2024 Wrap Up

After a productive year of data collecting and organizing, Save Our Shores is excited to present the outcome of the work we’ve accomplished alongside our volunteers!

Our Team and New Beginnings

This year, our team welcomed a new Executive Director, Katie Thomson, who seamlessly joined us in August. She has been an enthusiastic addition, working to safeguard the Central Coast region and connecting with other passionate organizations in the area. Our team has been inspired by her dedication to ensuring the Bay remains healthy and vibrant.

Community Cleanup Efforts

With your support, we conducted 163 cleanups at local beaches, rivers, and inland areas such as Moran Lake Beach, the San Lorenzo River Levee, and Pajaro River Park. We successfully removed 16,514 pounds of debris, mitigating its impact on our marine ecosystems. During this period, 4,497 volunteers contributed over 10,000 hours of their time. We were delighted to see our community’s dedication to protecting and nurturing our environment.

Public Outreach and Education

In addition to cleanups, we engaged our community through public outreach events. This year, we participated in 44 events, including Pollution Prevention Outreach, Whalefest Monterey, and our very own SOS Speaker Series. At these events, we shared information with approximately 2,633 individuals about our work, ways to get involved, and how they can help protect our local ecosystems.

Youth Education Programs

Our marine education programs reached 1,772 students, and our after-school program, Junior Sanctuary Stewards (JSS), supported 93 students through a 10-12 week field trip-based program. Notably, all students in the JSS program and 52% of the schools we served are from Title 1 schools. We partnered with 25 schools across 13 districts in the Central Coast region.

Ban The Butt Campaign Success

Lastly, we’re excited to announce the success of our ‘Ban The Butt’ campaign, executed in collaboration with a local coalition. The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a historic ordinance banning the sale of single-use cigarette filters in unincorporated areas. Filters, often the most common waste in our cleanups, are made from harmful materials like microplastics, lead, and arsenic. Santa Cruz County became the first in the nation to pass such an ordinance, and we hope it inspires others to follow suit.

by Jadyn Polk