|
Fall 1998 |
 |
|
 |
Page 4 |
|
Inside |
|
|
News and Notes |
pg. 4 |
|
Watershed Heroes |
pg. 4 |
|
The Monterey Bay Sanctuary Foundation, the non-profit organization which develops innovative fund-raising projects and programs to benefit the Sanctuary, has created newT-shirts in conjunction with the MBNMS. All the Foundation's educational products are available at numerous gift shops in the local area, or they can be obtained online via the Foundation website, at: http://www.mbmsf.org These T-shirts bear a computer-generated image with bathymetric and topographic details of the Monterey Submarine Canyon. For more information on the Monterey Bay Sanctuary Foundation, please contact Aaron King at (831)-647-4257. |
Celebrate the Sanctuary's 6th Birthday in Santa Cruz
On Saturday, September 19th the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf will come alive with Sanctuary - and shark - enthusiasts. For the second year in a row, the Sanctuary Celebration will be combined with the annual Shark Festival, promising a wide variety of fun and educational activities.
Plans for the day include live music, bay cruises,
Sanctuary education, commemorative ceremonies, shark
experts, kayak tours, and a treasure hunt. Admission is
free, and the festivities will take place from 11:00 a.m.
until 5:00 p.m. The combined event is sponsored by the City
of Santa Cruz, the Santa Cruz Wharf, MBNMS, and others. For
further information, please call Lisa McGinnis at (831)
429-3477 or look on the World Wide Web, at:
www.santacruzwharf.com. 
Plans to create "SeaCamp Monterey Bay" - a marine science educational camp - took a giant step forward this spring. On April 24th, educators, scientists, business people, funders, and community leaders gathered for a one-day workshop to begin work on a viable strategic plan.
"It has been my dream to build a continuum of education from elementary school to university," explains Les Strnad, who initially conceived of the idea ten years ago. Strnad recently retired from his position as Central Coast District Manager for the Coastal Commission (after twenty-four years with that agency) and has been a tireless advocate for Central Coast marine conservation and education since he moved to the area in 1970. "We have all these university facilities locally, and there are youngsters in Pájaro Valley and elsewhere who don't even know the ocean exists," he explains. "We want to develop a multi-disciplinary program that will open the world of the oceans to both boys and girls."
SeaCamp Monterey Bay is still in the exploratory phase, but it is envisioned as a year-round camp where elementary and secondary students, their families, and teachers learn about our oceans and coasts through a combination of hands-on outdoor activities and exploration, interactive classroom projects, field seminars, mentorships, and visits to educational exhibits. Projected to open in the summer of 2000 as a prototype program, it is expected eventually to include over 10,000 K-12 students per year with local, national, and international recruitment.
Work is underway on a strategic plan, and Strnad recently
took a fact-finding visit to Space Camp at the Kennedy Space
Center in Florida to learn about that program. Initial plans
are for SeaCamp to be a residential university-based
program, using under-utilized facilities around the Monterey
Bay. "This way we can keep costs down and make the program
available to a broader group of children," explains Strnad.
Three years ago Santa Cruz resident Bonita Hurd called some friends and asked them to help clean up trash along the San Lorenzo River. That simple request has bloomed into a monthly event that has attracted as many as 150 people in one day. It has also inspired local service clubs, schools, and businesses to help.
"I used to ride my bike and walk along the river to work, and I kept wishing someone would clean up all the trash," Hurd explains. "Finally, I realized I'd better do it myself."
The monthly clean-up attracts people of all ages and
backgrounds. Hurd also has the cooperation of both Santa
Cruz City Parks and Recreation and Public Works, which
provide bags and collect the trash and recyclables on
cleanup days. 
"It's pretty low-key - people just show up and start," Hurd explains. "Some actually wade in the water, but most tend to stay along the banks," she adds, noting that the volunteers are meticulous. "We see the results of our work immediately," she enthuses. "Also, we know that any trash we pick up isn't going to get in the water.
The river is home to many animals. Hurd has seen four
types of heron, Caspian terns, pelicans, ducks, seagulls, a
kingfisher, geese, eels, and steelhead. Apart from being
unsightly, trash can harm wildlife: plastic may entangle an
animal so it cannot forage for food, or become lodged in its
throat and choke it. In only two hours each month, Bonita
Hurd and her team of volunteers are doing their best to
protect this river ecosystem and its inhabitants, as well as
the Sanctuary downstream.
Bonita Hurd and others meet on the third Saturday of the month. If you are interested, please call Bonita at (831) 425-1303.
|
|
Home | Introduction | Visitors | Education | Research | Protection | Calendar | Foundation | Search
Credits
For comments or question please refer to the Webmaster
Last modified on: June 14,
1999