You heard that right, 8.5 tons of pollution and debris (that's over 16,800 lbs!) was prevented from trashing our Sanctuary and communities by the 3,500 volunteers who pitched in on September 15. 

We love our volunteers!  

See them in action...

What we don't love is continually finding our rivers, creeks, and 

sloughs so devastatingly trashed. Volunteers at Elkhorn Slough removed over 2,000 lbs. of debris from their site, and at Upper Carr Lake, another 1,960 lbs. of pollution was found! Up in the San Lorenzo Valley, our dedicated (and dirty!) volunteers hauled 4,000 lbs. of trash out of the Covered Bridge site on the San Lorenzo River, Lompico Creek, and the Tannery on the San Lorenzo River.

HUGE News! Santa Cruz County Includes 

Restaurants in the Plastic Bag Ban

On September 25, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors, in a

 gallant effort led by Supervisor Mark Stone (a.k.a. our 2012 Ocean Hero), passed the most extensive plastic bag ban in the state! This makes Santa Cruz County only the second jurisdiction in California, right behind San Francisco, to include restaurants in their plastic bag bans.

The new ban will take effect on Earth Day, 2013.

What will this mean for you? Mainly, no more plastic bags with your take-out food, and only within unincorporated Santa Cruz County. For now. Don't worry, you're burrito will still taste just as good.

Join us in thanking the 37 local restaurants, listed below, who signed pledges to voluntarily ban plastic bags - a grassroots effort that led to the groundbreaking passage of this historic plastic bag ban!

Local Restaurants Support Coastal Cleanup Day

Did you get your ice cream and pie from The Penny Ice Creamery on September 15? Did you stop into Charlie Hong Kong for a curry bowl? 

This year, local restaurants took their support to a new level by pledging a portion of ALL of their sales on September 15 to go toward our marine debris programs! And they welcomed our hungry volunteers after a busy morning protecting our ocean. 

Our thanks goes out to the Supporting Restaurants of Coastal Cleanup Day 2012:  

The Picnic Basket, A Slice of Kianti's, Charlie Hong Kong, Davenport Roadhouse, Gayle's Bakery, Surfrider Cafe, The Penny Ice Creamery, Vesuvio, Old Fisherman's Grotto, The Fish Hopper, Kocomo's, Austino's Patisserie, and Basil.

New at Charlie Hong Kong: bring your reusable bag 10 times and you get a free bowl on your 11th visit! Baby Cambria, pictured at right, is ecstatic about this new program.