Today and every day, we are thankful for you, our supporters. The Estuary Program was established through a grass roots movement, fueled and funded by passionate people in the local community. Your interest in the estuary, and your desire to protect and restore it, is a big part of what keeps us going. Thank you!
Hear about the Estuary Program’s roots from founder Bill Newman.
We are also thankful for the estuary itself. As the best-preserved estuary in central and southern California, it’s something to be proud of. It acts as a nursery for many plants and animals, sustains hundreds of species of migrating birds, yields delicious seafood, and nurtures us with its beauty and the chance that it offers to get out on the water and away from it all.
We asked our Board of Directors what they love about the estuary, and how it sustains them. Here is what a few of them had to say:
“One of my favorite things to do is stand up paddle in Morro Bay and revel in its calm serenity, complex ecology, and natural beauty.”
—Kris Vardas, Bay Foundation Board Member
“This view reminds me of the awe-inspiring beauty of our coast and why I work to protect it.”
—Adrienne Harris, Executive Director of the Morro Bay National Estuary Program
“I am thankful for the many uses that we all associate with the Morro Bay Estuary (habitat, fisheries, recreation, tourism), but—even more—I am thankful for the restoration of mind and body that I find while taking a morning paddle in Morro Bay. Morro Bay provides the perfect access for the challenging surf and open ocean, calm estuary, and tidal mudflat and creek paddling. And best of all, if you rise early, you are often the only person on the water!”
—Gary Ruggerone, Vice President of the Bay Foundation Board
