Summer is the season of barbecues, and—whether you’re having a few friends over to grill out back, or meeting a big group at the beach—there are some steps you can take to make your get-together friendlier for the bay.     Reduce waste Reducing solid waste is good for the estuary, since all manmade debris that ends up in the estuary originates on land.   Choose reusable silverware, dishes, and cups. Instead of purchasing plastic or paper, use dishes and silverware from home, or ask your guests to bring their own. Reusable dishes will stay where you put them, …

Independence Day is less than 10 days away, and there are many traditional ways to celebrate. You might barbecue, take a picnic to the beach, head to Morro Bay’s Family Funday, watch a fireworks display, or just spend time with family and friends. This year, we’re asking you to add a new bay-friendly tradition to your day by declaring your independence from invasive plants. Invasive plants are non-native species that can quickly spread out of control, taking over the habitat of native plants. When this happens, local ecosystems are often damaged and degraded. According to the California Invasive Plant Council, …

  Father’s Day is coming up this Sunday. If your family gets to spend the day with Dad, why not spend it in a beautiful place like Morro Bay? Here are some fun things to do on this special day. If your dad likes adventure, go paddling. There are a variety of local shops to rent from, and you’ll see animals like otters, seals, sea lions, pelicans, and cormorants in a new way when you view them from the water. Steer your kayak, canoe, or paddle board around the front bay, head towards Los Osos and explore the ins and outs of the …

  Morro Bay National Estuary Program Staff and volunteers have been busy on the ground verifying locations of California seablite (Suaeda californica) based on past surveys and maps. If you’ve visited Morro Bay and walked the length of the Embarcadero, you’ve probably brushed up against this rare plant. California seablite is federally protected as an endangered species. It prefers to grow in some of the intertidal zone habitat that we have in Morro Bay. (Intertidal zones are under water at high tide and above water at low tide.) Eelgrass also used to occupy much of the intertidal area within the bay. …

  This spring, sophomore students at Morro Bay High School were asked to answer an important question, “How can we get young people to care about our local endangered species?” It’s an important question and a difficult task. To tackle it, they first had to learn about local species. So, they invited guest speakers in to teach them about twelve different species that are or have been under protection, including peregrine falcons and sea otters.   The students and their teachers decided that the best way to reach kids was through stories. So, while they studied these twelve species in their science classes, they …