Author: Save The Bay Fellow

After the first rains this Fall, we spread a seed mix across our 44 acre restoration site at Bel Marin Keys, in Novato, CA. This seed mix consisted of locally collected, native, annual seeds that had been collected and cleaned over the last 3 years by our staff and partners in this project. The plants in the seed mix have qualities that specifically compete with the non-native weeds that will come up on the site, making it easier for our perennial wetland plants to successfully establish at the restoration site. Preparing the seed mixture! Some of the seeds in this …

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  Last month we were at the virtual Bay Area Science Festival! Charlie, our Restoration Education Program Coordinator presented about wetlands and what our team does year-round! The Bay Area Science Festival is one of Northern California’s largest annual education events. It brings together STEM role models, families, youth and adults to explore science. This year the festival was a multi-day event with 125+ virtual events for all ages and backgrounds. Watch the recording of Charlie’s presentation to​ learn why wetlands are so important in meeting the challenge of climate change and see what our Habitat Restoration Team does year-round …

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We are excited to feature the 2020 winner of our Annual Photo Contest, ‘Crowns of the Dipsea’ by Derin Kiykioglu. Thank you to all the talented photographers who entered our Photo Contest this year. Your images highlight the beauty and diversity of our region and remind us of how important it is to protect it. We had the pleasure of speaking with Photo Contest Winner, Derin to learn more about her work. Read our conversation below:  First, please tell us a bit about yourself. How long have you been a photographer? What inspires you? I moved to the Bay Area …

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Pollution in our Bay As we approach the winter season, how to celebrate safely is something we’re all thinking about. It’s also a good time to think about how our choices impact the health of the San Francisco Bay. During this time of shelter in place, our Bay is being trashed with an increasing amount of single-use food containers and PPE. Single use plastics in our Bay harm wildlife and poison the Bay itself. Read the recent SF Chronicle article, featuring our Executive Director, David Lewis, about how rainfall is moving more trash, including PPE into our Bay. This winter …

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By: Julia Finney, Policy Fellow During this current public health crisis, the last thing people should need to worry about is access to clean water. Access to water ensures that people can wash their hands, which we know is extremely critical in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19, as well as the ability to clean other commonly used surfaces. Access and use of water can also reduce the consumption of single use plastic such as plastic water bottles or single use cleaning wipes. In place of single use  plastic and cleaning supplies, access to water can greatly reduce the …

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Save The Bay was hosted by Communities for a Better Environment (CBE) who led a tour of the city of Richmond about the deep and fruitful history of the city and its environment. Founded in 1978, CBE is regarded as one of the distinguished environmental justice organizations in the US. CBE states its mission is to, “build people’s power in California’s communities of color and low-income communities to achieve environmental health and justice by preventing and reducing pollution and building green, healthy and sustainable communities and environments.” Andrés Soto, the Richmond Community Organizer for CBE, led the tour and gave …

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Last week saw the return of rain to the Bay Area for the first time in months, kicking off the winter season and initiating a little-known but incredibly damaging event for the Bay – First Flush.  We recently wrote about how this event impacts the Bay with trash pollution, and how an overwhelming amount of this trash pollution is the responsibility of a single state agency – Caltrans. This year Save The Bay used the “first flush” as an opportunity to call out Caltrans for its failure to eliminate roadway trash from our communities by using our social media platforms …

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By Rachel Ishizaki – Bay Smart Communities Fellow Save The Bay presented a workshop on climate change and Bay Smart communities at the 2019 San Mateo County Housing Leadership Day. This annual conference unites elected officials, agency leaders, the non-profit housing community, and activists to discuss current housing policies, challenges, and solutions. It was organized by San Mateo County’s Housing Leadership Council (HLC), a non-profit organization that works with communities and local leaders to produce and preserve quality affordable housing by advocating for policies that directly address the housing shortage. HLC brought together experts and community members to discuss this …

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By Laura Booth – Save The Bay Nursery Fellow “The history of conservation is the history of how we value nature,” read an illuminating line in Amanda Brown-Stevens’ presentation to attendees at the 14th biennial State of the San Francisco Estuary Conference. The future of conservation, conversely, will be determined by how we value nature AND people, together. That was the thesis of this year’s State of the Estuary, where ramping up social-ecological resilience was the key theme, and separating people from nature was acknowledged as an ongoing tactic of oppression. Connecting People and Nature More so than in previous …

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By Rachel Ishizaki – Bay Smart Communities Fellow The Global Climate Strike that took place from September 20 to September 27 was the largest mobilization of climate activists ever seen and was inspired by teenage climate activist, Greta Thunberg. The week of strikes were organized to coincide with the United Nations Climate Action Summit where world leaders met to discuss how they will meet the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Over 7 million people rose up in defense of the environment to demand that countries enact much more ambitious climate policies. Carrying a sign that had a …

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