A Year in Review: Together, We Protect & Restore San Francisco Bay

In 2023, your unwavering support empowered Save The Bay to achieve significant milestones in our mission to protect and restore San Francisco Bay for people and wildlife. This annual report showcases the impact of our collective efforts, highlighting the powerful synergy of advocacy, wetland restoration, and education. Your generosity is the driving force behind our success.

Strategy Launch: Sea Level Rise & Flood Resilience

At Save The Bay, we advocate tirelessly for policies and funding that protect our communities from climate change. In 2022, we launched a comprehensive Sea Level Rise and Flood Resilience Strategy—a significant step forward in protecting our Bay and its communities.

With your support, we convened experts, gathered vital data, and developed this strategy, which now guides regional flood resilience planning. We’re committed to championing this strategy with decision-makers and empowering organizations and communities in high-risk areas like East Palo Alto, East San Jose, San Mateo County, and Richmond.

The strategy is built on these core principles:

Climate change doesn’t just mean a warming planet. It brings with it rising tides and more extreme weather events that endanger communities globally. Our San Francisco Bay Sea Level Rise & Flood Strategy will guide our advocacy on regional flood resilience planning and help us create a more resilient region.

Legislative Victory: Advancing Bay Area Resilience

Great news for climate resilience in the Bay! In 2023, Governor Newsom signed SB 272, one of Save The Bay’s top legislative priorities. This is a major win.

SB 272, authored by Sen. John Laird (D – Santa Cruz), gives new authority to the Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) to set standards for how cities should plan for sea level rise. The bill requires cities to submit shoreline resilience plans that meet these new state standards to BCDC for approval. This commonsense approach will better protect the most vulnerable communities in the Bay Area, and guide development so that new homes and businesses are kept out of harm’s way. This bill enables the Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) to establish statewide sea level rise planning standards and mandates city-specific adaptation plans.

This legislative success addresses the critical need for urgency, consistency, and coordination among Bay Area cities, helping to protect our coastlines and vulnerable communities from the impacts of climate change.

Learn More about our Policy Initiatives

Restoring Shorelines, Growing Impact

Save The Bay’s restoration efforts are revitalizing the Bay Area, turning degraded landscapes into thriving wetlands that protect both nature and people. Every acre we restore shields communities from rising tides and storms, provides safe havens for wildlife. None of this would be possible without the dedication of our volunteers, whose hands and hearts have made a profound impact. Together, we’re restoring vital wetland zones and strengthening the resilience of our shoreline for generations to come.

Shoreline Restoration: By The Numbers

These numbers are a testament to the incredible progress we’ve made, thanks to the tireless efforts of our volunteers and supporters. But as the Bay’s needs grow, so do our ambitions. We’re not just maintaining the momentum—we’re scaling it. In 2023, we broke new ground with our largest restoration project ever and expanded our impact through inclusive volunteer programs designed to welcome everyone.

Restoring the Bay, Building Inclusive Communities

Innovative Techniques at the All-American Canal

In 2023, Save The Bay proudly reached a historic milestone with the launch of the All-American Canal (ACC) restoration—our largest tidal marsh project to date. Together with our dedicated partners and supporters, we are restoring 16 acres of vital tidal wetlands in the South Bay, which forms part of the largest wetland restoration on the West Coast.

This is more than just a project—it’s the next step in a bold vision to transform 15,000 acres of industrial salt ponds into thriving ecosystems that will benefit both wildlife and communities. The AAC project follows our successful completion of the 9-acre Ravenswood levee restoration and builds on innovative techniques we pioneered in large-scale wetland revegetation. Thanks to these efforts, we are moving faster than ever toward restoring 25 acres of resilient marshlands at Bedwell Bayfront Park.

The work we do today lays the foundation for a sustainable future. The All-American Canal project symbolizes the growing movement to protect the Bay and highlights the importance of your involvement. We invite you to continue this journey with us, whether by volunteering, spreading the word, or donating to advance this transformative work.

Together, we are restoring the Bay—one acre at a time.

Building Inclusive Communities

We’re proud to have launched new affinity programs that create inclusive spaces in our nurseries for Queer and BIPOC communities, fostering a sense of belonging while contributing significantly to our restoration goals.

In the first year, we held 30 volunteer programs at our Palo Alto and Oakland sites, engaging thousands of volunteers in meaningful stewardship activities. These efforts are further strengthened by our partnerships with organizations like Latino Outdoors, Justice Outside, Environmental Professionals of Color, and BIPOC Climate Professionals, ensuring our nurseries are welcoming environments where everyone can find purpose and connection.

Through these collaborations, volunteers have made tangible contributions, such as transplanting 528 native plants. Together, we are making real progress in restoring the Bay and building a more inclusive environmental movement.

Learn More about our Restoration Initiatives

Building Knowledge, Inspiring Action

The future of our environment depends on inspiring the next generation. Through our youth education programs, Save The Bay connects K-12 students with the Bay’s ecosystem, sparking a lifelong passion for protecting it. Thanks to the generous support of grants and donors, we were able to provide these experiences to hundreds of students, many from under-resourced schools.

Education By The Numbers

An Oakland Teacher Shares Her Story

Tracy Dordell, a 2nd/3rd grade teacher at Highland Community School in Oakland, has been a dedicated participant in our education programs for more than a decade. Reflecting on a field trip, she shared:

“My class received bus transportation funding support from Save The Bay. We would not have been able to attend the field trip without it.

The instructors asked when we arrived if we had any language needs for Spanish translation, and I was able to split my students into groups where bilingual lessons were given. Save The Bay staff were fantastic! They were patient, kind, and so much fun. They really seem to love their jobs!

The program offered the students a field study experience of what they had just learned in the classroom. We have been studying habitats, watersheds, adaptations, and environments in science. My students take away a connection to their community in nature. They leave with a feeling of pride and stewardship of their environment.”

Thanks to our donors, these experiences are fully funded, ensuring that every student develops a personal connection with the Bay and is equipped with the knowledge and passion to protect it.

Ensuring Every Student Has Access

These transformative experiecnes are fully funded by grants and donor support, ensuring that all students, regardless of their background, can participate. Your contributions provide opportunities for students to build personal connections with the Bay, develop environmental knowledge, and become the stewards of tomorrow.

Celebrating Connection and Exploration

Now in its 8th year, Bay Day has become a cherished annual tradition. In 2023, more than 800 participants walked, ran, or rode a collective 4,000 miles as part of the 30 Mile Trail Challenge. Across the region, people of all ages engaged in 400 activities including bird watching, art, picnicking, hiking, photography, and more. The celebration culminated at the Martin Luther King Shoreline in Oakland, where the community came together to connect, explore, and discover the beauty of our Bay.

A special thank you to our sponsors for making Bay Day possible. Your support creates moments of joy and discovery, deepening the connection between our community and the Bay.

Looking Ahead to 2025: A Milestone Celebration

Mark your calendars! The 10th annual Bay Day is coming October 4, 2025, and it promises to be our most exciting celebration yet. Stay tuned for more details on how you can participate.

Together, we are protecting the Bay

Your support makes all of this possible. From advocacy and restoration to community engagement and education, every achievement is a testament to the power of collective action. As we look to the future, your continued partnership will be crucial in facing the challenges ahead.

Thank you for your unwavering commitment to protecting and restoring San Francisco Bay.