Into the Blue

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...

Earth Day Cleanups Prevent 2,417 lbs. of Pollution From Entering Monterey Bay

2011-04-18T10:06:00.000-07:00

In conjunction with the Santa Cruz Earth Day Festival in San Lorenzo Park, Save Our Shores staff, Sanctuary Stewards, and 193 community volunteers banded together on Saturday, April 16th, to prevent a total of 2,417 pounds of pollution from entering the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary in honor of Earth Day this year. Both cleanups offered community members a real hands-on opportunity to Take Action for Earth Day.

The San Lorenzo River Cleanup gathered 82 volunteers who prevented a total of 2,300 pounds of pollution from entering the Sanctuary in under four hours. Of that, 1,800 pounds were trash and 500 pounds were recycling, which included 3 shopping carts, 5 tires, a washing machine, and lots and lots (and LOTS) of plastic.

The Cowell and Main Beach Cleanup gathered 119 volunteers who prevented a total of 117 pounds of pollution from entering the Sanctuary in under 3 hours. The volunteers included fans and representatives from KDON radio station, a rugby team, UCSC students, and local families -all working together to remove 86 pounds of trash and 31 pounds of recycling from the popular tourist beach downtown. KDON even surprised beach cleanup volunteers by raffling off a composter - graciously won by a group of UCSC students!

Volunteers at Cowell and Main Beach removed an impressive 2,667 cigarette butts – a mere fraction of what washes into our oceans throughout the year. Cigarette butts are the #1 littered item around the world. Read more about cigarette butt pollution on our webpage...

Check out the Santa Cruz Sentinel article that covered the river cleanup...

Meanwhile, the Santa Cruz Earth Day Festival featured live music, sustainable goods, workshops on composting and graywater options, plenty of hoola-hooping and arts and crafts fun for the kiddos, and free rides on the pedicab.

Andrew, our coordinator of volunteer programs here at Save Our Shores said: "The number of volunteers who came out today and the amount of trash they collected only tell part of the story. Each volunteer who pitched in today experienced a connection to our ocean and watersheds. That is what Earth Day is about and that is what Save Our Shores is all about."

Emily, our program manager who managed the river cleanup effort said: "With the recent storms that have been bringing extreme high tides and large amounts of rain, were concerned with the amount of debris accumulating on our beaches and in our riv

ers. That's why we were excited to build off the momentum of Earth Day to garner more volunteer support than ever before for our Santa Cruz Earth Day Festival Cleanups."

Together, the cleanups successfully kept 2,417 lbs. of pollution from entering our Sanctuary, and that, my friends, is the kind of news to make our Mother Earth proud.

Volunteer at the next beach cleanup and learn more about Save Our Shores...

And on the eve of the official Earth Day holiday this week, meet Save Our Shores at Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing this Thursday, April 21st, for 'Beers for the Ocean - Take 2'! A beer-drinking benefit for Save Our Shores, your local ocean advocates.

Gearing up for the Santa Cruz Earth Day Festival & Beyond

2011-04-13T13:19:00.000-07:00

Calling all volunteers! It's time to get outdoors & give back for Earth Day.

Take Action in Santa Cruz - bring your family and friends or come alone - the health of our coastal community depends on you.

On Saturday, April 16:

Volunteer from 10am-1pm at the San Lorenzo River Cleanup
Volunteer from 10am-12pm at the Cowell/Main Beach Cleanup

Then, on Thursday, April 21st, the eve of the official Earth Day holiday, join Save Our Shores at Santa Cruz Mountian Brewing (402 Ingalls Street on the westside of SC) for Beers for the Ocean - Take 2! Ocean advocates, beer lovers, Sanctuary Stewards, volunteers and SOS Members will gather for 'Thank you Thursdays' a beer-drinking benefit for Save Our Shores. We'll see you there!

Take Action in Half Moon Bay!

On Saturday, April 23rd, join us for the Half Moon Bay Earth Day Cleanup & Celebration from 10am-Noon. Festivities continue into the afternoon at this family-friendly event.

Find out more about volunteering for Earth Day...

Save Our Shores storms the capitol on Oceans Day!

2011-04-07T12:41:00.001-07:00

On Monday, Emily and I ventured to Sacramento for the 4th annual Oceans Day at the capitol. We met with 12 legislators to talk to them about supporting some environmental bills we stand behind.

The main bill we were supporting is SB 568 (Lowenthal) which is the state-wide Styrofoam (polystyrene) ban. This bill would prohibit the distribution and use of polystyrene foam containers by food vendors for prepared food. It includes definitions for customers, food vendors, polystyrene foam food containers, and prepared food.

We are also supporting AB 376 (Fong), the ban on the sale of shark fins since the hunting of sharks for their fins have lead to the sharp decline in shark populations around the world.

Emily actually meet with Assemblymember Fong (D-Mountain View) and thanked him for his work on this important bill. She also met with Assemblymember Ma (D-San Francisco) who is pictured above, Senator Yee (D-San Francisco), Assemblymember Ammaniano (D-San Francisco), Assemblymember Pan (D-Sacramento), Senator Leno (D-San Francisco) and Assemblymember Beall (D-San Jose).

I had a very busy day as well, my group met with 5 legislators: Senator McLeod (D-Chino), Assemblymember Gorell (R- Camarillo), Senator Hernandez (D-Los Angeles), Senator Cannella (R-Ceres) and Senator Correa (D-Santa Ana).

Senator Correa was great to talk to, he was talking of some problems with the conservation of the Santa Ana River and how he has been trying to grow a conservation group for this beautiful river. He also took us to the Senate Floor after our meeting to take a picture, it was so beautiful and actually a lot smaller than it seems on screen.

I also got to talk to a staffer from Senator Kehoe's office to talk to them about their upcoming bill to ban copper from boat paint (SB 623). Copper has long been linked with pollution in harbors and is toxic to many marine animals and plants which is why it is used on the hull of boats, so the boater does not get excessive growth on the bottom of their boats so they do not have to clean it as often. I told her that there are many alternatives out there such as E-Paint and told her I would help out in any way I can to get more research on the subject since it is very important to us to prevent boating pollution as part of our Clean Boating Initiative.

Overall it was a great day at the capitol and we were rewarded with a sustainable seafood reception put on by Monterey Bay Aquarium where we got to hear from Gavin Newsom, the lieutenant governor of Santa Cruz and the ex-mayor of San Francisco. Thanks to everyone who made the event happen and we hope to see these bills we support get through and become law!

Save Our Shores Wins Best Non-Profit 2011!

2011-04-04T10:39:00.000-07:00

A big thank you goes out to all of you who voted for Save Our Shores as Best Non-Profit in the Santa Cruz Weekly Gold Awards of 2011. We are honored.

Save Our Shores has been spreading roots in the Santa Cruz and greater Monterey Bay communities for over 30 years. From winning the fight to keep offshore oil drilling out of Central Coast waters in the late 70's to working to establish the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary for over a decade, the big, blue network of SOS continues to spread each year. Read more about the history of SOS here...

With a staff of only six full-timers, we would not be able to accomplish all that we do without the dedication and support we receive from our amazing volunteers and generous Members. Can you believe SOS has worked with over 10,000 volunteers since the beginning of 2009?!

Here are some of the achievements that you've helped Save Our Shores accomplish:

Since January 2009, SOS ran 424 beach cleanups that removed over 26,000 lbs. of trash & nearly 9,000 lbs. of recyclables.

We also lead 83 inland cleanups where over 32,000 lbs. of trash and over 8,000 lbs. of recyclables were removed. (See below: the next San Lorenzo River cleanup is on Jan. 29th).

SOS cleanups took place in different 11 watersheds within Santa Cruz County.

SOS now has 23 Adopt-A-Beach groups committed to cleaning their beaches at least 3 times a year.

SOS coordinated over 6,000 volunteers during Annual Coastal Cleanup Day 2010 in Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties who removed 20,000 lbs. of debris from cleanup sites in just 3 hours!

SOS was an active member of the Santa Cruz County Plastic Bag Taskforce that helped create the Single-Use Bag Reduction Ordinance now approved by both the County & City of Santa Cruz. SOS then created the Central Coast Sanctuary Alliance, now made up of 24 environmental organizations around the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary working to pass local bans on single-use plastic bags.

SOS conducted 240 classroom presentations to teach youth about the sources and impacts of pollution & marine debris in Half Moon Bay, Santa Cruz County & Monterey County.

SOS installed 12 signs on the Santa Cruz wharf to educate people about plastic pollution & proper fishing line disposal.

SOS installed 18 educational cigarette butt receptacles, also known as BaitTanks, in high impact areas in Santa Cruz & Capitola. Stay tuned for more on BaitTanks in 2011!

We'd love for you to join us! Become a Member today!

Save Our State Parks! Advocacy in Action in Sacramento

2011-03-28T10:26:00.000-07:00

Last Tuesday, The California State Parks Foundation organized their 9th Annual State Parks Advocacy Day and Save Our Shores was there to advocate along with 175 others! We were a force to be reckoned with! We were all split into teams according to our region of California, so I was part of a Central Coast team made up of 4 Santa Cruzians and our token San Franciscan.

Our team visited Assembly member Tony Mendoza, Assembly member Luis Alejo (Former major of Watsonville), Senator Joe Simitian, Assembly member Bill Monning and Assembly member Jim Beall. We talked to all of them about two main pieces of legislation: AB 42 and SB 580. Part of the state budget that is in the process of being passed includes a $22 million cut to the Department of Parks and Recreation which will result in some California State Parks being closed. AB 42 would make it so the state park system can contract other non-profits or organizations to manage the closed state parks so they do not go long without proper maintenance and could continue to be open to the public. SB 580 would set high standards for any project that is proposed to use any closed State Park land.

Half of the group, about 100 of us were able to go into the Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee to give our support for AB 42. After about 25 of us gave our support, the author of AB 42 Assembly member Huffman asked if the remainder could all come into the room and raise their hands in support because it would probably take another hour to have everyone testify! The bill was successfully passed out of committee and is now on the Assembly Floor. At the same time, there was a group of about 75 people that went to the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee to show their support, this bill was also passed out of committee and is now on the Senate Floor.

Right after the hearing for AB 42, another pieces of legislation that Save Our Shores is in support of came up to the committee, AB 376 which would ban the sale of shark fins in California. I stayed behind with Paul Hobi from the Ocean Conservancy and we both gave our support from our organizations and watched as that too was passed out of committee to go to the Assembly Floor.

Here is Michael Sutton from the Monterey Bay Aquarium giving his support for AB 376.

It was a great day of advocacy and we were very successful in creating a buzz about State Parks around the capitol. If you would like to support AB 42 or SB 580 you can write a letter of support to your local Assembly Member or Senator and tell them why you think State Parks should be saved. Save Our Shores will keep working to keep our California State Parks in great shape for generations to come.

Earth Day, Earth Month... What will You do this April?

2011-03-22T16:09:00.000-07:00

Less than three months into 2011, Save Our Shores has worked with almost 900 volunteers at 30 cleanups to remove over 4,000 lbs of waste from our beaches, rivers, and creeks in Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties. Read those numbers again and remember - winter and early spring are our slow seasons at Save Our Shores... we are just gaining momentum for spring, summer and fall, the busy season at Save Our Shores (and our beaches).

As we enter into the month of April, now labeled by many as Earth Month since it contains Earth Day on April 22, what will your commitment be for the earth and for the oceans we love? Will you volunteer at a beach cleanup for the first time or the 10th time? Will you come to your first river cleanup and really get dirty? Will you be a volunteer at the Earth Day Festival in Santa Cruz?

Save Our Shores is committed to being an organization that connects citizens to the ocean and finds ways for them to act out their commitment to protect the earth and the oceans we love. Consider joining us at an Earth Day event in Santa Cruz, or at our monthly cleanup in Monterey County. Express your appreciation for the planet we live on and our beautiful Monterey Bay region. We'll see you at the beach...or on the river...or at Earth Day!

The Final Step to Ban the Bag in SC County: Please Submit Your Comments in Support Today!

2011-03-15T12:38:00.000-07:00

Take Action to ensure the single-use plastic bag ban is passed in Santa Cruz County!

TODAY is the deadline for submitting formal comments in support of Santa Cruz County's ban on single-use plastic bags, or the Single-Use Bag Reduction Ordinance. Please take a moment to send your support!

Our sample letter is below. Please fax you support letter or comments today to (831) 454-2385.

Because we are expecting negative comments from the plastic industry, it would be incredibly helpful to have as many comments in support of the bag ban as possible. Your comments do not need to be a full letter of support, but please feel free to use the format of our sample letter below:

March 15, 2011

Matt Johnston

Santa Cruz County

701 Ocean Street

Santa Cruz, CA 95060

FAX (831) 454-2385

RE: Comments supporting the Mitigated Negative Declaration for the Santa Cruz County Single Use Bag Ordinance

Dear Mr. Johnston:

I am writing on behalf of (your name or organization) to give my/our full support for Santa Cruz County’s single use bag reduction ordinance. I am in strong support of the efforts throughout California to establish local bag bans to protect our marine resources because plastic bags negatively affects marine life and can be deadly when plastic bags enter The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

The county’s ordinance addresses the need to move to toward reusable bags by banning plastic bags and placing a fee on paper bags so that the community will be encouraged to bring their own bags to the store. The county’s ordinance also targets all retail stores and restaurants which makes it a comprehensive and effective ban.

It is my hope that you move forward with the ordinance as it is written and that it is put in place as soon as possible.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

________________________

Address and FAX to:

Matt Johnston

Santa Cruz County

(831) 454-3201

701 Ocean Street

Santa Cruz, CA 95060

FAX (831) 454-2385

Thank you for Taking Action for our oceans!

After the County of Santa Cruz passes their Single-Use Bag Reduction Ordinance, the City of Santa Cruz and Capitola will soon follow. The cities in Monterey County will follow, the County of Monterey will follow, and so on and so forth. It is critical that Santa Cruz County moves forward to pass this ordinance swiftly and will full support of local residents as well as those who simply visit the Monterey Bay area to enjoy it's many natural treasures.

Cleanup Continues at the Santa Cruz Harbor

2011-03-15T10:59:00.000-07:00

The cleanup crews are still working hard pulling parts of broken dock and sunken boats from the harbor.

Here is the latest release from the harbor:

"As a result of the damage caused by tsunami surge waves on March 11, 2011, Santa Cruz Harbor has been designated a Coast Guard Safety Zone and is closed to all vessel traffic. This closure will extend at least through Sunday, March 20, 2011, and will be extended, if necessary. Failure to comply with this closure is a Class D felony, carrying civil penalties of up to $25,000." For more information on the specific dock closures go to http://www.santacruzharbor.org/

Save Our Shores is trying to coordinate a kayak trash and oil cleanup with Kayak Connection to help out any way we can. There are still a lot of small pieces of debris in the harbor and we haven't seen any major oil or fuel spills since Friday but we are really worried about boats leaking pollution. We are still waiting to hear back from the harbor but we will inform the public as soon as we can to let you know what you can do to help.

If you would like to help in other ways, here are some options:

To donate to relief in Japan you can text REDCROSS to 90999 and it will add $10 to your phone bill or you can go to www.redcross.org or call 1-800-RED-CROSS.

To donate to the local residents who were displaced when their boat homes were damaged you can make a donation to American Red Cross Santa Cruz Relief Fund, go to www.scredcross.org or call 1-831-462-2881

Scary Day in the Santa Cruz Harbor

2011-03-11T16:28:00.000-08:00

This morning around 6:50am the SOS staff received a text message from our Executive Director saying "The harbor is being evacuated, don't go into the office until noon. Let me know if you need anything from the office." Shocked, I sprang out of bed to find out what was going on. As I turned on the TV, I was blown away by the horrible destruction of the earthquake in Japan. The videos looked fake, the ocean's power stripping the land bare.

I soon went to the harbor and witnessed boats and docks sinking in roaring tides rushing in and out of the harbor. The Save Our Shores office was far away from any danger but our friends who owned boats in the harbor were not so lucky. Our hearts go out to those people who lost their boats and for some, their homes in this horrible disaster.

Thank you to everyone for your concern and we encourage you to help those in need who have lost so much whether that is to give to the Red Cross for the people in Japan or to donate food or help to those who lost their boats in the Santa Cruz Harbor. We know the harbor will recover but it is going to take time and support from the Santa Cruz Community.

Save Our Shores is calling for the community to clean the beaches tomorrow morning as there may be some extra debris from the surge. Get a few of your friends and family and help keep our beaches clean.

All of this dock is now gone and this boat sank a few minutes later.

Fuel spills into the harbor near the fuel dock.

The Harbor and Vessel Assist were cleaning up debris all day.

Sustainable seafood price check on Aisle 4 please!

2011-03-08T11:22:00.000-08:00

Major food retailer Costco has announced that they will no longer be selling 12 red-list or "at risk" species at their stores. Hooorrayyyyy!!!

The species that will be dropped includes Atlantic cod, Atlantic halibut, Chilean sea bass, Greenland halibut, grouper, monkfish, orange roughy, redfish, sharks, skates and rays, swordfish and bluefin tuna. They will still sell farmed salmon (I know, horrible right?) but they will be working to research best practices in aquaculture and fish farming standards. They will also be taking a lead in finding a sustainable form of canned tuna for their stores.

Costco will join such stores as Wal-Mart, Trader Joe's and Target who have strengthened their seafood policies following a wave of pressure from the public. Greenpeace's Supermarket Scorecard showed the ugly side of these stores as they all got extremely low scores on sustainable seafood.

Friend of Save Our Shores and SOS Ocean Hero Award 2010 winner, Casson Trenor, has spearheaded this campaign for sustainable seafood with his work at Greenpeace. Casson says he is very pleased with the direction that Costco is taking but "this isn't perfect, this isn't going to make Costco the best store in the world for buying seafood...but now we've got the company on the right track. Through that purchasing power they're going to be doing positive things for the planet instead of plundering the seas with every dollar."

Whereas, People Need Some Reason to Believe

2011-02-28T11:08:00.000-08:00

Why We Celebrate Jackson Browne Day in Santa Cruz

by guest blogger Dr. Wallace "J" Nichols, SOS Board Member and marine biologist

My daughters Grayce and Julia and their friend Kanami presented Jackson Browne with an Ocean Hero Award this week. He kicked off his solo acoustic tour in Santa Cruz, a community that loves both him and the ocean.

The award itself is an "Ocean Platter", as the kids called it. One side has a classic Japanese wave, the other side a collage of heartfelt messages" LIVEBLUE", "You Rock", "tank you," a smiley face, a peace sign. It's meant to be a beautiful, useful reminder. My brother Josh, a sculptor, guided the kids through the process of making it during an all day session at our local pottery studio, Petroglyph. A true multigenerational a

rtistic collaboration.

The kids presented the award to Jackson on behalf of Save Our Shores, the City of Santa Cruz, and Gateway School. Save Our Shores worked with the city to formally declare February 23, 2011, Jackson Browne Day, and a framed and signed proclamation was shared as well.

The honor recognized Mr. Browne's steady leadership on social and environmental issues, most recently related to plastic pollution. His tour successfully strives to be single-use plastic-free (I forgot to ask about his guitar picks).

The proclamation itself is a series of official sounding "whereas's" and "therefore's" highlighting some of Jackson's tireless work for people and our planet over the past decades. In fact, my brother-in-law recalls hearing the teenage Jackson play at Columbia University in the mid 60's with the gone-too-soon Tim Buckley.

Near its rambling end the official Jackson Brown Day proclamation reaches the statement: "WHEREAS, PEOPLE NEED SOME REASON TO BELIEVE".

When the songwriter got to that line, he stopped. He said, I think about the English language a lot when I write songs. And I've always thought that lyric was missing something. I'll see if I can fit the "whereas" in there tonight during the show when I sing.

Cool, funny, talented and a warrior.

During the show he did fit it in. He paused to explain his personal commitment to fighting plastic pollution and his ocean connection, reflected on how simple it was to change how his tour is run and lamented the amount of unnecessary plastic around the fruit basket in his hotel room. Maybe it was meant to be a backup raincoat in anticipation of this winter downpour?

He thanked the community for their efforts. Then, someone from the crowd in the packed Civic Auditorium shouted, "Happy Jackson Browne Day!" And he said, oh, you know about that?

Yes, we do!

He also sang his brand new song, If I Could Be Anywhere, about the ocean and plastic pollution.

Our local Monterey Bay crew of Save Our Shores, Surfrider, Dan Haifley, Laura Kasa, Manuel Maqueda, Mark Stone, Ximena Waissbluth, Daniella Russo, Dan Cort, Dustin McDonald and many thousands of other organizations and individuals around the world work hard to promote better policies and physically clean up plastic on our coast and ocean. The plastic industry is better funded, highly motivated and intricately enlaced with the world economy and

political power.

The relentless grind to make day to day progress against a seemingly endless stream of plastic pollution is critically important.

But so is the music, the celebration, the art. It's the glue, the flow and the fuel for the tiresome work and the grind.

Sometimes, we need to stand together in a crowded hall and sing along with Jackson Browne and his guitar.

"Everyone I know, everywhere I go [WHEREAS] people need some reason to believe..."

Take Action to ban single-use plastic bags by signing our petition today!

See the Jackson Browne Day Proclamation here...

Check out Jackson Browne's REUSE Campaign...

Check out Jackson Browne singing his hit song 'Running on Empty'...

Happy Jackson Browne Day!

2011-02-23T10:25:00.000-08:00

“All the plastic the world has ever made is still out there," says Jackson Browne, in his interview with the Santa Cruz Weekly. "It doesn't go anywhere because it doesn't break down. This is a critical moment in our planet’s life. Plastic was a big mistake, and we need to do something about it." Save Our Shores couldn't agree more.

Today, Feb. 23, Browne kicks off his Solo Acoustic tour here in Santa Cruz and today has been officially proclaimed 'Jackson Browne Day' by the City of Santa Cruz. Save Our Shores will be presenting Browne with our 2011 Ocean Hero Award today for his continuous anti-plastic activism. Not only is Jackson Browne a talented, world-famous musician, he's a pioneering member of the Plastic Pollution Coalition, raising awareness through his REFUSE Disposable Plastics Campaign.

Jackson Browne is most well known for his song, "Running on Empty" and for writing the Eagles song "Take it Easy," but he recently wrote a song about plastic activism, watch the video below and be inspired!

Love is in the Air...for Sharks!

2011-02-17T11:36:00.000-08:00

On Monday, February 14th, 2011 love was in the air...for sharks that is. AB 376 was introduced to the California Assembly by lawmakers Paul Fong, D-Cupertino and Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael. This bill would end all California trade in shark fins, which are used to make a Chinese delicacy, shark fin soup. A similar ban was enacted in Hawaii in 2010 and the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands just last month.

The California market for this very expensive dish is aiding the raging shark finning in international waters. The act of shark finning is one of the worst forms of animal cruelty, the shark is caught and held down while it's fins are cut off. The shark, still alive, is not worth much money and is then thrown back into the ocean defenseless and bleed to death. Due to the Shark Conservation act of 2010, it is now illegal to throw the shark back into the water after finning in US waters, you must take on that weight leading to less sharks dying and a less cruel death. However, this practice goes unenforced and has not changed the industry.

Sharks have lived on this earth nearly unchanged for 400 million years, they are a keystone species for the marine ecosystem and without them it could fall apart. The IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) found that 32% of open ocean sharks are threatened by extinction mainly due to overfishing. If we continue to fish these sharks the way we are, the marine ecosystem will become highly unbalanced and could have devastating consequences.

What can you do? Sign the petition to support AB 376. Talk to your local California assembly members and urge them to vote yes on this bill. Always make sure to eat only sustainable seafood, approved by the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch Guide. The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors wrote a letter of support, you can too. And lastly and obviously, do not eat shark fin soup, there is a good chance you would be eating an endangered species.

Further Reading:

Calif. shark fin bill would ban Chinese delicacy - Article from SF Chronicle

Text of California AB 376

IUCN's Report on Threatened Sharks

Further Watching:

Sharkwater

Chef Gordon Ramsey's Expose on Shark Finning: Shark Bait

Save Our Shores Responds to Recent OSU Report that Claims Pacific Gyre is Exaggerated

2011-01-19T12:06:00.000-08:00

A recent report claiming the North Pacific Gyre, otherwise known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, “doesn’t seem to be as bad as advertised,” from Oregon Statue University’s (OSU) College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences, has sent the media and many of those working to decrease the amount of plastic pollution in our oceans into a dizzying debate about whose data is right and whose could be wrong.

Part of the current confusion, and thus argument, comes from comparing apples to orangutans, though. The OSU report, written by Angelicque White, claims that if all the plastic particles in the North Pacific Gyre were to be collected into a mass, they would cover about 1% of Texas. Previous scientific expeditions to the North Pacific Gyre report those plastic particles can be found floating in an area comparable to the size of Texas, while some claim more than two times that size. White’s research calls twice the size of Texas "grossly exaggerated," while a recent research expedition aboard the Seaplex vessel led by Miriam Goldstein found floating plastic particles across 1,700 miles of the North Pacific Gyre.

Regardless of the exact measurements and proportions, there is far too much plastic pollution in our oceans today. Our marine life is suffering, the food chain is negatively affected, and thus plastic pollution is a critical issue that demands immediate action on all levels.

Save Our Shores focuses our work on land to target problematic pieces of pollution and develop ways to combat it. And this is something we ALL agree on. The only way to clean up the gyre and keep plastic pollution out of our oceans is to stop it from entering the ocean in the first place. White says, "Since it would be prohibitively costly to remove the plastic, we need to focus our efforts on preventing more trash from fouling our oceans in the first place." Save Our Shores and the rest of the anti-plastic pollution community could not agree more. That’s why we work day in and day out to ban single-use plastic bags locally, ban polystyrene take-out containers, and decrease the amount of cigarette butt litter that winds up on our beaches and in our oceans.

While it's true that many people imagine a floating island of garbage and debris out there in the middle of the ocean, not one scientific report or credible organization has ever made that claim. The imagery has been of a ‘plastic soup’ since day one, but the so-called 'garbage island' has been sensationalized in the media, so it's understandable where the confusion comes in, and it's important to understand that research will continue to change throughout the years.

There is a debate between the amount of plastic debris in the gyre, and more specifically, the density in relation to phytoplankton, which we assume will continue to change as research continues to address this topic. Previous samples taken from the gyre have plastic particles outnumbering phytoplankton 6-1, with less conservative samples showing plastic particles outnumbering phytoplankton upwards of 40-1. But White states that “phytoplankton (are) immensely more abundant than plastic debris” in the Gyre. And as Miriam Goldstein explains, “Most oceanographers, including myself, do not think that comparing the dry weight of plankton and plastic is a helpful way of understanding what is going on in the ocean.” (Read more on this in her blog entry).

The fact of the matter is that research coming out of the North Pacific Gyre will continue to be a growing body of research, and Save Our Shores will continue to monitor this research as we always have.

To stay up to date with Save Our Shores, visit saveourshores.org, or sign-up to receive our monthly e-bulletin today.

Resources

NOAA Marine Debris Facts:

http://marinedebrisblog.wordpress.com/

http://marinedebris.noaa.gov/info/patch.html#5

http://marinedebris.noaa.gov/info/faqs.html

Seaplex Responds to OSU Report...

Explanation of the plastic-to-plankton issue...

Response to OSU Report by Marcus Eriksen, PhD, Co-founder 5 Gyres Institute/Director of Project Development, Algalita Marine Research Foundation...

Response to OSU Report by Bill Francis, President of the Board Algalita Marine Research Foundation...

Help Monterey Bay Become a Leader in Ocean Health With Your Year-End Gift

2010-12-22T14:10:00.000-08:00

Consider a year-end gift to Save Our Shores

There are only a few days left to donate before the end of 2010 to receive a tax benefit for Saving Our Shores.

By donating today, you'll make Monterey Bay a leader in ocean health by helping:

Organize over 250 beach, river & inland cleanups in Santa Cruz, Monterey, and San Mateo Counties in 2011!

Decrease plastic pollution in our oceans by working to ban single-use plastic bags & styrofoam containers around the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

Bring marine education to over 100 classrooms and community groups in 2011!

Host film screenings & public round-tables focusing on the health of the world's oceans.

Educate the 2011 class of Sanctuary Stewards - the core volunteer force of Save Our Shores

Work at 4 different harbors to educate boaters about clean boating practices, how to reduce small oil spills, and the regulations of our new Marine Protected Areas

Energize your community to protect the incredibly diverse world that is the Monterey Bay.

Thank you,

Laura J. Kasa

Executive Director

Save Our Shores

Donate to Save Our Shores today!

Save Our Shores is your voice, your outlet & your local network for real sea change.

Welcoming Monarchs Back to Santa Cruz at our Marine Protected Area, Natural Bridges SP

2010-10-15T16:39:00.000-07:00

On October 10th, Save Our Shores took part in the 30th Anniversary of Welcome Back Monarchs Day at Natural Bridges State Park in Santa Cruz. The festival attracted over 800 people from the greater Bay Area interested in a day filled with monarch butterflies, kids crafts, a lively band, and hand cranked pumpkin ice cream! (And I even got to slip away from my table to take a look at the Monarch Butterflies)!

Natural Bridges is one of 29 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) on the Central Coast of California, as well as one of the most visited. Save Our Shores took part in this annual celebration of nature to educate people about the importance of Marine Protected Areas and

actions people can take to protect their local beaches and ocean environment. The MPAs were created in 2007 to safeguard fragile ecosystems along our coasts by limiting fishing and harvesting in certain areas. Natural Bridges has some of the most amazing tidepools on the Central Coast, but they have degraded along the years because of continuous over-harvesting of mussels, sea urchins and other invertebrates. It is now illegal to remove animal an

d plant life of any kind from the tidepools and waters right offshore, which we feel is a true success story of a Marine Protected Area.

Save Our Shores conducted nature walks with festival attendees to talk about the animals in the tidepools and Marine Protected Areas. We all learned a lot about Natural Bridges and the history of the park and everyone was happy to hear about the extra protection this unique place has because of it's MPA status. We saw an abundance of marine life in the tidepools including sea anemones, sea urchins and mussels, so it was an honor to be a part of this unique Santa Cruz tradition. If you live near Santa Cruz and have yet to experience the Monarch migration or abundance of marine life in the tidepools of Natural Bri

dges State Park, Save Our Shores urges you to get out in the ocean air and see some of the most amazing wildlife that California's Central Coast has to offer.

New Pollution Prevention BaitTanks Keep Toxins out of the Ocean & Save Some Fish on the Way

2010-09-22T10:26:00.000-07:00

For the benefit of the marine environment, Save Our Shores recently unveiled a new pollution prevention project to collect the #1 form of marine debris found littering our local beaches and coastlines: cigarette butts.

Marine health, not human health, is the target of this anti-cigarette campaign.

Can you believe Save Our Shores staff and volunteers have removed over 132,337 cigarette butts during beach and river cleanups since 2007? And just wait until we update that stat after this Saturday's Annual Coastal Cleanup Day (Sept. 25th, 9am-noon, all around the world)!

Cigarette filters and left over tobacco contain heavy metals and organic compounds that create acute toxicity in the marine environment. Toxicity and ingestion make cigarette litter a clear and present danger to the success of the recently-established Marine Protected Areas along the Central Coast of California, our Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, and coa

stlines and waterways across the globe.

Save Our Shores decided to tackle this pollution problem with a new force, and began working with both the Cities of Capitola and Santa Cruz to identify high traffic smoking areas in need of cigarette receptacles. Together, we have begun to strategically place stainless steel cigarette receptacles, called BaitTanks, along the Capitola Esplanade, the Santa Cruz Wharf, and Beach Street in Santa Cruz.

The Bait Tanks are large steel boxes with a shark fin on top that say: "Save some Fish. Feed me butts."

The City of Capitola was eager to take advantage of this opportunity to promote improvements to our coastal resource and provide educational opportunities to residents and visitors. “The cigarette receptacles provided by this program help the City promote a clean coastal environment and dovetail with the City’s ban on smoking on Capitola beach and nearby walkways and streets,” says Steve Jesberg from the City of Capitola.

Save Our Shores will continue to target problematic pollution in our community and develop ways to combat it.

The inventor of the BaitTanks is Mark Armen. Mark's background in recycling led him to the realization that recycling doesen't work for everything, and especially for the little things. After a lot of research and thought, he created the company Gulpable to get his BaitTanks out into the world. Beginning in Santa Cruz, Capitola, and Santa Monica, placement of Mark's BaitTanks has just begun.

For more information on the BaitTanks visit: http://thebaittank.com.

Join the I Heart Clean Beaches crew at www.saveourshores.org!

Thumbs Down: California Senate is Bought by ACC Lobbyists & Fails to Pass the Plastic Bag Ban

2010-09-16T15:02:00.000-07:00

In a disappointing turn of events on the very last day of August's legislative season, the California Senate failed to pass the most important environmental bill of the year, AB 1998, the ban on single-use plastic bags. The bill would have created a uniform policy for the state and remove the need for local municipalities to work on their own separate bans.

The importance of pushing local bans on plastic bag bans and polystyrene take out containers just increased tenfold. Local bans are popping up all over our nation and around the world, and will continue to spread like wildfire.

Both the County of Santa Cruz and City of Santa Cruz have both approved the 'Single Use Bag Reduction Ordinance,' which is waiting for the Environmental Report to be completed before this ordinance goes into effect.

Next up, Save Our Shores is going to put the pressure on the Cities of Capitola, Scotts Valley, and Watsonville to pass their own city-wide bans. Once that happens, Santa Cruz County will likely reduce its plastic bag use by 80% or more.

It gets a little confusing sometimes. In Santa Cruz County, as in all counties, a county-wide law only goes into effect for the unincorporated areas of the county (so not the cities) since the cities within the county have their own governing bodies, and laws. So, for all of Santa Cruz County to have a bag ban in full effect, we need the other three cities to approve the ordinance separately.

In Monterey County, where a plastic bag ban is not yet on the table (don't worry, it will be placed on the table very soon!), Save Our Shores is working on getting the last of the polystyrene bans passed that will create a completely polystyrene-free Monterey County.

Monterey County, as well as the Cities of Monterey, Carmel, Seaside, Pacific Grove, and Del Rey Oaks have each already passed their own bans on polystyrene take out containers (otherwise known as sytrofoam).

Join Us

Now is the time for citizens to create change in their own communities. Join us in our fight to rid our communities, waterways, and oceans of these useless pieces of pollution!

See below for more on AB 1998, which was introduced to the California Assembly by Assemblywoman Brownley and went on to foster more attention and support than any other bill this year. Read more on AB 1998...

Announcing the Winners in the Hey-hey-hey, Goodbye Plastic Bag Video Contest

2010-08-26T13:38:00.000-07:00

In conjunction with the Santa Cruz County, state of California, and global efforts to ban single use plastic bags, Save Our Shores and Wallace “J” Nichols drummed up the idea to host a viral video contest with the goal of raising awareness about the unnecessary use of plastic bags. The contest, dubbed the Hey-hey-hey, Goodbye Plastic Bags Video Contest, was announced on Earth Day this year, and the final winners have been selected.

With the help of judges Philippe Cousteau, Mark Stone, Eric Thiermann, and Dr. Wallace “J” Nichols, the Grand Prize Winners of the Hey-hey-hey, Goodbye Plastic Bags Video Contest are:

Echo Zen, of Del Mar, CA: Winner in the ‘Judges Choice’ category. Echo Zen will receive a brand new HD Flip Camera. Watch their video...

Tanner Gibson, of Pickens, South Carolina: Winner in the ‘Most Views on Youtube’ category (cutoff date: 8/6/2010). Tanner will receive a brand new SD Flip Camera. Watch his video...

And The three Runners Up are:

Craig Draeger, of Thunder Bay, Ontario. Watch his video...

Destin Dern, of Apopka, Florida. Watch his video...

And Jay Romeo, of Kissimmee, Florida. Watch his video...

The three Runners-up will receive a bundle of Save Our Shores reusable gear as prizes.

The Hey-hey-hey, Goodbye Plastic Bags Video Contest entries are creative, unique, hilarious, and sometimes a little bit scary. The Top 10 Finalist can be viewed via the post below.

BAN THE BAG - Help pass California AB 1998

2010-08-16T11:40:00.000-07:00

We need your help to pass the AB 1998, the California bill to ban single-use plastic bags. TAKE ACTION today!

Why AB 1998?

* AB 1998 will create a uniform policy throughout the state, instead of the 'swiss cheese' effect currently taking place. Plastic bag bans have been, and are being, passed everywhere from San Francisco, to Santa Cruz County, to China, parts of India, around the nation, and across the world.

* Recycling does NOT work. Only 1-5% of plastic bags end up being recycled, and its only down-cycling that occurs at that point. Californian's alone use 19 billion single-use plastic bags in one year.

* California spends over $300 million annually to clean up littered streets and waterways. About 90% of floating marine debris in the ocean is plastic, and over 267 marine species worldwide have been impacted by plastic pollution in our oceans.

Save Our Shores strongly supports AB 1998, and hope our participation in the lobby day for AB 1998 at the State Capitol on August 10th, as well as our attendance at the 'Don't Feed the Bag Monster' rally in San Francisco on August 12th, will help pass this important bill.

Announcing the Top 10 Video Contest Finalists!

2010-07-21T10:30:00.000-07:00

For Earth Day this year, Save Our Shores began the Hey-hey-hey, Goodbye Plastic Bags Video Contest, and the entries have been trickling in ever since. The goal of the contest is to spread the word - it's time to bid plastic bags goodbye.

Now, the top 10 finalists have been chosen & the 1st Place Winner and 3 Runners Up will be chosen by our esteemed judges over the next few weeks.

But the 2nd Place winner is chosen by YOU, the viewer. Whichever video gains 'Most Viewed' status by August 6th wins 2nd Place!

Our Top 10 finalists are listed below in random order - check 'em out:

Tanner Gibson, Pickens, SC:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uskKgMaebPA

Maya Davidson, Anja Weaver & Paige Davis, Santa Cruz, CA:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4gOWEJ_HGc

Christine Huotari, Wisconsin Rapids, WI:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOthcM5ZrlI

Ramil Lagman, San Diego, CA:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlxG01-AEkw

Echo Zen, Del Mar, CA:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DMt1yxydWo

Destin Dern, Apopka, FL:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvYNlL8RgYo

Craig Draeger, Thunder Bay, Canada:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMRHRfk6JIw

Jay Romeo, Kissimmee, FL:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4Zgsv_Cn-k

Ocee Wilson, Steamboat Springs, CO:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LLY0-M6A0w

Julia Hostetler, Victoria, British Columbia:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1Kll_YJYbA

Save Our Shores is honored to have these environmental leaders as our judges:

Philippe Cousteau, grandson of legendary Jacques-Yves Cousteau, carries on the Cousteau family tradition of ocean exploration and conservation through his work with EarthEcho.org, Animal Planet, the Ocean Conservancy, and more.

Mark Stone, a Santa Cruz County Supervisor, sponsored the ordinance to ban plastic bags in Santa Cruz County, and represents Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Mateo Counties on the California Coastal Commission.

Eric Thiermann, local filmmaker and founder of Impact Productions, has created films twice nominated for Best Documentary Film at the world renowned Academy Awards.

Dr. Wallace “J” Nichols is a lifelong advocate for marine conservation, and current SOS Board Member, and has founded, directed, and spearheaded ocean conservation movements like Grupo Tortuguero, WiLDCOAST, and Ocean Revolution.

First Prize - Judges Choice - A New HD Flip Camera!
Second Prize - Most Views on YouTube - A New SD Flip Camera!
Three Runners Up - Judges Choice - Save Our Shores gear!

Join us in bidding these single-use, disposable, polluting plastic bags a heartfelt:
Na-na-na-na, Na-na-na-na, Hey-hey-hey, Goodbye!

For more information on this contest...

They Don't Trash Your Home. Why Trash Theirs?

2010-07-15T12:12:00.001-07:00

Check out our July 4th Pollution Prevention video and consider the impact that trash has on our oceans and marine life.

Then, join us in taking a pledge to live a life free of plastic bags. The ocean will thank you.

July 5th Star Spangled Beach Cleanup a Huge Success & July 4th Pollution Prevention Day is Working!

2010-07-07T15:41:00.000-07:00

Save Our Shores thanks the 220 community volunteers who participated in our July 5th Star Spangled Beach Cleanup, where we removed 2,750 lbs. of trash and 400 lbs. of recycling from our Santa Cruz beaches in just 3 short hours. Thanks to you, 3,150 lbs. of pollution did not make it into the Monterey Bay, and our oceans as a whole.

During our July 4th Pollution Prevention efforts the day before, over 1,600 trash and recycling bags were handed out to beach goers on the busiest beach day of the year at Main Beach, Seabright Beach, Twin Lakes Beach, Moran Lake Beach, and Seacliff/Rio Del Mar Beach. On the 4th, our Pollution Prevention volunteers and staff reached about 3,400 people on these same beaches, educating them about ocean pollution and how to properly dispose of their trash.

Did you know July 5th is the second largest SOS beach cleanup of the year?

Our community of beach lovers is now able to experience cleaner, safer beaches at: Davenport Main Beach, 4 mile Beach, Panther Beach, Seabright Beach, Twin lakes Beach, and Seacliff and Rio Del Mar beach. Out of the seven beach cleanup sites included in the July 5th Star Spangled Beach Cleanup, the dirtiest beach was Panther Beach, at 715 pounds of trash and recycling removed, and the cleanest beach was Twin Lakes Beach, with 175 pounds of trash and recycling removed.

Our efforts are working! Because we've been handing out trash and recycling bags on beaches on the 4th of July, our July 5th cleanup data shows a decline in the amount of trash that winds up on Santa Cruz County beaches on July 5th.

Thank you, volunteers, for making such a huge impact in our community.

Up next: Annual Coastal Cleanup Day on Sept. 25th!

2010-06-10T17:06:00.000-07:00

Leave those Adopt-a-Beach Signs Alone!

What a great program we have - businesses, groups, families and schools can all sign up to Adopt-a-Beach for the year. By becoming a beach adopter, these groups give back to our community by pledging to participate in at least three beach cleanups a year. Beach adopters help create cleaner, safer beaches, and they help protect our beloved ocean ecosystem and marine animals from the harmful effects of pollution.

So we have to wonder, why oh why do people feel the need to de-face these Adopt-a-Beach signs that are proudly displayed at adopted beaches throughout Santa Cruz County?

Don't we all live in this beautiful, idyllic, ocean community because we love the beauty of this area, the laid-back beach vibe, and the supportive, environmental minds that make this town so great?

Help us put the word out: our Adopt-a-Beach signs are on display to thank the groups that support our environment through their good work and stewardship. In other words, keep your paws off our Adopt-a-Beach signs!

Go vandalize a canvas, put it in an art gallery, and make some money for your efforts. Believe me, there are better uses for your time.

Please report any vandalized signs to Save Our Shores at aab@saveourshores.org.

Thank you!

Back to our Roots: Opposing Offshore Oil Drilling

2010-05-18T12:22:00.000-07:00

Save Our Shores was originally founded as a citizen-action organization in 1978 to keep offshore oil drilling out of the Monterey Bay and Central Coast waters. We succeeded. Today, we continue to lead efforts to protect the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary we helped establish throughout 1988-1992.

The BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is a serious national disaster and we hope this tragedy will inspire citizens, legislators, and organizations around the world to advocate for clean energy and the complete termination of new fossil fuel explorations off of our coastlines.

Residents of the Monterey Bay are fortunate to have a nationally protected Marine Sanctuary in their backyards, but the threat of future offshore oil drilling disasters is still very real.
Watch a slide show from the Gulf spill...

On May13, California Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, along with four other West Coast Senators, introduced a new Senate Bill calling for the permanent protection of the entire Pacific Coast from any new leases on offshore oil rigs along the coasts of California, Oregon, and Washington State.

The new Senate Bill will amend the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, and brings together the three Pacific Coast states that have a vested interest to protect their $34 billion dollar coastal economies that support over 570,000 jobs. An identical House Bill has already been introduced.

We at Save Our Shores urge all of those concerned with the threat of offshore oil drilling to stand behind this bill and support clean energy alternatives that will help create robust economies and green jobs for thousands of people.

Because the new Senate Bill was just introduced, it has a long way to travel before it is approved into law. To show your support in the meantime, send an email to Barbara Boxer or Dianne Feinstein and let them know you oppose offshore oil drilling.

Take Action!

Here on the picturesque Monterey Bay, and up and down the coastlines of California, Oregon, and Washington, these bills will become economic support systems for our flourishing coastal industries such as tourism and recreation, while providing protections for our fisheries and environment from catastrophes like the Gulf spill.

Watch this video from the Gulf spill...

Guess who Won Best Non-Profit for 2010?

2010-05-05T14:42:00.000-07:00

Save Our Shores extends a HUGE thank you to everyone in the community who voted for Save Our Shores as Best Non-Profit in the Good Times 'Best of 2010 List.' We owe it all to your amazing volunteer work and constant support of Save Our Shores' ocean advocacy programs.

Thank you Santa Cruz! Your commitment to the Save Our Shores mission is paying off - and a more ocean-aware community is arising. Your participation in beach and river cleanups inspires, motivates, and teaches others; your voices advocate for the health of our oceans; and your actions help our youth learn how simple, responsible choices result in a happy, healthy, ocean community.

Thank you again for Living Blue & Saving Our Shores!

2010-04-28T10:21:00.000-07:00

Submit your 60 second video about plastic bags & win a New Flip Camera!

In conjunction with the Save Our Shores Plastic Bag Ban Campaigns underway, as well as similar efforts in the State of California and around the world, Save Our Shores is spreading the Hey-hey-hey, Goodbye Plastic Bags message by hosting a 60-second viral video contest about the unnecessary use of plastic bags. The goal of the contest is to raise Ocean Awareness concerning the proliferation of plastic bags in our society, and to bid these unnecessary pieces of garbage a heartfelt Hey-hey-hey, Goodbye.

Submission Guidelines: Upload your plastic bag videos onto YouTube.com, send contact info & a link to your video to media@saveourshores.org, and use the subject line: Hey-hey-hey, Goodbye Plastic Bags.

Submission Deadline: July 11 (think: 7/11).
Video Requirements: Videos must be relevant to the issue of banning single-use plastic bags, be 60-seconds long, contain audio, and mention Save Our Shores either in the audio portion or by listing saveourshores.org.

Save Our Shores is honored to have these awesome environmental leaders as our judges:

Philippe Cousteau, grandson of legendary Jacques-Yves Cousteau, carries on the Cousteau family tradition of ocean exploration and conservation through his work with EarthEcho.org, Animal Planet, the Ocean Conservancy, and more.

Mark Stone, a Santa Cruz County Supervisor, sponsored the ordinance to ban plastic bags in Santa Cruz County, and represents Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Mateo Counties on the California Coastal Commission.

Eric Thiermann, local filmmaker and founder of Impact Productions, has created films twice nominated for Best Documentary Film at the world renowned Academy Awards.

Dr. Wallace “J” Nichols is a lifelong advocate for marine conservation, and current SOS Board Member, and has founded, directed, and spearheaded ocean conservation movements like Grupo Tortuguero, WiLDCOAST, and Ocean Revolution.

* First Prize - Judges Choice: A New HD Flip Camera!
* Second Prize - Most Views on YouTube: A New SD Flip Camera!
* Three Runners Up - Judges Choice: Save Our Shores gear.

The 60-second Hey-hye-hey, Goodbye Plastic Bags video entries will be seen by thousands of viewers as they spread virally over the internet, increasing the buzz about the current efforts to ban plastic bags.

Winners will be announced & presented at the Save Our Shores annual Toast to the Coast celebration on August 21st, posted on the SOS website, and promoted far and wide through our big, blue network.

Find full contest details on our Video Contest page...

Hey-hey-hey, Goodbye Plastic Bags!

Great News: The Santa Cruz County Plastic Bag Ban Gains Approval

2010-04-20T17:12:00.000-07:00

The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors recently voted in unanimous support of an ordinance to ban the use of plastic bags at retail shops and impose a surcharge on paper bags. The goal is to cut down on the amount of plastic bags found in our oceans, harming marine life, and littering our waterways, while promoting reusable bags as an energy saving, environmentally responsible, and simple alternative to plastic bags. Save Our Shores has been working tirelessly on the Plastic Bag Ban Campaign for years now, and from June 2007 – March 2010 help remove over 19,887 plastic bags during beach and river cleanups. Read more about SOS Plastic Bag Ban efforts...

The ordinance, originally sponsored by Supervisor Mark Stone, calls for a 10-cent fee for every paper bag used, eventually rising to a 25-cents per bag, with the revenue collected to be kept by the retailer to provide funds to implement no-bag programs, such as offering reusable bags for a low price.

The plastic bag ordinance will have to wait for an EIR (Environmental Impact Review) to thwart off opposition and lawsuits that have occurred during similar plastic bag ban efforts in other locations (such as Berkeley –vs- the American Chemistry Council). And because the proposed ordinance will only affect retailers in the unincorporated communities (thus Santa Cruz County, not the City of Santa Cruz), there is strong will and support by the cities of Santa Cruz County to quickly follow the positive example that Santa Cruz County will be setting once the plastic bag ban is enacted.

For more information...

SC Earth Day Festival this Saturday, April 17th!

2010-04-15T10:46:00.000-07:00

Join Save Our Shores and the Santa Cruz green community this Saturday, April 17th, to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day at the Santa Cruz Earth Day Festival!

Where: San Lorenzo Park Benchlands behind the County Bldg
When: 11am - 4pm

This free, rain or shine event will be powered by renewable energy, have fun activities for kids, live music, educational information and even a composting workshop. Come enjoy a great community event and learn how you can do your part to protect the environment.

Looking for a hands-on Earth Day experience? Come volunteer with Save Our Shores for our
San Lorenzo River Cleanup from 12 noon - 2pm.

Meet us at the Save Our Shores booth at 12 noon and lend a hand for the health of our rivers and ocean!

For more information on the Santa Cruz Earth Day Festival...

Oceans Day In Sacramento!

2010-04-13T11:00:00.000-07:00

It was an interesting day on Capitol Hill in Sacramento last Tuesday for the 3rd annual Ocean Day. I teamed up with Paul Hobi from The Ocean Conservancy and Francesca Koe from NRDC to talk to legislators about the California Marine Protected Areas and the bill AB 1998, the state-wide plastic bag ban.
This is one of our meetings with Aracely Campa, a staffer for Assemblymember Anna Caballero. She was really interested in the outreach we were doing for children around the Monterey Bay Area.This was after our great meeting with Stephone Paige, a staff member for Senator Abel Maldonado, he was really shocked to hear about the Great Pacific Gyre and really wanted to keep our sample, I promised I would send him one soon.

Then we met with Julia Brownley, the assemblywoman who authored AB 1998, the state-wide plastic bag ban, we had a great conversation and she was very happy we were in full support of her bill and telling people about it all day.
After our 8 meetings, we were off to the sustainable seafood reception at the Sutter Club. The spread was amazing, since I don't normally eat fish I was a little hesitant until I saw all of the different sustainable options. Tataki Sushi Bar was there, see SOS review of this awesome restaurant here.There were also some delicious oysters from Hog Island that were harvested that morning! So fresh and so yummy!It was a great day all around and we can't wait to be involved again next year!

Adventure Film Festival Tomorrow!

2010-04-07T15:59:00.000-07:00

One night only- the Adventure Film Festival's World Tour mobilizes this years award winners, bringing them to life on the big screen in venues around the world. Audiences will travel through the lens with the world’s foremost adventure filmmakers, stirring contemplative and emotionally charged journeys within. Watch the best Kayak, Surfing, conservation films and more. You wont want to miss this one!

Join Save Our Shores tomorrow, April 8th starting at 7pm at the Rio Theater for the Adventure Film Festival. Tickets are $12 or $10 for students with ID. Check out the Facebook events page.

Here are the trailers for two of the films in the festival:

Talking to legislators for Oceans Day tomorrow...MPAs now!

2010-04-05T14:51:00.000-07:00

Save Our Shores is going to Oceans Day in Sacramento tomorrow to talk to legislators about Marine Protected Areas and a state-wide plastic bag ban. Here is a link for last year's Oceans Day events. Hopefully we can talk to legislators from Southern and Northern California to get there MPAs approved and put into effect.

My inspiration for tomorrow? Sylvia Earle, one of the most amazing oceanographers of our time and a huge advocate for marine protected areas. This is her TED talk about her wish for more MPAs worldwide, such an amazing inspiring talk, hope you enjoy.

This is a quote from Sylvia Earle's book The World is Blue that I will be carrying with me tomorrow when I talk to law makers about how important these are to the future of the ocean and the future of mankind:

Children today and the children of tomorrow can walk through redwood forests little changed in hundreds of years except for the fact that the trees are taller and have greater girth. They can peer over the rim of the Grand Canyon and not see neon lights below, and can view the geysers and boiling springs of Yellowstone in the presence of buffalo. Nearly 400 places of natural, historic, and cultural significance are now within the U.S. National Park Service, and globally, thousands of other areas making up about 13 percent of the land have been designated for care. Fourteen national marine sanctuaries and a number of national marine monuments now embrace more than 881,000 square kilometers (340,000 square miles) of ocean in U.S. waters, and globally nearly 5,000 marine protected areas have been designated. It sounds like a lot but the total area of ocean covered is a fraction of 1 percent. That means, of course, that more than 99 percent is open for uses that are not entirely benign.

The Story of Bottled Water

2010-03-30T09:26:00.000-07:00

This is a great new video by the same people who brought you "The Story of Stuff." Bottled water is one of the most ridiculous trends in the United States. Save Our Shores encourages you to 'Boycott the Bottle' and use stainless steel water bottles. If you are afraid of tap water, buy a water filter, it is much better than bottled water.

For more information on The Story of Bottled Water visit storyofstuff.org

Sei Whale sushi anyone?

2010-03-12T10:08:00.000-08:00

This Monday, the world found out about the illegal sale of Sei Whale sushi in Hump restaurant in Santa Monica. The people who discovered this offense are the same people who brought you the Academy Award winning documentary, The Cove. The sale of whale meat in the US it is a direct violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Since the Sei whale is an endangered species, this is a federal offense and could result in a year in prison and fine up to $20,000, not to mention a ruined reputation for the restaurant.

The article in the New York Times goes in depth about the team stashing the sushi in plastic bags so they could perform DNA testing on the sushi to find it's origin. Sei whales are hunted in the North Pacific Ocean by Japanese whalers under a special permit from the International Whaling Commission (IWC). In 2008, the Japanese whalers had a quota for 340 minke whales, 50 Bryde's whales, 100 sei whales and 10 sperm whales. Commercial whaling for the sei whale in the North Pacific was banned in 1976, yet Japanese whalers are allowed special permits because they say they are hunting these whales for 'research' on their feeding habits. The Japanese government is reported to subsidize their operations with millions of dollars each year, despite the whale catch being sold commercially by the research program.

We hope this story will spread so people will become aware of the hidden secrets of sushi restaurants such as The Hump and to inspire people to ask more about the fish they are eating and where it came from. As consumers, we have the power to make the difference.