In honor of Save The Bay’s 60th anniversary, Shaping the Bay’s Climate Future showcased our region’s progress and highlighted how we can address future challenges. Over 600 people registered for our virtual panel event, which brought together local climate leaders to discuss:
- Issues affecting the Bay’s shorelines where sea level rise threatens communities and wetland restoration offers natural solutions to protect wildlife, neighborhoods, and crucial infrastructure
- Opportunities to ensure the region’s growth benefits the Bay, promotes diverse and equitable communities, and is sustainable in the face of climate change.
“I covered presidents and governors and all kinds of big shots, but when you look back, I don’t remember those stories at all. But this story I remember in detail, because let’s face it, the saving of San Francisco Bay is still going on,” – Oakland Tribune reporter Ed Salzman.
After reading what the Bay might look like in 2020 if development continued at its current pace in 1961, Save The Bay’s founders, Sylvia McLaughlin, Kay Kerr, and Esther Gulick, changed the future of San Francisco Bay. Read more about influential the Oakland Tribune article →
5th Annual Bay Day
Launched in 2016 and declared a public holiday by all 9 counties, Bay Day is a time every October for our whole region to celebrate San Francisco Bay. What was once a large public gathering has evolved, with safety and flexibility in mind, into a month-long opportunity for everyone to build their own Bay Day adventure. In this new format, participants are challenged to explore the Bay Trail (which spans 350 miles throughout all 9 Bay Area counties) or engage in activities such as kite flying, bird-watching, and picnicking.
Read more about Bay Day 2020’s successes →
“Thanks so much for this FUN Trail Challenge!”
– Malou Sana, participated as part of the Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati team.
Hi, I’m Sangeeta, Political and Community Organizer at Save The Bay. Since I started in this position in September 2021, I’ve been focused on building our organizational relationships, particularly with grassroots organizations focused on Environmental Justice. Part of the background I bring to Save The Bay is my membership in the Alliance of South Asians Taking Action (ASATA) since 2017. Within this network, I serve as a co-organizer of Brown and Green, a South Asian climate justice group. I am excited to advance Save The Bay’s relationship-building work in East San Jose and beyond. These partnerships will allow us to further our equity and environmental justice goals, following the lead of frontline communities and working toward a cleaner and healthier Bay Area for all residents.
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What is Phytophthora, why does it matter?
Phytophthora is a water mold, related to the species that causes Sudden Oak Death, that can be disastrous in the wild. It can further endanger already-threatened plant species, and is almost impossible to eradicate once introduced.
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How do we prevent it?
Over the last few years, we have developed stringent protocols to prevent the spread of the pathogen, such as disinfecting everyone’s shoes before entering enclosed nurseries, and sterilizing all pots and soil. Initially, we built our own soil sterilizer from a trash can and propane tank, which allowed for heating the soil to the temperature that will destroy the pathogen. Eventually, we purchased a steam sterilizer, which significantly speeds up and simplifies the process.
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How do we double-check?
Save The Bay developed a rigorous and creative regimen to continually test for traces of Phytophthora in our nurseries, especially since over the pandemic we needed to hold plant material for longer. The pathogen loves certain types of pears, which we leave as bait. If Phytophthora exists, it will attack the pears and be detected when we routinely send them to the California Department of Food and Agriculture for testing.
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What is our track record?
Success: Save The Bay tested negative for Phytophthora in all nurseries, all year!
“This virtual field trip was fantastic! There was a great flow of activities and the team asked thought-provoking, engaging questions. Despite not being able to visit the site in-person, my students were super into it and they learned a lot. This field trip built nicely on the lessons we used from the OLO site and the Save The Bay Watershed curriculum.”
– Gavin Obadashian, Teacher at Marin Horizons School
