa Cruz there is never a lack of students who are willing to volunteer their time to give back to the community and to lend a helping hand. Praxis, which is a service learning organization at College Nine and College Ten, is the perfect example. Praxis introduces the concept of service learning, which is a type of experiential education at American Universities.

Service learning employs three key concepts: experience, reciprocity, and reflection. Students actualize these concepts by volunteering with a range of organizations throughout the Santa Cruz community, such as Save Our Shores, Habitat for Humanity, and Rising International, in order to understand social justice issues affecting our community and the world at large.

Praxis students have enjoyed participating with Save Our Shores for years. The students love the opportunity to get outside and help clean our local beaches for the preservation of the environment as well as to experience the beauty of nature.

The cleanup at Panther Beach on October 15 was eye opening for many students. We found large quantities of cigarette butts, food wrappers, bottle caps, styrofoam, and an enormous amount of broken glass. It is sad to think that people could leave so much trash in such a beautiful, pristine place.

This was our largest Praxis event because it could accommodate so many people and many students jumped at the chance to go. It was educational for all the students to learn about how long it takes for certain materials to deteriorate (or not) in the ocean and enlightening to know that there are so many people and organizations, such as Save Our Shores, willing to do everything they can to help protect our beaches."

Save Our Shores sends a big THANK YOU to the Praxis team for leaving Pather Beach and our environment cleaner than they found it!

An Open Letter to Toby Keith and His Disposable Red Cup

2011-10-25T15:21:00.000-07:00

By SOS intern and writer Sarah Cannon

Dear Mr. Keith,

When I first heard your new song, “Red Solo Cup”, I thought it couldn’t possibly be real, but I was unfortunately mistaken. I understand that it’s supposed to be funny; I get where you were trying to go with it (an ode to your favorite beer receptacle), I really do. That said, there are so many things wrong with this song, I’m having a hard time deciding where to begin. I would like to preface this letter by saying I like beer and fun maybe even as much as you do, but in spite of my affinity for a good time, I still have some issues with this song that I’m not able to excuse right off the bat.

As someone who spends quite a lot of time picking up trash at the beaches and has seen firsthand the damage single-use items can cause, I have to object to your love affair with plastic.

Plastic, even in the form of a beer-holding receptacle, is NOT your friend (altho ugh the plastic industry may like you to think it is). It’s not friends with the ocean, either, or with wildlife. Contrary to your lyrics, red solo cups are not decomposable in 14 years (in fact, they can take hundreds of years to decompose completely). Plastic never goes away; it only breaks down into smaller pieces that absorb toxic chemicals, are ingested by wildlife, and enter the food chain (ever heard of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, anyone?).

And I’m guessing you also didn’t know that the state of California alone spends around $72 million per year to collect and dispose of one-time use disposable cups (*ahem*, red solo cups) and bags? I know that political correctness isn’t exact ly your thing, Mr. Keith, but I sincerely hope you weren't aware of these facts when you wrote this song. After all, I can’t imagine that you would encourage people to purchase and use items that will directly harm wildlife and the health of our environment… Just check out the stomach contents of this bird that died after consuming tiny pieces of plastic that came from sources like your red solo cup.

Although I know it wasn't your intent to promote unnecessary plastic use at the expense of the oceans, that’s exactly what you've ended up doing. I think we’d both agree that you’re no expert on the decomposition rates of plastic, but your fans are still going to take your word for it.

I’m trying not to think about how many Toby Keith fans are going to think of your song the next time they go shopping for their “beer receptacles”… but since your video is averaging around 100,000 views a day on YouTube, the number is going to be very high (and I mean panic-attack inducing high). Your song, which was intended to be fun and silly, has potentially influenced people to make a harmful and dangerous choice.

I would like to humbly suggest that in the future, you be aware of the far-reaching (and unintentional) effects that your lyrics can have. Your fame gives you a unique responsibility (and opportunity!) to have a wide-reaching influence. By doing just a little more research and being a tiny bit more attentive to the message you’re sending, a song like this could end up sending a positive message about using less plastic while still shining a spotlight on your fun-loving side; the proverbial “kill-two-birds-with-one-stone,” if you will. I mean, red solo cups aren’t even all that great! Reusable cups are way, way better (and they even come in red)!

I hope you will join me in reducing plastic use by becoming a part of the solution!

Signed,

Sara Cannon

Intern at Save Our Shores

Toby Keith's lyrics promoting a disposable lifestyle in Red Solo Cup:

"Now a red solo cup is the best receptacle for barbecues, tailgates fairs and festivals,

And you, sir, do not have a pair of testicles if you prefer drinking from glass.

A red solo cup is cheap and disposable,

In 14 years they are decomposable,

And unlike my home, they are not foreclosable,

Freddy Mac can kiss my ***. Woo"!

Dive the Coast Kickoff Dive is this Saturday, October 15!

2011-10-12T13:58:00.000-07:00

Dive the Coast 2013 will be the largest dive event in California history. It will also be the first event of its kind, where SCUBA divers come together to work toward a common goal of raising awareness concerning the growing threats to our ocean, while supporting local conservation efforts at the same time. Save Our Shores is excited to help out on the ocean conservation side of things!

The kickoff event, Dive the Bay, will take place this Saturday, October 15, aboard the Silver Prince from 9am – 2pm out of Montery Harbor. Dive the Bay will begin with a recreational fun dive, and followed by a test relay dive to calibrate dive distance, depth, and tank time logistics for the much larger Dive the Coast event. California Diver Magazine will also be on board.

Save Our Shores’ Lauren Gilligan, an experienced open-water diver, will join the group of divers for Dive the Bay this Saturday. She will give a brief talk to the group about the importance of California’s Marine Protected Areas, the ‘Underwater State Parks’ offshore where vital marine habitats and marine life are now being protected in California waters.

Registration for Dive the Coast can be found at http://www.silverprincecharters.com...

More information about Dive the Coast can be found at http://www.divethecoast.com/

Cleanup Data Gives Glimpse into Behaviors that Create Pollution

2011-10-04T16:24:00.000-07:00

During Coastal Cleanup Day 2011 on September 17th, 4,584 volunteers in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties removed a total of 17,503 pounds of debris from 81 cleanups sites around the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary in just 3 hours. A deeper look into what particular items were removed during the cleanup paints a data-backed picture of the habits and products that cause the most harm in the marine environment.

Cigarette butts, total removed: 36,082. Total smoking related items removed: 38,824.

SOS data reports that cigarette butts are the #1 item found polluting beaches and rivers on the Central Coast. Cigarette butts are made of plastic and toxic materials, and are seen as a major threat to marine species locally and worldwide. SOS has been spreading awareness about this #1 polluter through their publications, beach and river cleanups, advertisements, and radio PSAs. They have worked with the Cities of Santa Cruz and Capitola to install 18 BaitTanks (stainless-steel cigarette butt receptacles) in high-traffic areas, and data collections near these BaitTanks show a steep decline in cigarette butt litter by an average of 70%. Two BaitTanks are installed on the Monterey Wharf, and expansion of this program is underway.

"Cigarette butts are made of plastic and toxic materials, and are seen as a major threat to marine species locally and worldwide," writes SOS communications coordinator Colleen Bednarz.

Plastic bags, total removed: 4,750.

Save Our Shores recently celebrated a victory two years in the making when the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance to ban single-use plastic bags. SOS sat on the Task Force to write the ordinance, supplied cleanup data to back the need for the ordinance, and continually garnered support for the ban from businesses and citizens alike. SOS formed the Central Coast Sanctuary Alliance, a coalition of 70 environmental organizations and local business, with the mission of banning single-use plastic bags all around the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. SOS continuously works with local leaders, businesses, and citizens to see that similar plastic bag ban ordinances are implemented in each jurisdiction surrounding the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, an often multi-year process.

Other top polluters:

Food wrappers/containers: 12,127
Caps/lids: 6,412
Plastic beverage bottles: 2,158
Straws/stirrers: 2,129
Pieces of fishing line: 223
Fishing nets: 296

"While the total number of pounds collected during Annual Coastal Cleanup Day 2011 was less this year, our data shows a consistent presence of the top polluters at nearly every beach and river cleanup we host, during every season of the year," says Bednarz. "Those are cigarette butts, plastic wrappers, plastic bags and bottle caps."

She adds: "Improvements are only seen when a change of behavior happens on land. That's why Save Our Shores works to ban single-use plastic bags and Styrofoam take-out containers in our local jurisdictions, because these items have been consistent, top polluters for years on end, wreaking havoc on our marine environment."

Save Our Shores will continue to identify problematic pollution and identify ways to combat it locally. Learn more at saveourshores.org...

“Our goal is to inspire our community to make the connection between their actions on land and the impact their actions have on our Marine Sanctuary,” says Laura Kasa, Executive Director of Save Our Shores.

Thank you to the Delaveaga Nifty Niners!

2011-10-04T15:08:00.000-07:00

The Delaveaga Nifty Niners Golf Club put on a fabulous invitational tournament on September 13 with all proceeds from the raffle supporting Save Our Shores. Our Board Chair Sally Shepard golfed in the tournament and spoke to attendees during the event luncheon about the work and reach of SOS.

A big thank you goes out to Barb Roettger for organizing the event and to our Sanctuary Steward Jackie Nunez for doing much of the legwork that made the day such a blast.

Educational posters were even placed at each hole, providing participants helpful suggestions on how to protect the marine environment in their everyday lives.

Thank you Nifty Niners and all your lovely guests for your support!

Meet us at the Monterey Beer Garden Oct. 9th!

2011-09-30T17:07:00.000-07:00

Saving the ocean is hard work, and it's making us thirsty!

Come take a beer break with us at Monterey Beer Garden - being held in the beautiful, stucco-walled Memory Gardens next to the Monterey Portola Hotel & Spa. Proceeds from this fantastic event benefit Save Our Shores, so you're drinking and merriment goes to a great cause - double score!

When: Sunday, October 9, 12-4pm

Where: Memory Gardens, Custom House Plaza, Monterey

See the map...

Who needs Octoberfest when you have the Monterey Beer Garden?

Come kick off the fall season with a proper beer drinking event - all in the name of ocean conservation. We can't wait for this event, and to see you all out there!

Get your tickets today at www.montereybeergarden.com!

A 10 Year Success Story for Marine Protected Areas & the Latest Addition

2011-09-22T16:24:00.000-07:00

A recent study from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, examined the Cabo Pulmo National Park, a Marine Protected Area in Mexico. They saw a 463% increase in total fish biomass, the largest measured increase in MPA history! This study is pure science-backed evidence that Marine Protected Areas truly work toward the goal of revitalizing ecosystems and replenishing depleted populations of marine life.

Here in California, 49 new Marine Protected Areas in Southern California will be implemented on January 1, 2012. The area spans from Point Conception in Santa Barbara County down to the U.S./Mexico border, protects 354 square miles of state waters, and accounts for about 15% of the waters in that region.

Read up on all things Marine Protected Areas on our MPA page...

New Leaf Celebrates Envirotoken Program & Over 3 Million Bags Saved

2011-09-21T12:34:00.000-07:00

Join Save Our Shores for the Envirotoken celebration party on Wednesday, September 21st, from 5-7pm at participating New Leaf stores. Save Our Shores will be at the Westside market to enjoy the festivities and share some words with the crowd.

About the Envirotoken Program

It started with a simple act by Ron Goodman so many years ago. He was shopping at New Leaf and during checkout, was asked if we wanted his 5 cents back for bringing his own reusable bag to the store.

Ron wondered how the nickels added up to anything significant and thought, "Well, if everyone could donate the nickels to environmental groups, that would feel more relevant and might actually help. So, I suggested the program and New Leaf liked it. I also suggested it to Staff of Life shortly thereafter and they started a similar program."

And the Envirotoken Program at New Leaf Community Markets was born.

Today, over 3 million bags have been saved through this program, which encourages shoppers to bring their own bag and offers them a 5 cent token to donate to local non-profits working for the environment.

Save Our Shores is a proud recipient of these donations each month and thanks the community, New Leaf, and Ron Goodman for their dedication to environmental stewardship and community support!

We love you, New Leaf!

4,584 Volunteers Keep Over 17,000 Pounds of Pollution from Entering Monterey Bay

2011-09-17T16:01:00.000-07:00

Save Our Shores (SOS) is excited to announce the results of Coastal Cleanup Day 2011 for Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties. Taking place at 81 cleanup sites from Wadell Creek in the north to the Big Sur coast in the south, Save Our Shores coordinated an impressive 4,584 volunteers during this annual cleanup event. Of the 81 cleanups, 9 were exclusively school cleanups.

See our photo album...

In Santa Cruz County, 2,882 volunteers worked at 50 cleanup sites spanning over 76 miles of beach, river, creek, river, slough and lake to remove 9,676 pounds of trash and 2,799 pounds of recyclables in just 3 hours. Totaled, that’s 12,475 pounds of pollution removed in Santa Cruz County alone.

In Monterey County, 1,702 volunteers worked at 30 cleanup sites spanning 81 miles of beach, river, creek, and lake, to remove 4,543 pounds of trash and 485 pounds of recyclables from beaches, waterways and the surface of the ocean in just 3 hours. Totaled, that’s 5,028 pounds of pollution removed in Monterey County.

Total volunteers in Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties combined: 4,584
Total trash and recyclables removed in Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties combined: 17,503

At the onset of the cleanup at Cowell Beach this morning, Save Our Shores was presented with a Mayor’s Proclamation declaring September 17, 2011, as Save Our Shores Day in the City of Santa Cruz by Santa Cruz City Council Members David Terrazas and Hilary Bryant. The Proclamation states: “The City of Santa Cruz is fortunate to have Save Our Shores as an organization in our community.” Full language of the Proclamation can be found online at: http://bit.ly/SOS-Day.

California Congressman Sam Farr spoke with volunteers at Carmel Beach this morning. “Marine debris…is a global problem,” said Sam Farr. “The neat thing about Annual Coastal Cleanup Day is that it’s an international event -volunteers in hundreds of countries are filling out the same data cards so we can get a global picture of this problem (and) SOS does a great job of coordinating this effort locally.”

Assemblymember Luis A. Alejo, at the Pajaro River cleanup, said, "It is exciting to see such a large group of Watsonville residents helping out today, understanding that the trash we find here would otherwise end up in the Monterey Bay. This is my third year doing the cleanup and it is becoming a tradition for this community to come out and help keep the trash out of the Bay."

Watsonville Mayor Daniel Dodge was also at the Pajaro River cleanup this morning. Said Mayor Dodge, "There are so many young people here today which makes me excited. Over one-third of the residents of Watsonville are under 18, so we really have the ability to live change by educating the youth."

"When thousands of local residents volunteer to clean our beaches and watersheds they demonstrate their care for what makes this area special - the Monterey Bay," said Andrew Hoeksema, Coordinator of Volunteer Programs at Save Our Shores.

“Our goal is to raise awareness about the problem trash, particularly plastics, creates in our oceans, and inspire our community to make the connection between their actions on land and the impact these actions have on our Marine Sanctuary,” says Laura Kasa, Executive Director of Save Our Shores.

Said Jason Burnett, Carmel City Council Member, came to the Carmel Beach cleanup with his 3 month old son, the youngest volunteer at Annual Coastal Cleanup Day this year. “This one mile stretch of beach gets 2 million visitors a year,” said Burnett. “We need to let people know this beach is kept clean through regular volunteer efforts like this (and that we) appreciate the good work Save Our Shores does of bringing new folks and families out to take part in these cleanups.”

Monterey County Supervisor Jane Parker, said, while at the Fort Ord Dunes cleanup this morning, “To me, the ocean is a symbol of how we are all connected. Everything we do impacts the ocean, the air, and each other, and Coastal Cleanup Day is a good time to think about that connection."

Cleanup Site Captains saw a rise in the number of volunteers who brought their own reusable buckets, bags, gloves, and water bottles to help lower the carbon footprint of Annual Coastal Cleanup Day. Save Our Shores conducts monthly cleanups in Santa Cruz County on the 3rd Saturday of each month.

Thank you, everyone, for making Annual Coastal Cleanup Day 2011 such a huge success!

September 17, 2011, is Save Our Shores Day in the City of Santa Cruz!

2011-09-16T11:10:00.000-07:00

Mayor's Proclamation from the City of Santa Cruz for

Save Our Shores Day September 17, 2011

WHEREAS SAVE OUR SHORES HAS BEEN WORKING TO PROTECT AND PRESERVE THE MONTEREY BAY FOR OVER 30 YEARS; and

WHEREAS IN 1978, SAVE OUR SHORES WAS FOUNDED TO FIGHT TO KEEP OFFSHORE OIL RIGS OUT OF MONTEREY BAY AND CENTRAL COAST WATERS; and

WHEREAS SAVE OUR SHORES HELPED TO ESTABLISH THE FEDERALLY PROTECTED MONTEREY BAY NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY, ONE OF THE WORLDS MOST DIVERSE MARINE ECOSYSTEMS; and

WHEREAS SAVE OUR SHORES WORKS TIRELESSLY TO ADVOCATE AGAINST POLLUTION IN OUR OCEAN THROUGH EDUCATION, OUTREACH, AND CITIZEN ACTION IN OUR COMMUNITY; and

WHEREAS SAVE OUR SHORES SUCCESSFULLY EDUCATES OVER 15,000 STUDENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS EACH YEAR ABOUT THE MOST PRESSING ISSUES AFFECTING OUR OCEANS AND MARINE SANCTUARY TODAY; and

WHEREAS SAVE OUR SHORES WILL COORDINATE OVER 11,000 VOLUNTEERS TO HELP REMOVE 20,000 POUNDS OF POLLUTION FROM THE BEACHES AND RIVERS SURROUNDING THE MONTEREY BAY NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY THIS YEAR; and

WHEREAS SAVE OUR SHORES IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL LEADER IN THE CITY OF SANTA CRUZ, FOUNDER OF THE CENTRAL COAST SANCTUARY ALLIANCE TO BAN PLASTIC BAGS AROUND MONTEREY BAY, AND A FOUNDING MEMBER OF THE PLASTIC POLLUTION COALITION; and

WHEREAS WITH SAVE OUR SHORES HOSTING 300 BEACH, RIVER, AND INLAND CLEANUPS IN 2011, THE CITY OF SANTA CRUZ IS THANKFUL TO HAVE THIS ORGANIZATION IN OUR COMMUNITY.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, RYAN COONERTY, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF SANTA CRUZ, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM SEPTEMBER 17, 2011 AS “SAVE OUR SHORES DAY” IN THE CITY OF SANTA CRUZ AND ENCOURAGE ALL CITIZENS TO JOIN ME IN HONORING THIS ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANIZATION FOR THEIR EFFORTS TO PROTECT THE HEALTH OF OUR SANCTUARY AND OCEAN.

RYAN COONERTY, MAYOR

Breaking News: Santa Cruz County Unanimously Approves Single-Use Bag Reduction Ordinance

2011-09-13T16:56:00.000-07:00

Just this morning, September 13th, 2011, Save Our Shores sat in the chambers of the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors, crossing our fingers that they would move forward with the local ordinance to ban single-use plastic bags from retailers and food vendors.

But we didn't know they'd be voting on it!

Save Our Shores applauds the unanimous decision by the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors today to approve a county-wide ban on single-use plastic bags from retailers and food vendors.

Why? Because plastic bags are a harmful, petroleum-based plastic product of convenience, are not biodegradable, are ingested by marine species, and are constantly found polluting the waterways and communities surrounding the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

The ordinance, originally spearheaded by Supervisor Mark Stone and diligently written by a task force that included Save Our Shores, imposes a 10 cent fee on paper bags, bans single-use plastic bags from retailers and food vendors, and encourages use of reusable bags.

Public comment and support of the ban was plentiful at the meeting this morning, where members of Save Our Shores, Environment California, Saves the Waves Coalition, Surfrider Santa Cruz Chapter, Sustainable Salinas, and citizens of the Santa Cruz community spoke in support of the ban. Carolyn Ruldolph, owner of Charlie Hong Kong restaurant, spoke in support of the ban and shared her own restaurant’s successful experience of transitioning away from single-use plastic bags.

Today, the County of Santa Cruz joins the ranks of other counties and cities in the state of California that have passed similar bans on single-use plastic bags such as the County of Los Angeles, the County of Marin, and the Cities of San Jose, Palo Alto, Los Angeles, Manhattan Beach, Oakland, Fairfax, Malibu, Long Beach, and more.

“The plastic bag problem is a state-wide issue, but because the state legislature failed to get it done, we had to move forward locally to make this happen,” said Supervisor Mark Stone at the meeting. “I thank the county staff and the task force for getting this done. In addition, SOS has been amazing and a real catalyst in this process.”

Says Laura Kasa, Executive Director of Save Our Shores, “I thank the leadership of this Board of Supervisors for taking on this issue and for diligently following through in order to protect our ocean from this harmful product.”

Save Our Shores has been working with local leaders, businesses, and residents for over two years to garner support for this ban and will continue to advocate for bans on single-use plastic bags in each jurisdiction around the Sanctuary. Contact savourshores.org for more information.

Another victory in the fight to keep plastic pollution out of our oceans, off our beaches, and away from marine life!

Thank you to everyone who helped pass this ordinance once and for all.

Donate $5 toward Annual Coastal Cleanup Day in Santa Cruz & Monterey Counties!

2011-09-07T15:28:00.000-07:00

Here on the shores of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, we ALL play a vital role in protecting our ocean. But the fact remains that hundreds of thousands of pounds of plastic, garbage, and cigarette butts continue to pollute our oceans and harm marine life at an alarming rate.

YOU can help prevent this by joining the largest volunteer event on the planet – Annual Coastal Cleanup Day on Saturday, September 17th, from 9 am – noon.

Happening at over 80 cleanup sites in Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties, Annual Coastal Cleanup Day is your opportunity to protect our beautiful Sanctuary in Monterey Bay.

To support Annual Coastal Cleanup Day in Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties, text “SOS” to the number 20222 to donate $5 toward the largest community cleanup of the year.

Visit saveourshores.org to pre-register today!

Cleanup sites include beach, river, inland, and even kayak and SCUBA sites around the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Event information, pre-registration, and cleanup site maps can be found at: saveourshores.org/acc.

"If you have enjoyed yourself on a clean and beautiful beach this summer, Annual Coastal Cleanup Day this September 17 is your opportunity to give back to the ocean. Help protect Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties' most valuable resource – our beautiful beaches and shorelines," says Andrew Hoeksema, Coordinator of Volunteer Programs at Save Our Shores.

All cleanup materials will be provided, but volunteers are encouraged to help lower the carbon footprint of this event by bringing their own bucket, reusable bags, and gloves to help reduce single-use disposables generated.

In 2010, Save Our Shores coordinated 6,043 volunteers in Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties who removed nearly 20,000 pounds of trash and recyclables from local beaches and waterways in just 3 hours, pollution that would have otherwise entered the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. With just over 100 countries participating in this massive global effort to keep pollution out of our oceans and waterways, International Coastal Cleanup Day is the single largest volunteer event on the planet.

We'll see you out there on September 17th!

Sign Up for Annual Coastal Cleanup Day September 17th!

2011-09-01T15:15:00.000-07:00

Did you know Annual Coastal Cleanup Day is the single-largest volunteer event on the planet? Come make history with Save Our Shores!

Sign up for Annual Coastal Cleanup Day on Saturday, September 17th!

This year our goal is to coordinate the largest community volunteer event the Central Coast has ever seen – a record-breaking Annual Coastal Cleanup Day in both Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties.

In 2010, a total of 6,043 Santa Cruz and Monterey County volunteers came together to prevent nearly 20,000 pounds of pollution from entering our Sanctuary at 80 cleanup sites in just three short hours. In California, an impressive 80,312 volunteers removed over 1,100,000 pounds of pollution from our beaches, rivers, and waterways. Now imagine what gets left behind…

Annual Coastal Cleanup Day 2011 will include 50 sites in Santa Cruz County and 33 sites in Monterey County. Inland and river sites often see the most trash, so consider registering for an underserved site this year. Let’s work together to protect our environment and create a more empowered, responsible community at the same time.

Want your business or group to be recognized as a steward for our oceans? Become an Event Sponsor! Email vivian@saveourshores.org today.

Want to become an environmental leader in your community? Sign up to be a Site Captain! Email andrew@saveourshores.org.

The overall success of Annual Coastal Cleanup Day depends on the leadership of our Site Captains and is a rewarding way to be an environmental leader in your community with minimal commitment. You'll attend a brief information and training session in early September, arrive early on Coastal Cleanup Day to set up your cleanup site, sign-in your volunteers, and hand out cleanup materials. Whether you are a regular beach cleanup participant or this is your first time, participating in Coastal Cleanup Day is exciting and easy. For more information contact andrew@saveourshores.org.

Pre-register online for Annual Coastal Cleanup Day here...

Bring Your Own

We are committed to reducing the environmental footprint of this event and encourage volunteers to Bring Your Own reusable bags, buckets, gloves, and reusable water bottle to lower the carbon footprint of this event.

Save Our Shores Support a Statewide Ban on Styrofoam

2011-09-01T14:59:00.000-07:00

“Capitola is a local example that bans on Styrofoam work”

We found it surprising and disappointing that the article, “California May Be First State To Ban Styrofoam Containers”, was such a negative view of the potential new state policy. Here on the Central Coast we’ve had such success with cutting down on Styrofoam litter since local bans have been put in place; since the ban in Capitola in 2007, Save Our Shores has documented a 50% decrease in the amount of Styrofoam take out containers in our beach cleanups. Restaurants and customers adapted well to the ban. No restaurant closed due to having to switch to environmentally friendly food containers, no customers decided to travel to some ban-free town to eat so that they could take their leftovers home in a Styrofoam container. The reality is there are alternatives to Styrofoam that are readily available, reasonable in cost and more practical (it’s not safe to heat Styrofoam in the microwave as it leaches the toxins into the food – how inconvenient is that?!).

By living in an ocean community, we are responsible for making sure we have a positive impact on our environment in order to ensure our community maintains strong environmental, human and economic health. Who wants Capitola Beach littered with small pieces of Styrofoam which may have come from foam cups, bowls or plates that were brought to the beach for a picnic? So as the Mayor of Capitola, I decided it was time to take the next step and propose a ban on all Styrofoam products sold within the city. Laura Kasa of SOS joined me today as we met with over 20 businesses to discuss the impact the ban would have on them. We visited Rite-Aid, Bevmo, Savemart, Nob Hill, CVS, FedEx, and others and received a positive response from every store manager we met. They all nodded in agreement, that it made sense to expand the ordinance from just take out containers to the retail products they sold in their stores. More than one store manager said, “Great, I hate Styrofoam, I’m happy to get it out of my store”.

Based on this information gathering, we find it absurd that the state would have a hard time passing a ban on just Styrofoam take out containers that won’t even go into effect until 2016. How can it be that 5 years is not enough time for anywhere in this state to phase out this harmful material? As Capitola shows, the ban did work, it was possible, it was not a difficult transition, and it is leading them to moving forward on expanding it and they are getting positive feedback from businesses about it.

The state should be looking at Capitola and the entire county of Santa Cruz which is free of Styrofoam take out containers, as real life examples that these bans work and it’s the right thing to do for all of California. I’m asking that we all take one minute this week and sign a letter of support to the California Assembly by Friday. We need individuals but we also really need restaurants to send in letters of support.

Simply follow the link to sign the letter or petition...

Dennis Norton, Mayor of Capitola

Laura Jean Kasa, Executive Director, Save Our Shores

Fuel the Fight Against Plastic Pollution in our Schools AND Oceans!

2011-08-26T13:26:00.000-07:00

Did you hear the news that the American Chemistry Council's messaging made it into California textbooks?

We might not have the money or the lobbying power that the American Chemistry Council does, but we have the power to educate our youth with environmental truth, organize our community to protect and care for our environment, and to ban single-use plastic bags and polystyrene take-out containers from local jurisdiction and counties surrounding the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. And we will stop at nothing to protect our marine environment and communities from the blight of plastic pollution.

Join the fight to keep the plastic industry from polluting our schools and oceans!

Your $15 donation ensures 1 more student will see how disposable plastics negatively affect marine life. Students who participate in the Save Our Shores Plastic Pollution education program learn first hand how to protect their environment AND their health by limiting their use of disposable plastics. Please donate today!

We attained a great victory this month after grassroots activism influenced community leaders to change their course and pass a polystyrene ban in the city of Salinas. Read the Huffington Post article on our win...

We are still celebrating this victory today, but the plastic industry will stop at nothing to pollute our rivers, oceans, and classrooms with disposable plastics and consumer marketing. Immediately after this win the media released breaking news that through a mountain of pressure and influence, the American Chemistry Council achieved a great feat of their own - the inclusion of pro-plastic language in textbooks and workbooks around the nation. Read the article on the issue and Save Our Shores' response...

Join us! Donate to fight plastic pollution in our classrooms and oceans today!

Grandma, What Was Styrofoam? An Environmental Victory in Salinas, California

2011-08-24T14:43:00.000-07:00

Authored by guest blogger Dr. Wallace J. Nichols, Save Our Shores Board member and marine biologist:

Four years ago on a summer night I stood in line at a Capitola, California City Council meeting with my friend Laura Kasa the brand new Executive Director of Save Our Shores. We were waiting our turns, along with dozens of other citizens, to share our allotted three minutes about why a styrofoam ban made sense. Kids, parents, restauranteurs, marine biologists like myself and ocean advocates like Laura each added a grain of sand to the heap of facts, opinions and passionate pleas for our coast and ocean.

If you had to take a poll right then and there, you’d say styrofoam (technically it's expanded polystyrene, or EPS, a kind of plastic) was on its way out.

But then a man in a suit and tie – the only person in the room dressed so formally – stood up. He had listened to what many in this idyllic seaside surf community wanted and had patiently waited all night for his turn to let the council know what the plastics industry wanted.

With the convincing deftness, confidence and experience of a million dollar trial lawyer he described the environmental virtues, future plans for recycling and wholesomeness of a life more plastic. He warned that a ban would cause businesses to fail and mom and pop establishments to suffer. Jobs were on the line if we excluded expanded polystyrene from the menu, and no politician wants to be responsible for killing jobs, right?

His job complete (and secure) he exited through the rear door and headed for another such council meeting.

The city council voted to make its 18-year-old voluntary ban mandatory but delayed implementation for three months to conduct surveys about enforcement and compliance. The ban eventually went into full effect and has worked out well for (almost) everyone.

Four years later, down the road in Salinas, California, Laura Kasa stood in front of the City Council as they considered their own ban on EPS containers. This time there was no man in a suit behind her. This time Kasa had four years more experience and a boatload more political savvy. And while most would have said that the inland, agricultural community of Salinas would be one of the last places to adopt a ban and that the anti-plastic pollution momentum along the coast wouldn’t reach the valley, Kasa made her own momentum.

The Californian newspaper quoted her saying that "groups opposed to the ban risk isolating themselves and becoming irrelevant in this new environmentally driven, high-tech economy, and Salinas can't risk such a narrow vision for its future. By passing the polystyrene ban, the City of Salinas will be taking a huge step forward, and making a statement that Salinas is a leader, not a follower".

A month prior, this meeting had to be postponed. It was rumored the industry lobbyists were trying to get closed door meetings with the mayor. And DART, one of the biggest manufacturers of EPS take out containers, was trying to convince the council members to tour their recycling facility – their preferred, tired and failed solution to the global mess made by their products.

That delay turned out to be just what Kasa and Save Our Shores needed. Through serendipity, she met Matthew Spiegl at a screening of an ocean film, who was interested in the issue and introduced her to folks at the Chamber of Commerce and Restaurant Association, the Old Town Salinas Association and the mayor. A letter writing campaign, non-stop networking, and a flood of media followed.

At the meeting that Thursday night 22 people spoke in support of the ban. The mayor was surprised – he had rarely seen the council chambers filled with members of the public.

“For the first time in 5 years of attending these meetings, the American Chemistry Council didn’t send their reps in suits, Dart Corporation and the Restaurant Association didn’t show up. The council voted 6-1 to pass it and I’m still in shock. It just goes to show you that sometimes a grassroots effort is the only way to make the right thing happen in a community,” said Kasa.

Some day, not too far in the future, your kids and grandkids may ask you questions like “what was styrofoam?” and “what’s a gas station?”

When that happens, tell them the story about the city council meetings in Capitola, Salinas and a growing list of communities around the world.

Tell them about how plastic used to blow and float around on the land and in the ocean. And tell them about how it used to wind up in the stomachs of animals like baby albatrosses and sea turtles. Tell them about oil spills and tar balls, smog and climate change.

Then tell them how people got organized, pulled together the best research and made smart changes to clean up our planet. Tell them how scientists and engineers figured out how to make the same containers out of materials that turn into soil when we are done using them or can be reused over and over and over again. Tell them about fearless and tireless advocates for our coast and ocean like Laura Kasa and Save Our Shores' founding director Dan Haifley.

The Salinas City Council meeting was an important tipping point in the fight to keep plastic pollution out of the ocean. In a city where jobs and budgets are tightly guarded, industry lobbyists voices are loud, issues more urgent than styrofoam abound, and environmentalists are few and far between, a clear decision was made to vote for health, community and a cleaner planet.

Some day, we will live in petroleum-free communities, free of plastic pollution. These are the first steps – these small revolutions – that are building towards that vision. Show some gratitude to the advocates, activists and decision-makers who are leading us in that direction.

Wallace J. Nichols, PhD

www.wallacejnichols.org

Board Member of SaveOurShores.org

Read this article on Huffington Post...

Victory! Salinas Approves Ban on Polystyrene Foam Take-Out Containers

2011-08-17T16:37:00.001-07:00

Breaking News August 17, 2011:

Save Our Shores applauds the decision by the Salinas City Council last night to approve a ban on polystyrene foam take-out containers from food vendors. Polystyrene foam, also known as Styrofoam, is a harmful, petroleum-based, plastic material that is not biodegradable, is ingested by marine species, and is constantly found polluting the waterways surrounding the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

The ban passed 6-1 among the City Council members. Of the 19 people who spoke in support of the ban were Save Our Shores, Surfrider, Sustainable Salinas, Sustainable Monterey County, community activist Matthew Spiegl, and Carolyn Rudolph, owner of the restaurant Charlie Hong Kong, which has used biodegradable, ocean-friendly take-out containers for years. Old Town Salinas and the Salinas Chamber of Commerce were also in support of the ban that has taken three years to finally pass into law in Salinas.

Salinas, the largest city in Monterey County, was the last major city around Monterey Bay to pass a ban on polystyrene. Salinas follows the lead of Monterey, Carmel, Pacific Grove, Seaside, Del Rey Oaks, Santa Cruz, Half Moon Bay, and the counties of Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Mateo, and others, in passing this ban.

Salinas Mayor Dennis Donohue summed up the issue, “This is important to a lot of people in the community and we have postponed this long enough. The national chain restaurants will be just fine. They understand this is going on statewide.”

Save Our Shores has been working with local leaders, businesses, and residents of Salinas for weeks to garner support for the ban. Save Our Shores will continue to advocate for bans on polystyrene take-out containers and will not rest until each jurisdiction and county around the Sanctuary bans this harmful material.

“This shows just how powerful and necessary a grassroots movement can,” says Laura Kasa, Executive Director of Save Our Shores. “Salinas did exactly what we said it could do - make a statement that Salinas is a leader.”

Banning polystyrene take-out containers helps create an economic support system for a flourishing coastal economy while providing protections for our fisheries, marine animals, and environment from the ever growing problem of plastic pollution in our ocean.

SOS Pushes for Polystyrene Ban in City of Salinas

2011-08-16T11:06:00.000-07:00

Save Our Shores has been working tirelessly to garner support for a much-needed ban on polystyrene (Styrofoam) take-out containers in the City of Salinas. Executive Director Laura Kasa, along with Program Coordinator Lauren Gilligan, have been pounding the pavement, so to speak, going business to business in order to dispel any myths, answer questions, and advocate for support of this important ordinance.

We have also been gathering petition signatures for over a year now through the Save Our Shores sytrofoam ban webpage, as well as taking part in City Council meetings and talking to local media about the issue.

After being revised, tabled, and considered by the City for over two years now - our efforts are paying off, as the City of Salinas will finally make vote on the ordinance this afternoon.

Save Our Shores, along with other supporters of this critical marine protection, are asking YOU to join us at the Salinas City Council meeting at 4pm TODAY, August 16th, in Salinas City Hall, 200 Lincoln Avenue in Salinas.

In the state of California, 47 cities and counties have already enacted their own bans on polystyrene take-out containers, including the cities of Carmel, Pacific Grove, Seaside, Monterey, Del Rey Oaks, Santa Cruz, Half Moon Bay, the counties of Santa Cruz, San Mateo, and Monterey so on.

“It’s not only marine life we’re concerned about. It’s a human health issue,” says Laura Kasa of Santa Cruz-based Save Our Shores. “Why shouldn’t Salinas be banning a toxic material when all these surrounding cities have done it?” 

The advocacy energy is in the air this week!

Read the press:

The Dirty Truth about Polystrene:

Not only do marine species commonly mistake floating pieces of Styrofoam for food, but workers involved in the polystyrene manufacturing process are exposed to toxic chemicals that increase risks of lymphoma, leukemia, lung tumors, and numerous other forms of cancer.
Our public health is at risk! The carcinogenic chemical Styrene used in polystyrene take-out containers migrates from container to food and beverage when heat, acidity, or fatty foods are involved.
In California, 47 cities and counties have already enacted their own bans on polystyrene (Styrofoam) take-out containers, including Carmel, Pacific Grove, Seaside, Monterey, Del Rey Oaks, Santa Cruz, Half Moon Bay, and so on.
Save Our Shores strongly supports this important piece of legislation because it will help keep this problematic piece of pollution off of our beaches and out of our ocean and watersheds where it continually harms marine life and the ocean food chain.

Join us for the Toast to the Coast Celebration on Aug. 21st!

2011-08-03T19:00:00.000-07:00

Toast to the Coast tickets are ON SALE NOW!

When: Sunday, August 21, from 5 -9 pm

Where: Seascape Beach Resort in Aptos

Please join Save Our Shores and your blue ocean community for the 2011 Toast to the Coast celebration on August 21st. You'll enjoy sweeping views of Monterey Bay, sip on locally produced beer and wine, and delight in a traditional, sustainable clambake dinner that includes vegetarian options. Watch the sunset on the bay then kick off your shoes to dance the night away!

Purchase tickets today!

Our popular Toast to the Coast Raffle is bigger than ever this year! Don't miss your chance to win these incredible Grand Prizes:

A private charter sail on the Chardonnay II for you and 48 friends
A week's stay in a luxury, townhome on the beautiful island of Kauai, HI
A 3 day Worldwide Diving Adventures vacation in the Southern Channel Islands of California
A week's stay at a 4-bedroom home with private dock on Lake Tahoe's breathtaking north shore
A year's worth of gift certificates to the Well Within Spa of Santa Cruz

Raffle Ticket Holders DO NOT need to be present to win. We will notify you of your prize right away!

Purchase raffle tickets by:

Mailing in the Raffle Ticket Request Form
Purchasing tickets at the SOS office during business hours
Emailing info@saveourshores.org or calling 831.462.5660, ext. 1 to request tickets

The 2011 Toast to the Coast will honor Dan Haifley with our Ocean Hero Award, Charlie Hong Kong as Business of the Year, and Scott Malsom as Volunteer of the Year! We are honored to award these individuals and business for their efforts to promote healthy oceans and a thriving Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary!

Pressure Mounts Over City of Salinas Styrofoam Ban

2011-08-03T16:10:00.000-07:00

Editorial by Matthew Spiegl, Salinas Attorney and Community Activist:

LITTER OR LETTUCE?

Polystyrene beach litter is set to surpass lettuce as the City of Salinas’ biggest visible export if the Salinas Valley Chamber of Commerce and a small handful of other “anti-government” individuals and disinterested City Councilmembers get their way.

The Counties of Monterey and Santa Cruz already have bans on polystyrene foam food containers, as do the Cities of Monterey, Pacific Grove, Carmel, Seaside, Del Rey Oaks, Santa Cruz, Capitola, Watsonville, and Scotts Valley. Despite the bans that are already in place in these near-ocean cities, polystyrene litter continues to wreak havoc with the shoreline and marine life of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. As the biggest City on the Central Coast, Salinas also looks to be the biggest single source of the polystyrene litter that is making its way onto the beaches and into the waters of the Marine Sanctuary itself. There are people in the City of Salinas who can put pencil to paper, but who still lack the vision to see how a polystyrene ban can enhance the image of the City. The Monterey Bay Aquarium and the Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce certainly understand how Salinas’ polystyrene litter problem directly affects their image and, unlike the Salinas Chamber, are voicing their support to the Mayor and City Council asking that the City of Salinas support and pass the proposed ban.

I had the good fortune to meet Laura Kasa of Save Our Shores over the Fourth of July weekend. When she asked me if I could help her get connected with some folks in Salinas and businesses who will support a ban on polystyrene foam food containers, I couldn't say no. From there the synergy just flowed between us to drive this polystyrene ban toward passage, and along the way, we have drawn in more new people with each new meeting.

There is a real renaissance taking place in Salinas with new leaders in elected office, private business, civic organizations and at the neighborhood level as well. This is about the residents taking their city back and reclaiming their neighborhoods and insisting on progressive policies toward the environment and the economy as coexistent, not competing, interests. This is about environmental justice and it is not extreme, it is mainstream, and it is the new face of "Main Street" all across California. It is time to start thinking of Salinas as a "Gateway" to the Bay and the National Marine Sanctuary. It is time to step up to our stewardship responsibility, to embrace the coast as our own, and to protect it. It is good for our image as a City, it is good for the environment, it is good for the economy,

it is most definitely good for the health and future of our children, and it is good for Big Ag as well - people want to see slices of radicchio in their salad, not bits and pieces of polystyrene plastic.

Groups opposed to the ban risk isolating themselves and becoming irrelevant in this new environmentally driven, high-tech economy, and Salinas can't risk such a narrow vision for its future. We need to adopt bold strategies, and look to such innovative and forward thinking organizations as the Silicon Valley Leadership Group for a new way of thinking, and a new model for success. By passing the polystyrene ban, the City of Salinas will be taking a huge step forward, and making a statement that Salinas is a leader, not a follower.

Please attend the Salinas City Council Meeting on Tuesday, August 16^th to voice your support.

Editorial by Matthew Spiegl, Salinas Attorney and Community Activist

With help from Laura Kasa, Executive Director, Save Our Shores

Get Your Groove on With Shady Groove and Slugs N' Roses this Sat, July 30th!

2011-07-27T14:39:00.000-07:00

Shady Groove & Slugs-N-Roses Benefit Show for SOS

When: Sat, July 30, 7:30pm

Where: Don Quixotes, Felton (map)

The Wheel Company presents Shady Groove and Slugs-N-Roses for their first ever concert benefit for Save Our Shores up at beautiful Don Quixotes in Felton!

Get your tickets in advance at Streetlight Records or Don Quixotes, or right there at the door during the night of the event, then prepare to get your groove on in the name of clean beaches and ocean conservation around Monterey Bay!

Save Our Shores thanks The Wheel Company for their generous contributions through this fun, informal community fundraising event!

Great News: CA Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Bag Bans

2011-07-22T14:12:00.000-07:00

Last week, on July 14th, the California Supreme Court ruled in favor of the City of Manhattan Beach in the case challenging their city's ban on single-use plastic bags.

This monumental ruling proclaims that state of California law does not make it mandatory for a city to complete a full Environmental Impact Report (EIR) prior to legally imposing a bag ban. This is excellent news for the many jurisdictions that have delayed moving forward with bag bans due to the threat of being sued by the Save Our Plastic Bag Coalition, a key lobbying group for the plastics industry, of course.

The CA Supreme Court's unanimous decision to support the City of Manhattan Beach's decision to enact a bag ban will make enactment of such bag bans more affordable and timely in the future, as EIR's can cost upwards of $100,000 to conduct and often take a year or more to complete.

As long as local bans include a fee on single-use paper bags, the ordinances are seen as a push toward reusable bags, instead of simply just a move away from plastic bags. The County of Santa Cruz and City of Santa Cruz are both working on similar ordinances that would impose a 5-cent fee on paper bags, with exclusions built in for low-income shoppers.

Decreasing and stopping use of single-use plastic bags as well as paper bags is the ultimate goal to make a positive impact on our environment.

With statistics claiming merely 2-5% of the billions upon billions of single-used plastic bags used in the US being recycled, the new green-living mantra is:

REDUCE. REFUSE. REUSE.

Take Action to ban single-use plastic bags around Monterey Bay!

Learn more about plastic pollution...

Learn more about SOS' efforts to ban single-use plastic bags...

Santa Cruz Derby Girls Support Save Our Shores July 23rd!

2011-07-19T17:50:00.000-07:00

The Santa Cruz Derby Girls have quickly become a local treasure here in the Cruz. Their stands are packed, their fans are loyal, and the Derby Girls will stop at nothing to support their ocean side community here on Monterey Bay.

On Saturday, July 23rd, the Santa Cruz Derby Girls will benefit Save Our Shores during their 'bout' at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium. The event will be a fun night for locals and visitors alike, with proceeds benefiting your favorite non-profit!

Find out more here...

Get your tickets today!

Save Our Shores has been in clean beaches cahoots with the Derby Girls for some time now, as they are one of our most well known Adopt-a-Beach groups. Their adopted beach? Main Beach in Santa Cruz - and boy does it need the clean beaches energy now! Thousands of visitors to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and Main Beach leave this popular tourist destination littered with plastic bottles, bags, Styrofoam coolers, cigarette butts, and so much more.

We are honored to have the Derby Girls on our team. Check them out on Saturday, July 23rd, at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium for the 'bout' between the Boardwalk Bombshells and the Heartless Heathers from the Rose City Rollers.

July 15th is the Covewater Classic Film Screening at the Rio Theater

2011-07-08T10:04:00.000-07:00

Check out the Covewater Classic Film Screening on July 15th - a benefit night for Save Our Shores!

When: Friday, July 15th, 6:30-9:30pm

Where: The Rio Theater in Santa Cruz

As part of the First Annual Covewater Classic, Northern California Stand Up Paddle Championships, Covewater SUP will also host the Covewater Classic Film Screening on Friday, July 15th. Join us at the Rio Theater for a fun night out in Santa Cruz!

The first film, Destination 3 Degrees, addresses the plastic pollution issue in our oceans while chronicling the SUP journey taken by two women in the Hawaiian islands. The second film, Take Tahoe Circumnavigation, will take you on a ride on California's most stunning alpine lake.

Thanks to Scott Rubble, owner of Covewater, proceeds from the film screening will be generously donated to Save Our Shores to further our ocean conservation efforts right here on the Monterey Bay.

From Covewater SUP: "While hundreds of surf movies have made their Northern California debut at the beloved Rio Theatre over the decades, this night will be a first of its kind—a stand up paddling movie premiere night. Please join us and the rest of the ocean-loving paddling community for an event that will always be 'the first SUP movie night' in Nor Cal!"

Find event info here...

Taking Back our Beaches With Pollution Prevention over the Fourth of July Weekend

2011-07-05T13:33:00.000-07:00

It started on July 2nd this year, with a group of costume-clad ocean advocates dancing and waving signs on Ocean Street in Santa Cruz...

We greeted visitors to Santa Cruz in a fun manner with positive messaging, reminding them that the beaches around Monterey Bay are a treasure for locals, marine animals, and visitors alike - and that we must all work together to protect this Sanctuary we have here in our backyards.

We made the evening news (on TWO stations) and the Save Our Shores Pollution Prevention message spread like wildfire. Catch another glimpse in this video...

On July 4th, 28 dedicated volunteers hit the beaches to further spread the Pollution Prevention message. The teams of volunteers handed out over 1,600 trash and recycling bags to beach goers in a few shorts hours, and reached nearly 5,000 beach-goers that day! We are very impressed. July 4th Pollution Prevention efforts continually prove to be an important tool for stemming the tide of pollution left behind by the thousands of visitors to our area’s beaches each holiday. Check out this article on July 4th...

Then, on July 5th, from 8-10am, 263 volunteers in Santa Cruz and Monterey gathered on our beaches for the Star Spangled Beach Cleanup.

Thanks to our volunteers, we prevented a total of 1,657 pounds of pollution from entering our Sanctuary and harming marine wildlife. Check out our YouTube video from the cleanup...

The top 3 dirtiest beaches were all in Santa Cruz County. In order, determined by total poundage removed on July 5th only: Seabright Beach, Main/Cowell Beach, and Panther Beach.

"SOS has been running July 4th and 5th efforts in Santa Cruz for several years and we've found that our pollution prevention efforts on July 4th decreases the total amount of trash left behind on local beaches. We've also seen an increase in cleanup volunteers on July 5th,” says Emily Glanville, program manager for Save Our Shores, “and are excited to bring this same success to Monterey County. We hope to continue to see more stewardship of our Sanctuary from locals and visitors alike."

"Today was the second largest beach cleanup of the year on the Monterey Bay, removing 1,386 pounds of trash and 271 pounds of recycling from our beaches. Thank you to all of the ocean heroes who got up early to remove a total of 1,657 pounds of pollution from our beaches today,” says Andrew Hoeksema, coordinator of volunteer programs at Save Our Shores.

The July 5th beach cleanup took place this year in Santa Cruz County at Davenport Main, Panther, Cowell/Main, Seabright, Twin Lakes, Moran Lake, and Seacliff/Rio Del Mar beaches. In Monterey County the Star Spangled Beach Cleanup took place at Del Monte Beach, Monterey State Beach, and Carmel Beach.

The fun never ends at Save Our Shores, voted Best Non-Profit in the Santa Cruz Weekly’s Gold Awards of 2011, 2nd Best Activist Group in the Good Times Santa Cruz’s Best of 2011 poll, and Best Non-Profit in the Good Times Santa Cruz Best of 2010 poll.

Want to help protect and preserve the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary?

Donate to Save Our Shores today!

Marine Protected Areas - Our Underwater State Parks

2011-06-28T12:31:00.000-07:00

Here on California's Central Coast, we are lucky to have a number of beneficial environmental protections that were put into place to preserve our natural environment and/or promote our wildlife. The Central Coast Marine Protected Areas are one of them.

In 2007, 29 Marine Protected Areas were established for the Central Coast, otherwise known as MPAs. Of these 29 areas, 13 are State Marine Reserves, 13 are State Marine Conservation Areas, 2 are State Marine Parks, and 1 is a State Marine Recreational Management Area. Together, these MPAs account for 18% of the marine environment included in the area known as the Central Coast region of MPAs.

Many would be surprised to learn that some of their favorite natural places are actually included in the Central Coast MPAs, such as Ano Nuevo, Natural Bridges State Park, Elkhorn Slough, the Monterey Peninsula, and the beautiful Big Sur coastline.

A trip to Ano Nuevo State Park in the winter months has the power to get just about anyone thinking about marine protections and wildlife of the Central Coast. With the largest breeding colony of northern elephant seals in the US, Ano Nuevo has become a safe haven for these endangered species, and onlookers just might never be the same after their first experience with the elephant seals there. The waters of Ano Nuevo also host a large concentration of great white sharks (look out, elephant seal pups!), attract sea lions and harbor seals, and support amazing tidepools along the shoreline that house more than 300 species of invertebrates!

South of Santa Cruz lies another natural wonder of the Central Coast: Elkhorn Slough. Elkhorn Slough is a Marine Protected Area, specifically a State Marine Reserve and State Marine Conservation Area, and includes the adjacent Moro Cojo Slough State Marine Reserve. This environment is breathtaking any time of the year, but receives many visitors during the warmer months who are eager to get out on a kayak and experience the plethora of species that call Elkhorn Slough home. This estuary is one of the few coastal wetlands remaining in the state of California, second in size to San Francisco Bay.

We hope you'll support your local MPAs by paying them a visit this year!

Save Our Shores has been educating the public about MPAs for some time, including gathering signatures to support MPAs in other regions of the state like Southern and Northern California. We have also given nature walks at Natural Bridges State Parks on the topic of MPAs, and continue to educate our youth in the classrooms about these important marine protections.

Find out more about MPAs on our website...

Join Hands Across the Sand on Sat, June 25th to say NO to Offshore Oil Drilling

2011-06-16T13:22:00.000-07:00

Unite Against Offshore Oil Drilling

Hands Across the Sand is a grassroots movement of citizens, business owners, and elected officials uniting on beaches worldwide to support CLEAN ENERGY NOW and to say NO TO OFFSHORE OIL DRILLING.

Meet us at Cowell/Main Beach on Saturday, June 25th at 11:30am where we will gather and join hands at 12 Noon to unite against offshore oil drilling.

The Santa Cruz community and all those in favor of clean energy, a healthy marine environment, and the end to offshore oil drilling are encouraged to attend this worldwide, annual event.

Hands Across The Sand 2010 was the largest international protest against offshore oil drilling in the history of the world, where participants gathered in all 50 states and in 43 countries to support clean energy. This is not a political movement; it is about the protection of our coastal economies, our oceans, our marine wildlife and fisheries. The accidents that continue to happen in offshore oil drilling are a threat to the future of all life on this planet, and expanding offshore oil drilling is not the answer. The time for clean energy is now.

Join Hands Across The Sand at 11:30am on Saturday, June 25^th on Cowell Beach in Santa Cruz to take part in history in the making. Unite against offshore oil drilling with Save Our Shores and Surfrider Santa Cruz.

We Want YOU to Volunteer for Clean Beaches this July 4th and 5th!

2011-06-09T15:46:00.000-07:00

Join forces with the I Heart Clean Beaches Crew to spread the positive Clean Beaches message over the busy Fourth of July holiday. Here's how:

Be part of the solution - Volunteer for Pollution Prevention on July 4th:
You'll hit the beaches from 1-5pm to educate beach-goers how to properly dispose of and recycle their trash while handing out trash and recycling bags. In 2010, Save Our Shores volunteers handed out 1,600 bags to beach-goers!

And on July 5th - Volunteer for Star Spangled Beach Cleanup, the 2nd largest beach cleanup of the year:

In Santa Cruz:
Davenport Main Beach
Panther Beach
Main.Cowell Beach
Seabright State Beach
Moran Lake Beach
Seacliff/Rio Del Mar Beach

In Monterey:

Del Monte Beach/Wharf #2
Monterey State Beach
Carmel Beach

Register Online Today!!

Why do we do it? Year after year, traditions of fireworks, picnics, and the long, beach-going Fourth of July holiday weekend leaves our beautiful beaches completely trashed and polluted, harming marine life and public health.

In 2008, in addition to our annual July 5th beach cleanup, we launched our Pollution Prevention is Patriotic efforts on July 4th. We're pleased to report our efforts are working! Because our volunteers now hand out thousands of trash and recycling bags on our beaches every 4th of July and spread the Pollution Prevention message, we've seen a steep decline in the amount of trash found polluting our beaches during our July 5th Star Spangled Beach Cleanups.

Last year, our July 5th volunteers removed 3,150 lbs. of pollution from just 6 Santa Cruz beaches in 3 hours. It's essential we work together to Take Action for pollution prevention this holiday weekend.

Statewide Styrofoam Ban Passes Senate, Move to Assembly for Next Vote

2011-06-08T10:26:00.000-07:00

Were excited to report that the California State Senate passed SB 568 last week, the bill to ban polystyrene (Styrofoam) take-out containers state-wide. This important bill passed on a bipartisan 21-15 vote and now heads to the State Assembly.

Save Our Shores has been advocating on behalf of SB 568 for months. We urge all those concerned about the health of our oceans and the plastic pollution plaguing our waterways to Take Action to support SB 568 as it moves to the State Assembly.

Fifty jurisdictions in California have already banned styrofoam take-out containers, including Santa Cruz, Half Moon Bay, and Santa Monica. Lets work together to pass a uniform, state-wide ban by the end of this year!

Why ban polystyrene take-out containers in California?

In most cities, polystyrene cannot be recycled and it is never compostable.
Polystyrene never fully biodegrades and thus easily become litter, costing communities economically and environmentally.
Not only do marine species commonly mistake floating pieces of Styrofoam for food, but workers involved in the polystyrene manufacturing process are exposed to toxic chemicals that increase risks of lymphoma, leukemia, lung tumors, and numerous other forms of cancer.
Our public health is at risk! The carcinogenic chemical Styrene used in polystyrene take-out containers migrates from container to food and beverage when heat, acidity, or fatty foods are involved.
In California, 50 cities and counties have already enacted their own bans on polystyrene (Styrofoam) take-out containers.
Save Our Shores strongly supports this important piece of legislation because it will help keep this problematic piece of pollution off of our beaches and out of our ocean and watersheds where it continually harms marine life and the ocean food chain.

For more information, check out this fact sheet from Clean Water Action...

Our environment & marine species are completely inundated with polystyrene (Styrofoam). YOU can help stop this unnecessary form of plastic pollution from reaching our oceans & watersheds by Taking Action to support SB 568 today!

Brown Pelicans of the Central Coast Starving for Food

2011-06-08T10:04:00.000-07:00

On the evening of June 1st, Laura Kasa, Executive Director of Save Our Shores, and Margaret Collins, owner of Kayak Connection in Santa Cruz, were playing beach volleyball as usual on the courts of Main Beach adjacent to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.

Something out of the ordinary caught their attention: a brown pelican searching for food, literally poking through bags looking for anything that might help quench it's starvation. Security staff from the Boardwalk attempted to remove and 'shoo' the pelican, but it just crossed the street and continued on its course.

Laura called Native Animal Rescue (NAR) to report the pelican and receive instructions from Molly, the Director of NAR, on how to properly handle the bird and bring it in to their facility. The pair grabbed a blanket from Margaret's car, went back to the pelican, and dropped the blanked over it so it became still. They then picked up the bird and put it in the car and drove it over to Native Animal Rescue on 17th Avenue in Santa Cruz.

The pelican was checked out at the facility and was found to be severely underweight. NAR said three other pelicans in the same condition were recently brought in, and that normally these pelicans do not come to our area until late August. The reason they are here now is because they are searching for food, unable to find enough fish and nutrition at sea.

Native Animal Rescue fed the starving brown pelican and requested a volunteer to drive the birds up to Fairfield, CA, where the International Bird Rescue facility treats the birds and then releases them back into the wild in areas more abundant with food.

For information on how to handle a wild animal in distress and bring it to the Native Animal Rescue facility, or to support or volunteer for NAR, please visit their website: http://www.nativeanimalrescue.org/

History 101: Save Our Shores' fight against oil drilling in 1986

2011-05-31T11:56:00.000-07:00

Dan Haifley is a leader in ocean conservation and has worked hard for the Santa Cruz community to keep our ocean and beaches clean for years now. From 1986-1993, Dan served as Executive Director of Save Our Shores and is now the Executive Director of the O'Neil Sea Odyssey where he runs education programs for children about marine stewardship aboard the O'Neil catamaran. Dan recently wrote an editorial in the Santa Cruz Sentinel about the fight against offshore oil drilling that he was involved in with Save Our Shores back in 1986. It is a great read and really highlights our fight for ocean conservation on the Central Coast. Thanks Dan for all of your hard work!

Dan Haifley, Our Ocean Backyard: Monterey Bay Sanctuary emerged from offshore oil fight - Santa Cruz Sentinel 5/28/2011

California's beautifully complex coastline features rock outcroppings, sandy beaches, tidepools and wetlands. It is also defined by what we don't see: along much of it, there are no offshore oil platforms.

A reason for this is that a string of coastal communities was encouraged by a then little-known organization called Save Our Shores to approve laws that restricted the development of onshore facilities necessary for offshore drilling.

The local groups that campaigned to approve these measures provided evidence of a statewide movement to protect the ocean and coast. What they didn't know at the time is that the waves they created would help to persuade a U.S. president running for re-election a few years later to grant the strongest protections ever achieved. In 1992, then-President George H.W. Bush granted permanent protection to much of California's Central Coast.

Before we continue, a little history is in order.

In 1985, 82 percent of Santa Cruz City voters voted to require that any zoning changes to accommodate onshore facilities for offshore oil must be approved by a vote of the electorate, and to lead the fight against drilling on California's Central Coast. Save Our Shores, which had worked since 1978 on coastal issues including offshore oil, was tapped to take on that fight and I was hired to coordinate it.

The federal government controls the right to lease areas for drilling from 3 miles to 200 miles offshore and the state controls it from the mean high tide line to 3 miles. Local government, however, has zoning power within its own boundaries.

A strategy to deal with offshore oil by scrutinizing the onshore facilities need to operate them was developed by Gary Patton, John Laird, Mardi Wormhoudt, Kim Tschantz and others. To implement that strategy, I traveled California to promote the approval of laws similar to Santa Cruz's. Ultimately 26 cities and counties from San Diego to Humboldt approved them - most were passed overwhelming by local voters. The oil industry took notice and filed a lawsuit against the first 13 communities. With legal guidance from then-Supervisor Gary Patton and attorney Roger Beers, the local governments prevailed.

The fight against offshore oil ultimately dovetailed with then-U.S. Rep. Leon Panetta's work to establish a marine sanctuary in Monterey Bay.

The 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill had motivated Congress to approve legislation allowing the formation of marine sanctuaries, and the California Coastal Commission began to work for such status for Monterey Bay.

After his election to Congress in 1976, Panetta began work on that effort.

In 1988 he secured congressional authorization for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to begin the planning for a marine sanctuary at Monterey Bay.

Panetta had obtained a yearly freeze on funds for offshore leasing until 1986, when that effort failed by one vote. With the coastline suddenly vulnerable, marine sanctuary status provided an opportunity for permanent protection.

To seize it, the Environmental Working Group was formed in 1988 to promote the largest boundary and strongest protections. Representing Save Our Shores, I served as its co-chair, along with Rachel Saunders of the Center for Marine Conservation, now called the Ocean Conservancy.

My next column: How Monterey Bay became the center of the largest marine sanctuary in the continental United States. Dan Haifley is executive director of O'Neill Sea Odyssey. He can be reached at dhaifley@oneillseaodyssey.org.

This is the projected area for oil rigs in Santa Cruz, can you imagine if our coastline was littered with oil rigs?

Kickoff the Summer for Clean Beaches on June 8th in Monterey!

2011-05-23T11:57:00.000-07:00

What: Kickoff the Summer for Clean Beaches happy hour

When: Wednesday, June 8th, from 5-7 pm

Where: Light & Motion, 300 Cannery Row, Monterey

On Wednesday, June 8th, from 5-7pm, join Save Our Shores to celebrate World Oceans Day and kickoff the upcoming season of spreading ocean awareness, encouraging advocacy, and motivating citizens to take action for the ocean in Monterey County.

This happy hour event is hosted by Light and Motion on Cannery Row. Come meet other local ocean lovers and activists and learn how YOU can act locally to make a difference for the ocean in your own backyard.

Light appetizers, beer, and wine from local businesses will be served at this free event.

View the June-8-Kickoff-party-flyer...

Half Moon Bay Approves City-Wide Ban on Polystyrene Take-Out Containers

2011-05-18T16:38:00.000-07:00

Save Our Shores commends the unanimous decision by the Half Moon Bay City Council to approve a ban on polystyrene take-out containers from food vendors. Polystyrene, also known as Styrofoam, is a harmful, petroleum-based plastic material that is not biodegradable, is ingested by marine species, and is constantly found polluting the waterways surrounding the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

Today we applaud this decision as another local victory in the fight against plastic pollution and will continue to advocate for bans on polystyrene take-out containers and single-use plastic bags in each jurisdiction and county around the Sanctuary.

"Save Our Shores is thrilled with the leadership the Half Moon Bay City Council has taken with passing this ordinance," says Laura Kasa, Executive Director of Save Our Shores. "By eliminating use of harmful products such as polystyrene food containers, we will surely improve the health of our marine environment."

The Half Moon Bay ordinance will take effect on August 1, 2011, and requires all take-out food containers be made of compostable and/or biodegradable, recyclable, or reusable materials. It is the same ordinance adopted by the County of San Mateo to take effect on July 1, 2011, after the County agreed to enforce the ban during restaurant inspections if cities within San Mateo County were to adopt the very same ordinance.

The City of Half Moon Bay now joins the ranks of other cities and counties around the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary who have passed polystyrene bans including South San Francisco, San Bruno, Pacifica, Millbrae, Burlingame, Santa Cruz, Capitola, Watsonville, Monterey, Carmel, Pacific Grove, and others.

Alternatives to polystyrene take-out containers are readily available to restaurant owners, and no requests for exemptions have been reported in Santa Cruz thus far. Restaurant owners have found the transition easy, well received by their customers, and often times more cost effective.

Just like single-use plastic bags, banning polystyrene take-out containers helps create an economic support system for a flourishing coastal economy while providing protections for our fisheries, marine animals, and environment from the ever growing problem of plastic pollution in our ocean. Contact savourshores.org for more information.

Now Through the End of May: Vote for SOS in New Leaf Community Market's Envirotoken Program!

2011-05-17T13:13:00.000-07:00

I takes less than 60 seconds and means thousands of dollars of support for Save Our Shores in the end. Help keep Save Our Shores in the Envirotoken program this year!

Vote online now through the end of May to ensure Save Our Shores stays in the Envirotoken (Bring Your Own Bag program) at New Leaf Community Markets!

For the very first time, you can now vote ONLINE for your favorite organizations to become recipients of New Leaf's generous community-supported fundraising campaign. There are many organizations on the list, and in these tough economic times, Save Our Shores needs your support now more than ever.

We will continue to lead our community in pollution prevention efforts all year long, to raise awareness about the critical issues facing our marine environment today, to advocate for bans on single-use plastic bags and styrofoam take-out containers all around the Sanctuary, to educate our youth in the classrooms and the field, and run the largest community cleanups on the Central Coast.

A quick glimpse of how the Envirotoken program makes a positive impact in our community and in our environment:

Total number of bags reused: 2,812,798
Total $ contributed to local non-profits: $200,305.20
Total number of trees saved: 4,018

Vote online today!

Become a Member of Save Our Shores!

Sign our petition to ban single-use plastic bags around the Sanctuary!

Your support of Save Our Shores' local ocean conservation efforts is greatly appreciated.

Awesome cleanup effort by Cabrillo students, 4/30

2011-05-17T10:52:00.001-07:00

Save Our Shores is far from the only group in town out there cleaning beaches and talking trash. We love partnering with other local orgs and community efforts. Today, we celebrate the great work of Cabrillo College professor David Schwartz in organizing community beach and lagoon cleanups twice a year for 26 years now!

At this year's Spring Cabrillo College cleanup, our new Sanctuary Steward Scott McGilvray represented Save Our Shores and helped the group collect data using SOS data cards for their cleanup. He provided SOS with the following information:

The 26th annual Cabrillo Oceanography dept. cleanup of Corcoran Lagoon and surrounding beaches was a party. It began at 9 am in the parking lot of KSCO, with coffee, fruit, bagels and cool music from the Beach Bums ukelele, guitar and bass band. The group, totaling over 100 volunteers, took off at 9:40 a.m. and stretched out from Corcoran Lagoon along the streets, trails, rivers and beaches to Pleasure Pt. and Sunny Cove. Before noon volunteers reassembled for sorting and weighing of the trash, photos and 26 pizzas from Woodstocks and Pleasure Pt. Pizza, and beverages from Trader Joe's and Jamba Juice.

Total, those volunteers collected 460 lbs of trash and 180 lbs of recycling. Included in that were 43 plastic bags and 614 cigarette butts, two of SOS' primary target pollution items for removing from the waste and litter stream.

Thanks to Scott, Dr. Schartz and all the volunteers who participated in this event and helped to make it possible.

Charlie Hong Kong Goes Plastic Bag Free for Earth Day!

2011-05-11T12:29:00.000-07:00

Right before Earth Day this year, Carolyn Rudolph (pictured with her husband below), owner of the ever popular Santa Cruz institution known as Charlie Hong Kong, stumbled upon an SOS photo of an otter pup stuck in a plastic bag in the waters near Moss Landing Harbor.

The photo, taken by Terry McCormick, has become an important ally to Save Our Shores throughout our ongoing efforts to ban single-use plastic bags. Carolyn took one look at the photo and said "that's it" - immediately deciding their business would no longer provide plastic bags to their customers. She posted the photo in the restaurant to spread awareness about the plastic pollution issue and is now implementing a Bring Your Own reusable bag program. Customers can now take home a durable, reusable bag for $1.50, a portion of which will be donated to Save Our Shores. Thanks, Carolyn and customers of Charlie Hong Kong!

Carolyn also stopped selling plastic water bottles at the restaurant, and strives to eventually offer aluminum and glass beverage bottles only in the near future. Carolyn's message to other businesses is to "Ban the bag - get rid of plastic bags!"

And to their customers: "We're all in this together. Transition can be difficult, but we all care about our environment and can all work together to help protect it."

She gladly signed Charlie Hong Kong onto the Central Coast Sanctuary Alliance as a Supporting Business to back the unified effort to ban plastic bags all around the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

Have your business or group sign on to the Alliance today!

It's hard to believe that somewhere around 100 billion petroleum-based plastic checkout bags are used in the United States each year. Production of these plastic bags requires an estimated 12 million barrels of oil each year!

The human experience made it just fine before plastic bags, plastic take-out forks, and plastic water bottles. We need to move into a new era of reusable and refusable. Take a stand against plastic pollution and join us to ban single-use plastic bags by signing our petition today.

A ban on plastic bags would help preserve the integrity of our local ecosystems, reduce the burden on landfills, and cut back litter in our communities. Learn more on our fact sheet on plastic bags...

May 14th Monterey Beach Cleanup Volunteers Receive FREE Tickets to Aquarium in Honor of World Oceans Day!

2011-05-06T11:17:00.000-07:00

Join Save Our Shores as we kickoff the clean beaches season in Monterey County with two upcoming events in honor of World Oceans Day: a beach cleanup bonus on May 14th, and a community happy hour on June 8th.

On Saturday, May 14th, from 10 am - 12 pm, join Save Our Shores for a beach cleanup with a twist at Del Monte/Municipal Beach located at Wharf #2 in Monterey. Beach cleanup volunteers will each receive a FREE ticket to the Monterey Bay Aquarium valid for entry during the Aquarium’s World Oceans Day celebration June 4-5!

All beach cleanup materials will be provided by Save Our Shores, but volunteers are encouraged to bring their own reusable buckets, gloves, and bags to help decrease trash generated at the event. Check-in will be near the bathrooms in the main Wharf parking lots.

Then, on Wednesday, June 8th, from 5-7pm, join us for our Kickoff the Summer for Clean Beaches happy hour to celebrate World Oceans Day. Come to the gathering and be introduced to the work of Save Our Shores where we aim to inspire citizens to take action for the ocean right in their own backyard.

The Kickoff the Summer for Clean Beaches party will help spread ocean awareness, encourage advocacy, and motivate Monterey area residents to take action for the ocean this summer. Light appetizers, beer, and wine will be shared with attendees at this free, informal event open to the public. The event will be held at Light & Motion, 300 Cannery Row in Monterey.

"Through regular beach cleanups and our upcoming ocean awareness events, Save Our Shores is helping to further the culture of ocean stewardship and volunteerism that make Monterey County such a unique and special place,” says Andrew Hoeksema, Coordinator of Volunteer Programs at Save Our Shores.

For more information contact Andrew at 831.462.5660 ext. 3 or volunteer@saveourshores.org.

Visit our calendar...

Visit our News & Events page...

Join SOS for The Human Race on Sat, May 7th

2011-05-04T11:06:00.000-07:00

Raise funds for your ocean by participating in the Human Race Walkathon & Fun Run this coming Saturday, May 7th!

All you have to do is join the Save Our Shores team, collect pledges for your race, and meet us at the starting line at 8am near the back end of Natural Bridges State Park off of Delaware Avenue in Santa Cruz.

You can make a secure donation online here...

Or join the Save Our Shores team today!

The Human Race is a time when our community bands together to sustain vital programs through a fun and easy fundraising event. Cleanup beaches, pollution prevention, and the protection and preservation of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary is one of those vital programs.

Bag Ban Needs Support at the Carmel City Council Meeting this Tuesday, May 3rd!

2011-05-02T10:03:00.000-07:00

Save Our Shores and the Central Coast Sanctuary Alliance are asking all interested parties to join them at the Carmel City Council meeting on Tuesday, May 3rd, to speak in support of a local bag ban ordinance for the City of Carmel. Supporters are best to arrive by 6:30pm.

Members of the Central Coast Sanctuary Alliance, which now includes over 40 environmental organizations and local businesses, have been ramping up their efforts to work with municipalities and counties around the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary to pass local bans on single-use plastic bags.

The rise in these recent efforts was successful in getting consideration of a plastic bag ban onto the Carmel City Council meeting agenda at the very last minute.

This is the first, necessary step to passing a local ordinance to ban the distribution and use of single-use plastic bags at grocery stores and retail outlets within the city limits of Carmel. Strong support from the community, businesses, and local leaders is essential.

The May 3rd Carmel City Council meeting agenda can be found here: http://burnettforcarmel.com/may-2nd-town-hall-meeting

The photo above is of an otter pup stuck in a plastic bag with her mother trying to remove it. The otter pup made it out after several attempts. This photo was taken by local photographer Terry McCormick in the waters near Moss Landing Harbor.

MBNMS Sanctuary Advisory Council Unanimously Approves Historic Resolution to Ban Plastic Bags!

2011-04-27T12:31:00.000-07:00

Save Our Shores has been working with Oceana on this joint news release:

The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary’s (MBNMS) Sanctuary Advisory Council (SAC) last week unanimously approved a resolution to support citywide, countywide, statewide, and even national bans on single-use plastic bags to decrease the threats that plastic bags pose for marine species and ocean habitats. This historic resolution marks the first such statement by a Sanctuary Advisory Council in the nation, with members representing business, recreation, fishing, tourism, agriculture, scientists, and conservation interests.

Says Dr. Geoff Shester of Oceana, the conservation representative on the SAC who authored the resolution, “Unanimous approval of this Resolution from such a broad group of stakeholders sends a strong message to decision-makers and legislators that plastic bags are a serious and preventable form of ocean pollution. Clearly, reusable bags are readily available and economically viable, so the time is now for our state legislators and regional leaders around the Sanctuary to take action.”

"Many marine animals are susceptible to impacts from litter and other types of pollution, and several organizations have documented the negative effects that ocean pollution can wield upon our marine environment. I commend the Sanctuary Advisory Council's Resolution to support bans on single-use plastic bags. I appreciate everyone's support in taking this step to improve the health our oceans, and to protect the waters of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary," says Paul Michel, Superintendent of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

The Resolution recognizes that plastic bags threaten a variety of marine life including whales, sea otters, pinnipeds, sea turtles, and sea birds through ingestion, choking, infection and/or entanglement. Of particular concern are the endangered Pacific leatherback sea turtle populations that migrate across the Pacific Ocean from Indonesia to feed and mistake plastic bags for jellyfish, their primary food source in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

Lauren Gilligan of Save Our Shores, who sits on the SAC as an alternate to the conservation seat, says, “Save Our Shores has removed over 26,000 plastic bags during beach and river cleanups since the summer of 2007, and has been working on local bans on single-use plastic bags for years now. With the SAC’s Resolution on our side, support from the community will only continue to grow, and that’s what we need to get these bag bans adopted.”

The Central Coast Sanctuary Alliance (CCSA), recently founded by Save Our Shores, is increasing support for local bans on single-use plastic bags around the Sanctuary through advocacy, outreach, and gathering petition signatures. The CCSA is made up of over 40 organizations and business, including SOS and Oceana, and is asking local businesses to get behind this issue by signing on as a Supporting Business or Supporting Member.

The Resolution also supports the efforts of local businesses to transition away from single-use plastic bags, as well as any efforts to remove plastic bag litter from the shores, rivers, and waters of the MBNMS. The full resolution can be found at here...

About Save Our Shores:

Save Our Shores is the Central Coast leader in caring for the marine environment through ocean awareness, advocacy and citizen action. Our core initiatives are Plastic Pollution, Clean Boating, and Ocean Awareness. Over the last 30 years, Save Our Shores helped to establish the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, prevent offshore oil drilling and cruise ship pollution, and today focuses on educating youth about our local watersheds, tackling pollution on our beaches and rivers, implementing our renowned DockWalker program, and providing our community with educated and inspired Sanctuary Stewards. For more information visit: www.saveourshores.org.

About Oceana:

Oceana is the largest international advocacy group working solely to protect the world’s oceans. Oceana wins policy victories for the oceans using science-based campaigns. Since 2001, we have protected over 1.2 million square miles of ocean and innumerable sea turtles, sharks, dolphins and other sea creatures. More than 500,000 supporters have already joined Oceana. Global in scope, Oceana has offices in North, South and Central America and Europe. To learn more, please visit www.oceana.org.

One Year After the BP Oil Spill in the Gulf - Take Action for Change

2011-04-20T10:41:00.000-07:00

One year ago today, the BP Deepwater Horizon offshore oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, taking the lives of 11 workers, and eventually thousands and thousands of marine animals.

Unlike the families who lost their loved ones, and the industries and livelihoods that continue to suffer today from this disastrous tragedy, BP survived the hatred of millions, and has recovered just fine, recently reporting fourth-quarter profits of $5.6 billion, a 30% increase from the same quarter a year ago.

The world seems to be screaming for renewable energy, but little is actually happening on a federal level. BP is exploring oil drilling opportunities in Indonesia, China, Australia, and India, and has entered into controlling-interest deals in Brazil, as well as pushing for exploitation in the Arctic Seas. And that's not all, BP will continue to drill and drill and drill in the Gulf of Mexico, where they are the dominant controlling force and have been for years.

There was a conversation circulating after the BP spill last year - it was hopeful, it was backed by the feeling that this environmental tragedy would finally be the catalyst for real change, that support for clean, available, achievable renewable energy would grow and grow among citizens, our legislators, and those in high power of our federal government. The conversation gave us the feeling that SOMETHING positive must come from this tragedy, that theres no way we'd let this kind of thing happen again.

Except that's not what happened. There have been oil spills since the BP disaster. There have been record profits attained by almost every company in the oil business. The women who lost their husbands on the oil rig that day have seen zero compensation. Read more...

What can we do?

Support change. Advocate for change. Take Action for change locally, at the state level, AND at the federal level. Then spread the word!

Take Action! Urge Congress to act on oil spill restoration...

Join Save Our Shores, your local leader for ocean conservation...

Get informed: Check out the Environmental Defense Fund's timeline 'A Year of Living Recklessly'...

Remember: photos from the BP oil spill...