Save Our Shores

THE ORGANIZATIONS MISSION IS TO STEWARD CLEAN SHORES, HEALTHY HABITATS, AND LIVING WATERS TO FOSTER A THRIVING MONTEREY BAY AND MONTEREY BAY NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY. WE FOCUS ON THESE THREE AREAS BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THEY ARE THE MOST CRITICAL CONDITIONS FOR A HEALTHY MARINE ECOSYSTEM.

SAVE OUR SHORES ENGAGED 9,797 INDIVIDUALS IN ITS VARIOUS OUTREACH, EDUCATION, AND VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS FROM JANUARY 1, 2023, TO DECEMBER 31, 2023. ADDITIONALLY, SAVE OUR SHORES REACHED 5,040 PEOPLE THROUGH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TARGETED, TOPIC-SPECIFIC SOCIAL MEDIA OUTREACH CAMPAIGNS.PUBLIC OUTREACH & ADVOCACY: SAVE OUR SHORES HOSTED OR PARTICIPATED IN 47 PUBLIC OUTREACH EVENTS, REACHING 2,605 INDIVIDUALS. THESE EVENTS INCLUDED BOTH IN PERSON AND VIRTUAL EVENTS SUCH AS SPEAKER SERIES, POLLUTION PREVENTION OUTREACH, SANCTUARY STEWARD VOLUNTEER TRAINING, COASTAL CLEANUP DAY SITE CAPTAIN TRAINING, WORLD WETLANDS DAY, MIGRATION FESTIVAL, MIDTOWN FRIDAYS, SANTA CRUZ CLIMATE ACTION CONFERENCE, STATE OF THE SAN LORENZO RIVER SYMPOSIUM, OCEAN FILM FESTIVAL, NATIONAL TRAILS DAY, AND MORE.VIRTUAL OUTREACH SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGNS: SAVE OUR SHORES CREATED AND IMPLEMENTED ONE TARGETED SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN TO PROVIDE OUTREACH TO THE COMMUNITY ON RESPONSIBLE BEACH VISITOR TOPICS. THE CAMPAIGN RAN AT THE START OF SUMMER, DURING THE MONTH OF JUNE, REMINDING BEACH VISITORS OF RESPONSIBLE RECREATION PRACTICES, SUCH AS PACKING YOUR TRASH TO REDUCE LITTER. THIS CAMPAIGN INCLUDED IMAGES AND POST CAPTIONS WITH RESPONSIBLE BEACH VISITOR MESSAGES WHICH WERE POSTED ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM, REACHING 5,040 PEOPLE, AND GAINING 485 ENGAGEMENTS.OCEAN/MARINE EDUCATION: SAVE OUR SHORES ENGAGED 1,812 STUDENTS AND 220 ADULTS THROUGH OUR EDUCATION PROGRAMS. MANY STUDENTS WERE ENGAGED MULTIPLE TIMES THROUGH OUR THREE-PART LESSON SEQUENCES, AND SOME STUDENTS WERE ENGAGED IN UP TO 15 WEEKS OF AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMMING THROUGH OUR NEW JUNIOR SANCTUARY STEWARDS PROGRAM, TOTALING 2,777 STUDENT ENGAGEMENTS. SOS PROVIDED 44 EDUCATIONAL PRESENTATIONS TO 49 CLASSES, 14 EDUCATIONAL FIELD TRIPS WITH 28 CLASSES, AND 57 DAYS OF JUNIOR SANCTUARY STEWARDS AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS WITH 4 COHORTS OF STUDENTS ACROSS 3 SCHOOLS. 247 STUDENTS RECEIVED SAVE OUR SHORES DIVE MPA VIRTUAL REALITY EDUCATION PROGRAM, 100% OF THESE STUDENTS WERE FROM AN UNDER-SERVED SCHOOL. 123 STUDENTS ENROLLED AND PARTICIPATED IN THE JUNIOR SANCTUARY STEWARDS AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM, 100% OF THESE STUDENTS WERE FROM AN UNDER-SERVED SCHOOL. SAVE OUR SHORES WORKED WITH YOUTH IN 26 SCHOOLS FROM 9 SCHOOL DISTRICTS THROUGHOUT THE CENTRAL COAST REGION AND 1 INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, 46% OF SCHOOLS THAT RECEIVED EDUCATION PROGRAMMING ARE UNDER-SERVED.BEACH, RIVER, AND INLAND CLEANUPS: SAVE OUR SHORES ENGAGED COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS IN CLEANUP ACTIVITIES THROUGHOUT MONTEREY AND SANTA CRUZ COUNTIES, INCLUDING ANNUAL COASTAL CLEANUP DAY IN SEPTEMBER. IN TOTAL, THE ORGANIZATION HELD 184 CLEANUPS ALONG BEACHES, RIVERS, AND INLAND AREAS. 5,045 VOLUNTEERS, INCLUDING 1,823 YOUTH, VOLUNTEERED THEIR TIME IN CLEANUPS. ALTOGETHER, THESE INDIVIDUALS LOGGED OVER 11,000 VOLUNTEER-HOURS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AT CLEANUP EVENTS AND REMOVED OVER 41,632 POUNDS OF DEBRIS FROM THE ENVIRONMENT.