For the Estuary Program Education & Outreach team, summer is a busy time. Continue reading to learn about what we’ve been up to and what events we have coming up.
Field Trips
Although the Estuary Program does not usually host field trips during summer break, this summer has been an exception. In mid-June, we partnered with Morro Bay State Parks interpretive rangers to host a field trip for a local homeschool group. We hiked around Black Hill, and students examined native plants and learned about local ecosystems.
Students from the SLO Classical Academy summer camp explore the tidepool at North Point.
This month, we hosted a field trip for a SLO Classical Academy summer program. Students met at our Nature Center and learned about what causes tides, as well as what kind of creatures we might find in the tidepools. Next, we headed to the North Point Natural Area in Morro Bay to explore the tidepools. Students found many crabs, mussels, seaweeds, and even some chitons!
Summer Camps
At this time of year, we frequently work with local summer camps. This summer we had the opportunity to work with the Morro Bay Junior Guards and the Creek Lands Conservation CC YES summer camp.
The Morro Bay Junior Guards Program introduces young people to marine recreational opportunities while teaching water safety skills. Environmental education is also a big part of the Junior Guards experience. During each camp session, Estuary Program staff brought our watershed model and taught campers about pollution and the importance of picking up trash. Then, campers scoured the beach for litter, with groups of campers competing against each other to see who could pick up the most trash. So far this summer, Junior Guards have picked up nearly 10 pounds of trash off the Morro Strand beach! Learn more at the Morro Bay city website.
Creek Lands Conservation hosted their second annual Central Coast Youth Environmental Stewardship (CC YES) program this summer. CC YES is a free, bilingual, all-outdoor education initiative to provide environmental education access for youth from Santa Maria and Guadalupe. The program aims to empower the next generation by fostering climate literacy, personal growth, and a connection to their local environment.
During each day of CC YES, campers explored a different part of SLO County. One day each week is “estuary day” where participants come to Morro Bay to learn about the estuary and surrounding watershed. Campers kayaked on the estuary, explored the sand spit, and visited our nature center to learn about watersheds. We ended the day up on Black Hill, where campers could see many of the locations they explored during other days of camp, including the Elfin Forest and Los Osos Creek. This high-altitude view allowed them to better understand how the watersheds of SLO County are connected. Learn more at the Creek Lands website.
Other Events
The Estuary Program also offers outreach activities for the general public. In June, we co-hosted a bioblitz for Snapshot Cal Coast (SCC) with Morro Bay State Parks. SCC is an annual statewide event created by the California Academy of Sciences. Each June, community members are encouraged to visit coastal areas and make observations using the iNaturalist app. This annual documentation of species helps create a “snapshot” of species diversity on the California coast. During this year’s event, over 6,400 community members throughout California made nearly 85,000 observations!
The Estuary Program hosted our annual post Fourth of July cleanup. Morro Bay receives many visitors during the holiday, and this cleanup helps to offset some of the litter from the increased visitation. This year, we picked up 63 lbs trash from around the Morro Bay Embarcadero!
What’s Coming Up?
Summer’s not over, and we’ve got more activities in the works! Later this month we will be partnering with Art Center Morro Bay to offer gyotaku printing in our Nature Center. Gyotaku is a traditional Japanese method of printmaking using real fish! This event is open to all ages. You can register for free on our Eventbrite page.
The Estuary Program is partnering with Morro Bay in Bloom, a local nonprofit that hosts community gardening and beautification events. Join us on Saturday, August 16 from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. for a morning of planting and weed removal. Keep an eye on our Eventbrite page for more information. To be kept up to date on Estuary Program volunteer opportunities, fill out the volunteer interest form on our website.
Our education team is already starting to book field trips for the fall season! These are free and open to students of any age, from pre-school through college, as well as for adult groups. Potential topics for trips include tide pooling, beach cleanups, nature journaling, and more. If you’re interested in a field trip with the Estuary Program, you can contact outreach.support@mbnep.org or fill out our field trip interest form.
Help us protect and restore the Morro Bay estuary!
- Donate to the Estuary Program today and support our work in the field, the lab, and beyond.
The Estuary Program is a 501(c)3 nonprofit. As a result, we depend on funding from grants and generous donors to continue our work. - Support us by purchasing estuary-themed gear from ESTERO. This locally owned and operated company donates 20% of proceeds from its Estuary clothing line and 100% of Estuary decal proceeds to the Estuary Program. Thank you, ESTERO!
- Purchase items from the Estuary Program’s store on Zazzle. Zazzle prints and ships your items, and the Estuary Program receives 10% of the proceeds.
- Subscribe to our seasonal newsletter: Between the Tides!
- We want to hear from you! Please take a few minutes to fill out this short survey about what type of events you’d like to see from the Estuary Program. We appreciate your input!