Orange County Coastkeeper

I have recently revamped and increased capacity for our oyster shell recycling program where we recycle clean dead oyster shells from local restaurants. We cure them in the sun in an outdoor storage facility for a year, and then we will use them to construct oyster beds when we begin our new living shorelines restoration project. In just under 2 months, we have recycled 750 lbs of oyster shells from our local restaurant partners! Really excited for this program to keep increasing capacity and recycle more oyster shells, keeping them out of the landfill and used to restore our marine ecosystems!

Celebrating community, culture, and conservation at the Lexus #USOpenofSurfing 🌊 At the annual US Open of Surfing, Sustainable Ocean Alliance and World Surf League One Ocean honored the powerful connection between community, culture, and environmental stewardship. From protecting our coastlines through cleanups to advancing oyster restoration, this event showcased our collective responsibility to safeguard the ocean, bringing together hundreds of dedicated volunteers. Through cleanups with WILDCOAST and The Surfrider Foundation, we successfully collected and responsibly disposed of nearly 1,000 pounds of trash. ♻️ In collaboration with Orange County Coastkeeper, we diverted 1,110 oyster shells from the landfill, repurposing them for crucial restoration efforts. 🦪 Additionally, SOA ecopreneurs Sway and rePurpose Global shared their innovative, ocean-positive solutions, offering fans a hands-on experience with their groundbreaking products. A special thank you to all the partners who made this event possible. #WSLOneOcean is a global initiative supported by Shiseido and YETI, with regional backing from Lexus. To learn more and get involved, read the full article here → https://lnkd.in/g7YzWiQw

Recently with Orange County Coastkeeper... 🌊 In May, we brought 1,000 elementary school students to Huntington Beach to participate in Kids Ocean Day! Kids Ocean Day is an annual event designed to engage students from communities facing barriers to coastal access and disproportionate environmental pollution. This year, we collectively removed over 300 pounds of trash from the coast. I had the pleasure to capture photos of this special day, as well as collaborate with our Communications crew to produce a video showcasing the efforts and dedication our education team puts into making this event happen, (which you can watch below!) https://lnkd.in/gpdNYDU6 🎉 In June, I hit half a year working with Coastkeeper as their first ever Multimedia Producer! It's been a blast getting to work with our staff to curate content, educate myself everyday about watershed resilience and what we do to help protect Orange County's waters, and spread awareness to our organization. 🐠 From July to August, we hosted an interactive VR headset experience at the 2024 Orange County Fair, where fairgoers dove 100 feet underwater to explore the marine ecosystems beneath California's aging oil rigs. I had the opportunity to help educate fairgoers and advocate our Rigs to Reefs Program, which would transition these offline oil rigs into artificial reefs to preserve the thriving marine life underneath. Our booth was a success, bringing in hundreds of people from all ages!

🌊Celebrate World Ocean Month in Orange County!🌊 California Fish Grill is offering one free taco to volunteers who participate in a beach cleanup through Los Angeles Waterkeeper, Orange County Coastkeeper, or San Diego Coastkeeper. All you need to do is register online with one of these three organizations to find a beach cleanup near you. #OrangeCounty #EnvironmentalStewardship #BeachCleanup

Dive into the magic of Kids Ocean Day! 🌊 ✨ Kids Ocean Day is an annual event designed to engage students from communities facing barriers to coastal access and disproportionate environmental pollution. This program empowers the next generation to value and protect our environment through conservation and advocacy. This year, 1,000 elementary students from inland Orange County joined us at Huntington State Beach, collectively removing over 300 pounds of trash from the coast. This video takes you behind the scenes, showcasing the dedication and effort our education team puts into making this event unforgettable. From recruiting volunteers to creating inspiring aerial art designs, every detail is meticulously planned to give students an incredible day at the beach. https://lnkd.in/gJjtaiA6

What a great way to close out Earth Month! Thank you Orange County Coastkeeper for hosting a fantastic beach clean-up day for Exemplis LLC and our friends from University of Phoenix, Southern California. Together we gathered up bags of plastics and made a difference for our community in Huntington Beach!

Two hours and a total of 32 pounds of trash, we are certified trash pickers! 🗑️🌊🌎🐚 Orange County has 42 miles of beautiful coastline with some of the best beaches in the West Coast, and as inhabitants of this community if don’t do our part to protect it we risk losing it. Thank you Orange County Coastkeeper for educating us and letting us play a small part in your environmental impact to protect and restore our beaches and it’s ecosystem. We had so much fun today! 👏🏼 #TrashPickers #ProtectOurBeaches #orangecountycoastkeepers #bolsachica #ikeacostamesa #ikea #peopleandplanet

We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to Vans for their incredible support and dedication to environmental stewardship! 🌍♻️ Together, we picked up litter and also raised awareness about the importance of preserving our environment for future generations. Vans helped us make a tangible difference in our local community by removing 229 pounds of marine debris before it entered the ocean. Thank you, Vans, for supporting our environmental stewardship. Let's continue to work together towards a cleaner, greener future! 🌱💚 #Vans #EnvironmentalStewardship #CommunityCleanup

We are thrilled to extend our sincere gratitude to SCI Lighting Solutions for their support and active involvement in our cleanup endeavors! 🌟🌍 Their generous sponsorship and enthusiastic participation have been instrumental in making our cleanup efforts a resounding success. For Earth Day the SCI Lighting Solutions team organized a community cleanup and prevented 141 pounds of trash from entering the ocean! 👏Through their contributions, we've also been able to mobilize resources, engage volunteers, and make a tangible difference in preserving the beauty of our environment. 🌴

https://lnkd.in/evqKPJcU Congratulations to Orange County Coastkeeper and Inland Empire Waterkeeper for their Clean Water Act lawsuit victory in Temescal Creek and the larger Santa Ana watershed, in Southern California. As a result of years of Coastkeeper and Waterkeeper's hard work, a judge in the federal Central District Court of California has found Corona Clay Company liable for a whopping 12,541 Clean Water Act violations between July 1, 2015, and June 30, 2022! In addition to a financial penalty, Corona Clay Company must now work with a Qualified Industrial Stormwater Practitioner to improve its stormwater management practices and allow Inland Empire Waterkeeper up to two facility inspections per year through October 26, 2026. This case shows that the Clean Water Act is a powerful tool to hold polluters accountable and ensure swimmable, drinkable, fishable waters for all. Read more below about the case and its implications.  #advocacy, #cleanwater, #water, #wateraction, #environment, #SDG6