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Advocating for fishable, swimmable, drinkable and sustainable water requires deep-rooted passion and unwavering commitment to protecting our water resources.

For the past 20 years, Coastkeeper’s board of directors has led our efforts to promote our vision of clean and healthy waters for all of Orange County.

Coastkeeper has made tremendous progress in everything from environmental education to water quality leadership.

We are looking for qualified community leaders to fill our open spots on the board of directors to help continue our impactful work. Here are just a few of our successes that you could help lead.

Environmental Education

Coastkeeper’s WHALES education program has reached more than 10,000 students, primarily from schools that lack access to marine science and coastal environmental education.

Eelgrass Restoration

In order to protect and preserve our coast, we need healthy environments for marine life to thrive.

Coastkeeper and our partners have been restoring eelgrass in Upper Newport Bay each summer since 2012. Last year, we reached our goal of planting 1000 square meters of eelgrass.

SmartScape and the Garden

The Coastkeeper Garden serves as a community gathering place and a prime example of drought-tolerant landscaping.

The 2.5-acre garden is an educational tool to teach important environmental lessons to local businesses and families, such as how to transition their lawns to SmartScapes.

Our SmartScape program assists property owners and landscaping contractors from start to finish, including maintenance, cost efficiency, and rebates.

Public Health Enforcement

We investigate and use enforcement actions to prevent polluted runoff from flowing into our beaches and bays to actively improve our water quality and in turn, reduce the number of posted and closed Orange County beaches. Since 1999, we have successfully lowered the number of posted and closed beaches from over 1,300 a year to less than 300 a year.

If you think you can make a difference, please send an email to our executive director, Garry Brown, conveying why you want to be considered and what you can bring to Coastkeeper.