WHALES

Watershed Heroes: Actions Linking Education to Stewardship.

We believe every student can be a “Watershed Hero!”

Coastkeeper created WHALES to empower students across the county with the knowledge, skills, and resources to be heroes in their watershed!

This program introduces local students to watershed and ecological concepts through in-class exercises and field trips at no cost to schools. Since 2005, WHALES has reached thousands of junior high and high school students across Orange County.

Want to involve your school or class?

Coastkeeper offers free programs for science classes from Title I schools, and donation-based programs are available for non-Title I schools.

Fill out this Teacher Interest Survey to get started!

Student Voices

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My favorite aspect of the field trip experience was being able to be hands-on while being respectful to the wildlife. This is because it makes the experience and the cause feel more real, tangible, and worthy of protecting.

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I didn't know science could be this fun!

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The field trips I got to go on were something I’ve never experienced before and got me well out of my comfort zone. For example, the trip to Silverado Canyon was an incredibly novel experience and something I never would’ve done on my own.

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My favorite aspect of the field trip was seeing nature in person, not from a lecture. Seeing the thing in real time that humans should be protecting helped provide motivation for me to help in the global effort to protect the environment.

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I really enjoyed bottom trawling on the boat, and getting to see what sea animals we caught afterward. It was a great way to introduce the variety of sea animals living in the bay, and was both interactive & fun and educational.

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My favorite aspect of the field trip experience was that I was able to explore existing habitats and ecosystems I've spent time learning about in class because it serves as an eye-opener to the ongoing issues that the ecosystems face on a daily basis.

Teacher Perspectives

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We have found the program to be extremely beneficial in helping our students understand the environment and make it come alive, especially our wetlands. Some of our students have never been to the beach, although it is less than 10 miles away.
AVID Teacher

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Kids come up to me at the end of the year saying that they see the world in an entirely new way and will make lifelong changes based on the course, and WHALES is a huge part of that awakening.
AP Environmental Science Teacher

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All activities were engaging and informative. Running small groups made for wonderful connection between presenter and students. My students felt safe to ask questions, are interested in learning more. So many of my students have come back to school telling their different teachers what they saw, touched, and learned.
Special Education Science Teacher

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I brought ELDA students — students who had been in this country less than a year. Almost every experience was new to them and educational. Our students had a terrific day. They learned a great deal, but even more than that, they had their eyes opened to all sorts of possibilities that might not have otherwise occurred to them.
English Language Development Science Teacher

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Thanks for all you do. The opportunity you give my students to learn and experience outside the classroom is invaluable. In addition to being an important supplement to their classroom learning, students always report being highly impacted by their experience at the Back Bay.
AP Environmental Science Teacher

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WHALES allows students to meet people whose job is to protect the environment, experience the work for themselves, and make a difference in our community. They are given a rare opportunity to learn meaningful content outside the walls of the classroom.
AP Environmental Science Teacher

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What I noticed is that my students who have ADHD & ADD typically struggle sitting still and paying attention in a classroom environment. Seeing my students outside with these hands-on engaging activities completely changed the way students saw science in the real world. I can’t express how important this program is to students with disabilities and students who do not leave their own neighborhoods.
Biology Teacher

Experience a Marine Life Inventory field trip first-hand!

Program Sponsors

California State Parks

California Coastal Commission

California Natural Resources Agency

Moulton Niguel Water District

Irvine Ranch Water District

Boeing

Rose Foundation

Western Digital

Beim Foundation

The Green Foundation

This program is funded by the Outdoor Equity Grants Program, created through AB 209 and administered by California State Parks, Office of Grants and Local Services.