Tidal Wave of Trash

A Watershed Approach to the Problem of Marine Debris

Our creeks, San Francisco Bay, and even the ocean have been deluged with a tsunami of trash. This was evident during Coastal Cleanup Day last September and more recently on Martin Luther King Day when hundreds of volunteers picked up more than four thousand pieces of trash in just a one mile-long swath of shoreline. Plastics topped the list by far, most notably food- and beverage-related items such as plastic wrappers, bottle caps and lids, straws, and plastic cutlery.

Read more


World's Biggest Dump

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch and the Problem with Plastics

What lurks in the deepest depths of the Pacific Ocean? It isn't a razor-toothed shark or a venomous eel waiting to strike. It is far more dangerous than that. In a place where few humans have traveled, our old footballs, Coke bottles, Lego blocks, and other trash is swirling around in a giant toxic soup, poisoning and strangling the marine life in its path. Called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, this beast is more than three times the size of California and weighs a hundred million tons. It is the largest garbage dump in the world.

Read more


What's in Your Watershed?

The Roguish River Otter

Fast, furry and fearless, the North American River Otter has come back from the brink of extinction. Once hunted relentlessly for their jacket-worthy fur, these playful creatures managed to survive in the Russian River watershed. Recently, they have also been spotted in nearby Bolinas Lagoon.

Read more


Our Favorite Holiday

EARTH DAY!

Let's celebrate! It's that time of year again. Flowers are blooming, sun is shining, and volunteers are preparing for their favorite holiday: Earth Day. Every year on Earth Day, people from around the world open their doors and step outside to celebrate the natural world and all its beauty.

Read more