MBNMS Volunteers of the Year 2018 Marjorie Sewell

Marj teaching school children at the Coastal Discovery Center

At 87 years young, Marj Sewell is one of the most senior and enthusiastic MBNMS volunteers for the Coastal Discovery Center (CDC). She was in the first docent training class in 2006, and has contributed 1,700 hours of her time and expertise to education and interpretation of the sanctuary. Marj has a unique connection with the land on which the CDC resides, as she grew up in San Simeon village and attended a one-room schoolhouse built for the children of employees who worked for William Randolf Hearst. Her mother was a secretary and her father a gardener for WR Hearst, which makes her somewhat of an expert in local history. Marj therefore helped to develop the CDC’s local history program, gives tours of Old San Simeon Village and has helped research content for a shore whaling exhibit constructed next to the Center. As a retired teacher, she has taught hundreds of students who came to the Center each year. Also an expert seamstress and craftsperson, Marj has led volunteers in the creation of a life-sized mermaid for the annual Scarecrow Festival in Cambria, and created an ocean mural weave project to encourage public participation at fairs. Marj has tabled at dozens of off-site outreach events, and has served on the planning team for the MBNMS annual Ocean Fair! In addition to her duties at the Center, Marj volunteers for 8 other groups in town, spreading the message of MBNMS’s mission, including the Cambria Historical Society. The result is goodwill and cooperation between other local NGOs and their volunteers. Marj Sewell truly inspires people of all ages with her endless enthusiasm and love for the area and Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

Marj receiving award with Leffingwell High School students present