Bay Day: One day to celebrate our Bay pride

After months, and weeks, and days of preparation, meetings, and conference calls, Bay Day was finally here. Our inaugural Bay Day held on Sat., Oct 1 served as  an annual celebration of the San Francisco Bay. More than 50 activities were hosted by over 40 partners in all nine Bay Area counties. From swimming, biking, hiking and kayaking to farmers markets, film screenings and art exhibits, Bay Day 2016 had something for everyone. The gravity of something like Bay Day can sort of get lost on you when you’ve been working to make it successful day in and day out.

PortFest
PortFest in Redwood City was just one of many ways to celebrate in the sun on Bay Day.
On Bay Day, I got a chance to step back from the desk, stretch, get out of the office, and experience all that Bay Day had to offer, much like the thousands of Bay Area residents who participated in this special day. That morning, I witnessed our Save The Bay restoration staff and volunteers in action at Bair Island. This group spent the morning removing invasive species in preparation for our upcoming planting season, and took this one day to leave a lasting positive footprint on the Bay for generations to come. By mid-day, I was on a docent-led walking tour of Inner Bair Island hosted by the Don Edwards Wildlife Refuge, where we learned about the transformation of Bair Island back into a healthy tidal marsh from being diked and drained decades ago for agriculture and development. I finished my Bay Day at Redwood City’s PortFest listening to live music and enjoying lunch on the Bay I wasn’t the only one who got to step out of the office and into the sun on Bay Day.
VivianFB
Save The Bay staffer Vivian Reed spread the word about Bay Day at Facebook’s Farmer’s Market.
Other Save The Bay staffers enjoyed Bay Day celebrations at the Facebook Farmers Market and Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, an Adventure Cat Sail of the Bay, and free and discounted admission at CuriOdyssey and the Lindsay Wildlife Experience. Looking back, we’ve seen 39 cities and seven counties officially proclaim Bay Day this year and we’ve reached over a million people on social media, and even thousands more through media coverage, events and more.  We can’t wait to start planning for a bigger and better Bay Day 2017, so keep an eye out for announcements about the exciting events taking place next year!