What a year. Over the past 365 days, our Coastkeeper staff along with thousands of volunteers have worked hard to achieve our goals.
We could not have done all of this amazing work without thousands of committed volunteers and supporters like you. Here are a few of the top achievements you helped make possible this year:
- Conducted more than 400 MPA Watch surveys and trained 50 volunteers
- Challenged the State Lands Commission’s decision to approve a proposed desalination plant in Huntington Beach, without fully considering its high economic and environmental costs.
- Worked with more than 150 volunteers to restore 240 square meters of native Olympia Oyster habitat
- Continued successful eelgrass restoration in Upper Newport Bay
- Reached 4,805 student from 55 schools through our education program
- Led 53 field trips with local students
- Performed 28 sets of water quality tests with students across Orange County
- During Coastal Cleanup Day 7,496 volunteers removed 70,202 pounds of trash over 56 sites
- Reached the milestone of removing 20,000 pounds of trash from state beaches since 2011
- Held 15 industrial sites accountable to improve water quality and come into compliance with the Clean Water Act, generating $135,000 for environmental projects in Orange County
- Filed a Clean Water Act lawsuit against the City of San Juan Capistrano and Blenheim Facility Management to protect water quality in San Juan Creek
- Spearheaded Coastkeeper’s environmental outreach campaign to Orange County’s congressional delegation delivering our message to protect Orange County’s natural heritage and our “blue economy”
- Protected Newport Bay from weakened bacteria protections by working alongside the County of Orange to develop and participate in a process to update and improve bacteria protections.
- Over 970 volunteers donated 3,205 hours of their time to improving the Coastkeeper Garden
- Established pollinator garden in partnership with Orange County Boy & Girl Scout Councils
- Assisted 535 homeowners with transitioning their yard through our SmartScape program and expanded into Inland Empire
Thank you again for all your support in 2017. We hope to see you at our events in the new year. Stay up to date on all the Coastkeeper happenings by subscribing to our newsletter.
