Email your support for underwater state parks, or speak your mind on April 22 or 23 in San Rafael. California is in the process of creating Marine Protected Areas along the North Central coast, from Half Moon Bay to Point Arena. These underwater state parks and wilderness sites will help protect diverse habitats and let fish and marine wildlife thrive. On April 23, the Governor's Blue Ribbon Task Force will recommend a network of protected areas for our coastal waters.

We need your help to make sure they choose the best plan that includes the most important places along our coast — Package 4, which gets the highest marks from scientists and provides the highest level of protection to special places like the rocky reefs along the Sonoma Coast, seabird nesting areas at Point Reyes, historic Fitzgerald Marine Park and the Farallon Islands. Package 4 offers the most protection to the best places in the region, while still allowing small boat fishermen access to the sea to sustain traditional fisheries. Designed with input from local residents, conservationists, and fishermen, Package 4 offers California a true ocean legacy.

Come on down to Pilarcitos Creek in Half Moon Bay for a creek cleanup effort on May 17th from 9am to 1pm.  Save Our Shores with the help of Coastside volunteers will be hosting the cleanup.

In 2004, volunteers cleaned Pilarcitos, effectively removing shopping carts, tires, used motor oil containers, and more from the Coastside Watershed. Come help be a part of our efforts this year! We will be handing out supplies and greeting groups at the Pilarcitos Creek Footbridge at the corner of Pilarcitos and Oak. We will also have a table and dumpsters set up in the back lot of Safeway.

Coastside volunteers have already been contacting local organizations and businesses for donations and volunteer help! If you can help donate any cleanup items such as gloves, shovels, or your bodies and would like to know more information about the cleanup, please contact Emily at the Save Our Shores office (831) 462-5660 ext. 6.

For more information about the cleanup location... click here

Oceans need our help now more than ever! Declining fisheries, increasing quantities of marine debris, and oil and toxins polluting near shore waters are just a few of the threats facing our oceans today.  Save Our Shores is holding an Ocean Leadership Conference on March 12-22 for Coastside communities in the Half Moon Bay area!  Participants will learn about current marine conservation issues such as Marine Protected Areas, marine debris, and local coastal watersheds.  Presentations will be given by Bob Breen, Brenda Donald, Dan Temko and other members of the Coastside communities.

The conference will also provide hands-on tools for empowering participants to become advocates for healthy oceans.  After the conference, participants will work with Save Our Shores staff to assess the needs of Coastside communities and then design and implement activities to engage their community in ocean conservation.