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Fall 1997 |
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Page 11 |
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Inside |
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Thought About Clean Water Lately? The Water Quality Protection Program Has |
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Going the Extra Mile: Sanctuary Volunteers |
pg. 11 |
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by Dan Meyers BAY NET Volunteer
 The BAY NET program has taught me a lot about the bay and the Sanctuary. Being a docent gives me a time and a reason to spend several pleasurable hours a week on the bay; it allows me to support something I believe in; and it allows me to share my enthusiasm with others. The program has changed my behavior, and, hopefully, I can help others see the beauty of the bay so that they, too, will want to enjoy, protect, and preserve it. BAY NET volunteers act as shorefront docent educators, sharing their knowledge of the Sanctuary with the public. |
The
Monterey Bay is a special place with a colorful
history, a diverse marine life, and captivating
beauty. I consider myself lucky to live here and
hardly a day goes by that I don't walk down to the
beach. I've also discovered that the more I know
about the Central Coast, the more I enjoy and
appreciate it. Protecting our coast has also become
more important to me, and I've observed that rules
and regulations don't necessarily change people's
behavior, but education can.Sanctuary Volunteers
"This weekend, Californians celebrate a great achievement: designation of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, the largest in the United States. But when the hoopla subsides, we will be left with the same body of water we had before. The only difference will be that someone will have to protect it; chances are, that someone will be you."
--Dan Haifley September 15, 1992*
In the past five years, hundreds
of citizens have risen to the challenge of protecting our
new Sanctuary. The local community's deep commitment to the
Monterey Bay Sanctuary is reflected in the many volunteers
who work tirelessly to preserve and promote it. In addition
to the programs highlighted here, volunteers are found all
around the Sanctuary: members of the Sanctuary Advisory
Council and its working groups, student interns, members of
water quality and watershed monitoring teams, and countless
others. In the following paragraphs, three volunteers
explain why donating time for the Sanctuary is important to
them. 
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Learning + Participation = Protection by Robert Mazurek Sanctuary Steward Walking along the shores of the Sanctuary is a lot like coming to the end of your favorite hiking trail. Though you are transported into the wilderness for a few precious hours, you can't shake the feeling that off the trail is where the mysteries of nature continue to unfold. As a volunteer in Save Our Shores' Sanctuary Stewards Program, not only did I learn about what lies beyond the Sanctuary's tides and powerful surf, but I gained the ability to provide a gift that will never diminish: the ability to teach.
Save Our Shores' Sanctuary Stewards educate the public about the Sanctuary by presenting slide shows, leading beach clean-ups, staffing booths, and other activities. |
As
a Sanctuary Steward I have had the opportunity to
become an active and important part of the
Sanctuary's protection. Through learning, teaching,
discussing, and most importantly participating, I
have had the chance to give back just a small
portion of the benefits the Sanctuary provides. By
becoming a Sanctuary volunteer you can help ensure
the protection of the ocean's diversity for
generations to come.
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by Harold Short Animals living in the near-shore environment naturally have a hazardous life. In addition they face so many more hazards, mainly created by human population pressures, that I feel it is incumbent on us to help them any way we can. The Southern sea otter population and reproduction rate is so low, and their current mortality rate (from both known and unknown causes) is so high that we need to do everything possible to mitigate their problems. An oil spill could totally wipe out the otter population, as well as stressing other populations. COAST is working to train a ready corps of
volunteers to react quickly to threats to all
wildlife. By having this corps of willing
volunteers on hand we hope that we will be up to
the challenges of such a disaster when it happens.
At any rate, we will be ahead of using only
'convergent' volunteers who show up at the disaster
site. Our goal is to use both trained and
convergent volunteers to the best advantage.
COAST volunteers are training to help the Sanctuary (and other areas) in case of an oil spill. |
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1999