Coastal Commission Awards Historic Whale Tail Grant Round

by admin · Published February 16, 2022 · Updated February 16, 2022

SAN FRANCISCO, February 16, 2022. The Coastal Commission approved 91 Whale Tail Grant applications totaling more than $3 million, the single largest annual grant cycle in the Commission’s history.

“The Commissioners were so impressed by the extraordinary and impactful creativity of these proposals,” said Coastal Commission Chair Donne Brownsey. “This funding is going to support joyful, educational and life-changing opportunities for kids and communities that generally do not have easy access to coast and ocean experiences.”

Whale Tail Grants are supported by drivers who purchase Whale Tail License Plates, as well as California Taxpayers who “Check the Coast” at tax time with contributions to the Protect Our Coast and Ocean Fund. Over the past 20 years the Commission has awarded an average of $350,000 annually across approximately 20 grants, primarily for projects that provide opportunities for inland, rural, and historically excluded communities to experience and learn about the coast and ocean and develop leadership, stewardship, and science-based skills.

Last year, due to an historic surplus in the State Budget, the Legislature appropriated an additional $10 million for the Whale Tail Grant Program, to be expended over five years. After several months of extensive public outreach, and guidance on how to apply for the grants, Commission staff received 168 applications. Many were first-time applicants, with innovative proposals engaging communities historically excluded from coastal education opportunities. The additional funding enabled the Commission to distribute $3,192,380.

“It’s so affirming to see the large number of high-quality proposals we got this year as a result of our outreach,” said Chris Parry, the Commission’s Public Education Manager. “And we are thrilled to be able to support so many fantastic and varied programs that engage such a wide range of communities and audiences around the state.”

Some of first-time applications included funding for environmental education and coastal field trips for coastal tribes, adults with developmental disabilities, students from rural Siskiyou County, and foster youth from Antelope Valley.

“These funds allow a whole new generation of Californians to fall in love with the coast and we hope will help them evolve into coastal stewards,” said Chair Brownsey. “We firmly believe that the positive effects these experiences will have on people’s lives is incalculable.”

On 02/09/22, the Commission unanimously approved the following 91 competitive grants totaling $3,192,380 to the following organizations for these specified projects, roughly organized from south to north:

$41,575 for Ocean Connectors/The Ocean Foundation
Project Title: Ocean Connectors
Engaging Communities in: National City
Grant Category: Youth programs
Project Timeline: June 2022 – August 2023
Every Title 1 elementary and middle school in National City School District will receive in-class marine education lessons and accompanying hands-on learning using habitat restoration and coastal field trips, which may include Paradise Creek, Living Coast Discovery Center, San Diego Bay Wildlife Refuge, or a whale watching boat trip depending on grade level.

$20,000 for Un Mar De Colores/Changing Tides Foundation
Project Title: Surf Therapy Fiestas and Eco Field Trips
Engaging Communities in: San Diego County
Grant Category: Youth programs
Project Timeline: May 2022 – April 2024
Youth from BIPOC communities will learn surfing, environmental stewardship, and build a platform for success through three-, six-, and nine-month programs of monthly surf days, eco field trips, family learning days, and one-on-one mentorship.

$28,808 for Outdoor Outreach
Project Title: Youth Environmental Stewardship Project
Engaging Communities in: Southern San Diego County
Grant Category: Youth programs
Project Timeline: April 2022 – March 2023
Engage youth in 12 field-based outdoor conservation programs with impacts both for wetland and coastal habitat restoration in the border region, sustain 40 internship positions for program graduates employed as outdoor educators, and support staff training on environmental stewardship.

$49,982 for Groundwork San Diego – Chollas Creek
Project Title: Connecting Upstream Youth to Downstream Coastal Resources
Engaging Communities in: San Diego
Grant Category: Youth programs, Climate change
Project Timeline: March 2022 – September 2023
Lessons and projects connecting upstream watershed to marine ecosystems will engage middle school students during a four-day per week after school program and a two-week coastal excursion summer camp. Four additional Saturday coastal and watershed trips will include families along with the students.

$20,000 for WILDCOAST
Project Title: Coastal Leaders Internship
Engaging Communities in: San Diego County
Grant Category: Youth programs, General public/adult programs, Climate change
Project Timeline: April 2022 – July 2023
High school students from Indigenous and other communities will take part in a year-long internship that engages youth and adults in natural solutions to climate change, habitat restoration, MPA education, and community science data collection. Interns and their families will participate in three conservation recreation outings including sustainable pier fishing, nature walks, and kayaking.

$47,700 for Treobytes
Project Title: Drone Piloting in Oceanside
Engaging Communities in: San Diego County
Grant Category: General public/adult programs
Project Timeline: April 2022 – January 2024
Foster an authentic and career-oriented connection between underrepresented young adults and coastal ocean spaces by piloting a vocational training program to teach environmentally responsible drone flying for professional coastal and marine data collection tasks.

$17,180 for Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation
Project Title: The Academy of Environmental Stewardship
Engaging Communities in: Escondido
Grant Category: Youth programs
Project Timeline: March 2022 – June 2022
Third graders from Escondido Union School District will experience educational field trips at the Lagoon.

$19,938 for Orange County Coastkeeper
Project Title: Watershed Heroes – Actions Linking Education to Stewardship
Engaging Communities in: Garden Grove
Grant Category: Youth programs
Project Timeline: June 2022 – August 2023
Through in-class activities and field experiences over the course of a school year, high school students will explore watershed and ecological concepts in their own community, including five field trips throughout the watershed.

$16,307 for Maple Elementary School/Fullerton School District
Project Title: Environmental Conservation at Catalina Island Marine Institute
Engaging Communities in: Fullerton
Grant Category: Youth programs
Project Timeline: April 2022 – June 2023
All fifth-grade students will experience three days of hands-on marine science on Catalina, including snorkeling in the ocean. They will reflect on careers in marine and environmental sciences and further investigate one through a project when they return to the classroom.

$50,000 for Crystal Cove Conservancy
Project Title: Crystal Cove Indigenous Justice
Engaging Communities in: Orange, Riverside, and Los Angeles Counties
Grant Category: Youth programs
Project Timeline: March 2022 – October 2023
In partnership with Sacred Places Institute for Indigenous Peoples, culturally relevant programming will be designed and delivered for Indigenous youth from surrounding counties. Includes engaging tribal elders as paid fellows.

$45,053 for Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy
Project Title: 3^rd Grade Student Naturalist Program for LAUSD
Engaging Communities in: Los Angeles County
Grant Category: Youth programs
Project Timeline: March 2022 – April 2024
Students and families will be engaged in an in-depth coastal conservation education program taking place in the classroom and during a field trip to White Point Nature Preserve and Cabrillo Beach, as well as through an extra-curricular Nature Club, habitat restoration events, nature walks, a Careers in Conservation lecture series, and a Nature Pack lending program.

$49,987 for Semillas Sociedad Civil
Project Title: Science is Ceremony
Engaging Communities in: Los Angeles
Grant Category: Youth programs
Project Timeline: March 2022 – December 2023
An eight-week summer academy for Indigenous students will incorporate hands-on, experiential activities on ocean science while taking a decolonizing approach to redefine ocean literacy within the context of sustainable, Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge. Activities will include data collection and analysis, scientific writing, field trips to Catalina and Santa Cruz Island and the Ballona Wetlands, and a culminating event to present student projects and findings.

$20,000 for Oceanographic Teaching Stations, Inc.
Project Title: Access to Community Coastal Environmental Science & Stewardship
Engaging Communities in: Los Angeles County
Grant Category: Youth programs
Project Timeline: March 2022 – June 2023
Students in the greater Los Angeles area will receive two virtual and one in-person hands-on program either at Roundhouse Aquarium or at the school site, on ecosystem connections, ocean ecology, and human impacts on the environment.

$50,000 for EmpowHer Institute
Project Title: Social Justice STEAM Camp
Engaging Communities in: Los Angeles County
Grant Category: Youth programs, Climate change
Project Timeline: April 2022 – August 2022
A three-week summer program for girls of color that will explore the disproportionate impact climate change has on marginalized communities and assess the resiliency of these communities through the lens of justice, equity, and inclusion. Led by a marine scientist, the camp will include five nights on Catalina Island for water activities and marine science.

$50,000 for Environmental Charter Schools
Project Title: Neighborhood to Nature Program
Engaging Communities in: Gardena
Grant Category: Youth programs
Project Timeline: March 2022 – March 2024
Expand the middle school’s partnership with nearby Gardena Willows Wetland Preserve, including student habitat restoration, preserve-related student projects, and school-led education and beautification events with the community. Teachers will collaborate to design new place-based units linking the local watershed with coastal and marine ecosystems.

$43,356 for Community Nature Connection
Project Title: Libraries to Trailheads
Engaging Communities in: Los Angeles County
Grant Category: General public/adult programs
Project Timeline: June 2022 – June 2023
Partnering with libraries throughout Los Angeles County, 16 trips to the coast and mountains will be planned and implemented. Each trip will have an interpretive program related to coastal topics. Linguistic, cultural, and physical barriers will be addressed in these free shuttle trips to ADA accessible destinations.

$19,996 for Los Angeles Academy of Arts and Enterprise
Project Title: Catalina Island Environmental Science
Engaging Communities in: Los Angeles
Grant Category: Youth programs
Project Timeline: May 2022 – June 2023
High school students in Biology, Earth Science, and AP Environmental Science will take an overnight trip to Wrigley Marine Science Center to learn about ocean sciences through indoor labs and outdoor snorkeling, hikes, and kayaking. They will then lead three workshops for middle school students to teach what they learned, including environmental concerns such as ocean acidification and loss of biodiversity.

$41,000 for Bresee Foundation
Project Title: A Whale of a Time Summer Camp
Engaging Communities in: Central Los Angeles
Grant Category: Youth programs
Project Timeline: June 2022 – August 2022
An eight week-long summer camp focusing on coastal topics and marine habitats will include trips to southern California aquariums and coastal locations, including Santa Catalina Island.

$32,493 for University of Southern California
Project Title: Catalina Island STEM Exploration
Engaging Communities in: Los Angeles
Grant Category: Youth programs
Project Timeline: March 2022 – March 2024
Middle and high school USC MESA participants will take part in a three-day trip to Wrigley Marine Science Center on Catalina Island for coastal and marine science study and exploration, visit Gardena Willows Wetland Preserve, and present their findings to their families as part of a year-long program to help students make connections and engage solutions between the ocean and environmental issues in their local communities.

$10,000 for Venice Beach Oceanarium
Project Title: Venice Pier Oceanarium
Engaging Communities in: Venice
Grant Category: General public/adult programs, Youth programs
Project Timeline: March 2022 – May 2022
Upgrade the Venice Pier ocean education exhibit including an underwater camera and informational signage, and extend the operating hours of the Oceanarium by engaging volunteer marine biology students.

$17,625 for Learning Works Charter School/Public Works Group
Project Title: Expanding Learning Works Field Trips and Labs
Engaging Communities in: Pasadena, Altadena, Sierra Madre, Boyle Heights
Grant Category: Youth programs
Project Timeline: April 2022 – April 2024
The school and community garden program will expand to provide opportunities for watershed education, and students will take field trips within Los Angeles County to promote community connections and facilitate relations with other organizations, including through student service projects.

$43,276 for University Corporation, CSU Northridge
Project Title: Turning the Tide Project
Engaging Communities in: Canoga Park
Grant Category: General public/adult programs
Project Timeline: April 2022 – April 2024
CSUN Bridge to the Future scholars, all of whom are graduates of Canoga Park High School, will engage in stewardship and experiential education to increase understanding of the ecological connections between valley regions and coastal communities. Activities will include lectures and discussions, community and coastal cleanups, coastal education trips to Santa Monica Beach, and culminating creative student projects exhibited on the CSUN campus.

$41,234 for LifeSail Inc.
Project Title: Sail Away – A Foster Youth Ocean Adventure
Engaging Communities in: Antelope Valley
Grant Category: Youth programs
Project Timeline: March 2022 – April 2024
Foster and transition age youth of color will explore Catalina Island and USC Wrigley Marine Science Center during three-day hands-on sailing adventures.

$38,275 for TreePeople Land Trust/Mountains Restoration Trust
Project Title: Coastal Wetlands – From the Mountains to the Sea
Engaging Communities in: San Fernando and San Fernando Valley
Grant Category: Youth programs
Project Timeline: March 2022 – December 2022
A series of three Saturday field trips, to Cold Creek Canyon, Cold Creek Valley, and Malibu Lagoon, will engage high school students in natural lands, watershed health, and the systems that connect our environment.

$50,000 for Wishtoyo Foundation
Project Title: Chumash Tribal Marine Protected Areas Education Program
Engaging Communities in: Los Angeles, Ventura, and Santa Barbara Counties
Grant Category: Youth programs
Project Timeline: June 2022 – July 2023
K-12 students will visit the Chumash Discovery Village for cultural and environmental education activities such as ocean acidification experiments, crafting yucca cordage, processing acorns, coastal restoration, beach cleanups, and traditional storytelling about First Peoples maritime history. Student visits may be one day programs or overnight programs.

$20,000 for Catalina Island Marine Institute/Guided Discoveries, Inc.
Project Title: The Science of the Pacific Coastal Ecosystem
Engaging Communities in: Southern California and statewide
Grant Category: Youth programs
Project Timeline: 2022
Students take part in three-day programs in labs and on the water, including exploring kelp forest, intertidal and sandy bottom environments through snorkeling. This funding helps restock wetsuits after a 15-month disruption of the Institute’s regular funding cadence due to COVID.

$49,328 for Ventura County Resource Conservation District
Project Title: Coastal Education
Engaging Communities in: Santa Paula
Grant Category: Youth programs
Project Timeline: April 2022 – January 2024
Students and families from the Santa Paula Unified School District’s afterschool program will take part in fun field trips to bike along the coast, kayak in Ventura Harbor, and hike at Ormond Beach as they learn about water quality, oil spills, flora and fauna, and climate change.

$19,075 for California Ocean Alliance
Project Title: Balloon Free Seas
Engaging Communities in: Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties
Grant Category: Youth programs, General public/adult programs
Project Timeline: March 2022 – August 2023
In a partnership with Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, high school and university students will engage in hands-on marine education workshops with leadership opportunities to reduce marine debris in the Santa Barbara Channel, including outreach to businesses and the community about proper disposal of balloons.

$20,000 for Santa Barbara Channelkeeper
Project Title: Sea & Shore Explorers – a Santa Barbara Coastline for All
Engaging Communities in: Santa Barbara County
Grant Category: Youth programs
Project Timeline: April 2022 – June 2023
During the school year, classes will participate in marine science lessons and an on-the-ocean kayak field experience. Summer program participants will take part in stewardship activities and marine conservation boat trips.

$50,000 for Cabrillo High School Aquarium/Lompoc Unified School District
Project Title: Coastal Splash Project – Interpretive Phase
Engaging Communities in: Lompoc, Santa Maria, and Santa Barbara County
Grant Category: Youth programs, General audience/adult programs
Project Timeline: March 2022 – September 2022
Includes design, fabrication, and installation of interpretive signage for the Coastal Splash Project along with installation of exhibit lighting for the Coastal Splash Project and the Interactive Tidepool touch tank. Students, including every Lompoc USD 5^th grader, as well as the broader community, visit as part of field trips, virtual tours, and community open houses, led by high school student docents. Other programming includes summer camps and teacher professional development workshops.

$10,184 for Community Action Partnership of Kern
Project Title: Marine Explorers Project
Engaging Communities in: Kern County
Grant Category: Youth programs
Project Timeline: June 2022 – September 2022
Elementary through high school-aged youth will learn about the ocean and marine animals and then visit Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach and enjoy a harbor boat tour.

$35,000 for STEMTaught Foundation
Project Title: Dive with a Scientist
Engaging Communities in: Kern County, Paradise
Grant Category: Youth programs
Project Timeline: April 2022 – June 2023
Elementary school classes will go scuba diving in virtual reality from their classrooms and explore marine samples under microscopes as they learn about ocean ecosystems.

$15,426 for Achievement House, Inc./NCI Affiliates, Inc.
Project Title: Enhancing Self-Advocacy through Coastal Stewardship
Engaging Communities in: San Luis Obispo County, northern Santa Barbara County
Grant Category: General public/adult programs
Project Timeline: Jun 2022-March 2024
To develop a peer-based self-advocacy group for adults with intellectual disabilities and developmental delays that integrates conservation efforts on the central coast with environmental education, ocean stewardship, civic engagement, and community partnerships. Includes regular visits to the coast and inclusive volunteer activities.

$27,000 for City of Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department
Project Title: Coastal Guardians of Santa Maria
Engaging Communities in: Santa Maria
Grant Category: Youth programs
Project Timeline: June 2022 – December 2023
Supports intergenerational experiential learning through an on-campus club at the junior high school, family field trips, and community service opportunities related to coastal environmental causes, enhancing lessons taught during the school day.

$47,226 for Creek Lands Conservation/Central Coast Salmon Enhancement
Project Title: Hugging the Coast of the Santa Maria River
Engaging Communities in: Guadalupe and Santa Maria
Grant Category: General public/adult programs, Youth programs
Project Timeline: April 2022 – December 2023
Volunteers will receive hands-on training and tools to build, manage, and sustain water quality monitoring in the Santa Maria River estuary and ocean, and effectively partner with other organizations for larger community impact. Includes creation and delivery of new lessons to local schools, two school field trips to the estuary for water quality learning, and participation in outreach events for the larger community.

$10,000 for Central Coast Aquarium
Project Title: Marine Science Discovery Labs
Engaging Communities in: San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties
Grant Category: Youth programs
Project Timeline: April 2022 – June 2023
Classes in kindergarten through high school will receive scholarships for the Discovery Lab field trip at the Aquarium, to study topics including plankton, sharks, marine mammals, and ocean stewardship.

$15,426 for NCI Affiliates, Inc.
Project Title: Enhancing Self-Advocacy through Coastal Stewardship
Engaging Communities in: Northern San Luis Obispo County, Monterey County
Grant Category: General public/adult programs
Project Timeline: June 2022 – March 2024
To develop a peer-based self-advocacy group for adults with intellectual disabilities and developmental delays that integrates conservation efforts on the central coast with environmental education, ocean stewardship, civic engagement, and community partnerships. Includes regular visits to the coast and inclusive volunteer activities.

$40,000 for Wahine Project, Inc.
Project Title: Wahine Sur
Engaging Communities in: South Monterey County
Grant Category: Youth programs
Project Timeline: March 2022 – June 2023
A year-round program that incorporates sustainability, conservation, ecology, and oceanography with surfing and boogie boarding, with all instruction in both English and Spanish. Youth and families will receive transportation from rural south Monterey County two Saturdays per month during the school year and for a week-long camp in the summer.

$42,381 for Point Lobos Foundation/Point Lobos Natural History Association
Project Title: Experience Point Lobos for Families of CHISPA Community Housing
Engaging Communities in: Castroville, Salinas, Gonzales, Soledad, Greenfield, King City
Grant Category: General public/adult programs
Project Timeline: March 2022 – December 2023
Create and sustain new equitable access opportunities to Point Lobos State Natural Reserve by directly supporting families in a first and second visit, including educational components, and supporting participants to become increasingly knowledgeable, prepared, and confident to continue visits on their own.

$49,206 for University Corporation at Monterey Bay
Project Title: 6^th Grade Eco-Ambassadors Restore and Monitor the Dunes
Engaging Communities in: Seaside, Marina, Monterey
Grant Category: Youth programs
Project Timeline: March 2022 – April 2024
Pilot a 6^th grade program for classes in Monterey Peninsula Unified School District, including teacher support and development, two field trips to the beach for each class for dune restoration and monitoring, and seven new school native dune gardens. Paid CSUMB students will assistant with the program.

49,419 for Western Flyer Foundation
Project Title: STEM Experiential Approach to Critical Ocean and Atmosphere Science Topics
Engaging Communities in: North Monterey County
Grant Category: Youth programs
Project Timeline: March 2022 – April 2022
This pilot program engages high school and community college students in marine science research on board the historic Western Flyer vessel. Curriculum will be developed, classes will receive bus scholarships and substitute teacher reimbursement, and an internship program will provide experience in maritime operations, program development, and research.

47,750 for Ventana Wilderness Alliance
Project Title: Youth in Wilderness – Connecting Youth Outdoors
Engaging Communities in: Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties
Grant Category: Youth programs
Project Timeline: March 2022 – April 2024
Lead youth in introductory wilderness immersion outings, inspiring empowerment, reflection, and a strengthened connection to public lands. Includes at least 35 coastal overnight and day trip adventures and three female empowerment outings. Participating groups are community partners and affinity groups engaging historically excluded identities.

$45,055 for Ventana Wildlife Society
Project Title: Coastal Stewardship Education and Action
Engaging Communities in: Monterey County
Grant Category: Youth programs, General public/adult programs
Project Timeline: April 2022 – March 2023
Recruit and employ two graduate student interns who will provide environmental and outdoor education programming for youth, assist in condor recovery actions, conduct public education in person and in monthly zoom presentations, and organize community volunteer events focusing on micro-trash in Big Sur.

$20,000 for Monterey Peninsula Audubon Society
Project Title: Oystercatcher Monitoring Project Intern Program
Engaging Communities in: Monterey Bay Area
Grant Category: Youth programs, General public/adult programs
Project Timeline: March 2022 – August 2022
Creates a paid internship position for an undergraduate student from CSU Monterey Bay’s Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation Program, who will be mentored to assist with the Oystercatcher project through research, field activities, and public outreach.

$34,900 for Monterey Waterkeeper/California Coastkeeper
Project Title: Central Coast Water Leaders Program
Engaging Communities in: Monterey Bay Area
Grant Category: Youth programs, General public/adult programs, Shoreline enhancement
Project Timeline: March 2022 – April 2024
Strengthen collaborative relationships with community organizations across the region by developing and presenting uniquely tailored experiential programming relating to environmental and coastal resources through the lens of their missions.

50,000 for County of Santa Cruz, Department of Parks, Open Space and Cultural Services
Project Title: Turning the Tide – Ocean Camp for Pájaro Valley Youth
Engaging Communities in: Santa Cruz County
Grant Category: Youth programs
Project Timeline: May 2022 – November 2023
Five youth mentors who are previous program participants will be selected to advise staff on programming, cultural relevance of program components, and to assist with program logo design. Youth mentors will be trained to support camp with coastal education and first aid/CPR. They will join the 5^th and 6^th grade campers and their families for swim lessons followed by a camp experience including seven ocean visits, one local watershed day, and a family beach day.

$49,399 for La Honda-Pescadero Unified School District
Project Title: South Coast Environmental Studies Program and Career Path
Engaging Communities in: La Honda and Pescadero
Grant Category: Youth programs, Shoreline enhancement
Project Timeline: March 2022 – April 2024
Working with community partners, students will engage in stewardship and environmental studies at Pescadero Marsh and other coastal locations, including through habitat restoration and ecological monitoring. This interdisciplinary program will be available to students in multiple classes and afterschool, and students will be able to apply for stipends to complete additional community service work.

$50,000 for Vida Verde Nature Education
Project Title: Vida Verde Coastal Program
Engaging Communities in: San Francisco Bay Area
Grant Category: Youth programs
Project Timeline: April 2022 – March 2024
A three-day school year elementary program and a teen summer program on the San Mateo Coast will engage students in learning about and from sandy beaches, marsh, and tidepools.

$50,000 for GirlVentures
Project Title: Increasing Coastal Access and Environmental Stewardship for Girls
Engaging Communities in: San Francisco Bay Area
Grant Category: Youth programs
Project Timeline: March 2022 – September 2023
Outdoor programs will provide opportunities for girls and gender nonconforming youth to develop leadership; build confidence, empathy, and life skills; and learn about California’s coastal and marine environments during five- to 14-day hiking, backpacking, and kayaking expeditions.

$29,292 for San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory
Project Title: Volunteer-led California Least Tern Recovery at Eden Landing
Engaging Communities in: San Francisco Bay Area
Grant Category: General public/adult programs, Shoreline enhancement
Project Timeline: March 2022 – November 2023
Engage volunteers to assist habitat enhancement at the least tern breeding site and to participate in the South Bay Tern Watch Program to collect important colony data.

$47,740 for Brown Girl Surf/Social Good Fund
Project Title: Soul Surfer Program
Engaging Communities in: San Francisco Bay Area
Grant Category: Youth programs
Project Timeline: March 2022 – February 2023
Participants engage in a series of intergenerational, female-centered surf programs and opportunities for leadership development, community building, and ocean conservation, including summer camp, year-round programs, and special events.

$24,025 for Greater Farallones Association
Project Title: Connecting Students to Meaningful Coastal Learning Experiences
Engaging Communities in: San Francisco Bay Area
Grant Category: Youth programs
Project Timeline: June 2022 – July 2023
Classes will participate in the LiMPETS program, a species monitoring program that involves students in the practice of real science in the classroom and at the coast. In addition, core training materials will be translated into Spanish and refined to engage English Language Development students.

$23,000 for San Mateo County Parks & Recreation Foundation
Project Title: Educational Tours to Fitzgerald Marine Reserve
Engaging Communities in: San Mateo County
Grant Category: Youth programs, General public/adult programs
Project Timeline: April 2022 – October 2023
Provide schools and youth service organizations that engage BIPOC youth and communities with low incomes with educational tours of the Reserve and enhance interpretive resources for Spanish- and Mandarin-speaking visitors.

$50,000 for Grassroots Ecology
Project Title: East Palo Alto Baylands Education and Stewardship Project
Engaging Communities in: East Palo Alto
Grant Category: Youth programs, Shoreline enhancement, General public/adult programs
Project Timeline: April 2022 – April 2024
Engages East Palo Alto youth and community members to experience, explore, and restore their local shoreline. The three project components are a Youth Stewards Program for middle and high school students, Habitat Restoration Paid Internships for young adults, and stewardship and appreciation events for community members of all ages.

$17,400 for MeWater Foundation, Inc.
Project Title: Surf and Nature Education Camps
Engaging Communities in: Bayview, Hunters Point, Visitacion Valley
Grant Category: Youth programs
Project Timeline: June 2022 – December 2023
Youth will participate in camps at local beaches to learn about coastal ecosystems, enjoy surf lessons, practice mindfulness through emotional health exercises, participate in beach cleanups, and create memories of joyful experiences.

$10,000 for Mission Science Workshop/Community Initiatives
Project Title: Whale on Wheels
Engaging Communities in: San Francisco
Grant Category: Youth programs
Project Timeline: March 2022 – June 2023
A disassembled, 30-foot juvenile gray whale skeleton will be delivered to schools, and after a lesson on whale evolution, anatomy, and conservation, the students will work together to assemble the full skeleton.

$50,000 for City Surf Project
Project Title: Reaching Out & Diving Deep
Engaging Communities in: San Francisco
Grant Category: Youth programs
Project Timeline: June 2022 – May 2023
Youth will enjoy field trips to the beach to be introduced to surfing and the marine environment. A cohort of alumni instructors will be developed to build long-term capacity in representative leadership, supporting further career and education goals in environmental or related fields.

$50,000 for Acta Non Verba: Youth Urban Farm Project
Project Title: Coastal Experiences & Conservation for East Oakland Youth
Engaging Communities in: East Oakland
Grant Category: Youth programs
Project Timeline: April 2022 – August 2023
Elementary students with middle school leaders-in-training will take weekly trips to the coast and one overnight coastal camping trip during a six-week summer camp, and during the school year will experience sailing lessons on the San Francisco Bay and participate in service-learning coastal stewardship projects.

$30,000 for Alameda Community Sailing Center/ACSC Inc.
Project Title: Sailing: A Path to Discovery
Engaging Communities in: Alameda and East Oakland
Grant Category: Youth programs
Project Timeline: April 2022 – August 2022
Youth from partner organizations in Alameda and Oakland will experience a two-week sailing camp to learn skills connecting them to the Bay, the ocean, and their local environment.

$25,000 for Green Life Project/Earth Island Institute, Inc.
Project Title: Reentry and Youth Leadership Watershed Steward Project
Engaging Communities in: Oakland
Grant Category: Youth programs, General public/adult programs
Project Timeline: March 2022 – December 2022
Brings together carceral system-impacted leaders, youth, community partners, and other residents to engage in activities fostering a love of the local waterways and coast, including physical recreation, team-building, community service, and learning about impacts on marine and coastal habitats.

$50,000 for West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project
Project Title: Oakland Shoreline Action Committee
Engaging Communities in: West Oakland
Grant Category: General public/adult programs
Project Timeline: May 2022 – February 2023
The frontline, shoreline community members of the Oakland Shoreline Action Committee will implement project ideas initiated during their previous six-month session learning about shoreline planning and policy. They will receive training on successful implementation strategies, convene partners, fundraise as necessary, communicate to the community, and recruit volunteers to join cleanup and restoration events. Projects may include concepts such as native plant healing spaces, a mobile nature and science center, and an environmental history mural.

$20,000 for Exploring New Horizons Outdoor Schools
Project Title: Outdoor Educational Equity at Pigeon Point
Engaging Communities in: Contra Costa County
Grant Category: Youth programs
Project Timeline: April 2022 – March 2023
Classes will enjoy three-day overnight programs at the coast, with elephant seal monitoring at Año Nuevo State Park, bird and whale monitoring at Pigeon Point Lighthouse, and beach and tidepool cleanups near the lighthouse.

$45,497 for The Watershed Project
Project Title: Ocean Acidification & Resilience in a Changing Climate
Engaging Communities in: Oakland, Richmond, San Pablo, San Francisco
Grant Category: Youth programs, Climate change
Project Timeline: June 2022 – June 2023
Four high school teachers will be trained and supported to teach a place-based two-week ocean acidification curriculum module with multiple classes, complemented by hands-on experiments, data analysis, videos, and a field trip to Point Reyes National Seashore. Students will communicate their findings to the community in a public venue.

$47,649 for The Center for Independent Living
Project Title: Youth Coastal Connections Program
Engaging Communities in: East San Francisco Bay
Grant Category: Youth programs
Project Timeline: March 2022 – April 2024
Cohorts of youth with disabilities will visit coastal environments and take part in workshops on public transit access and environmental stewardship, a beach cleanup, and a reflection on their own goals for advocating for accessibility and the environment.

$49,754 for YES Nature to Neighborhoods
Project Title: Richmond Outdoors – Nurturing Coastal Environment Leaders
Engaging Communities in: Richmond
Grant Category: Youth programs
Project Timeline: March 2022 – March 2023
Youth will explore coastal environments through kayaking, hiking, and backpacking trips to San Francisco Bay, Tomales Bay, Samuel Taylor State Park, Point Reyes National Seashore, Stinson Beach, and Point Bonita, and partner with organizations to engage in stewardship activities while there. Curriculum will be redesigned to include topics such as government policy on watershed pollution and the historical context of BIPOC in the outdoors. Youth Leadership participants will explore human and environmental interconnectedness and present to peers and community members what they’ve learned.

$50,000 for KIDS for the BAY/Earth Island Institute, Inc.
Project Title: Watershed Action – Ocean Stewards Program
Engaging Communities in: Richmond and San Pablo
Grant Category: Youth programs
Project Timeline: April 2022 – July 2023
Students will learn about and become stewards of their local watershed, take field trips to explore and learn about an ocean beach, deliver presentations to teach their families what they have learned and lead their families on a visit to the same beach they previously visited. Partner teachers will receive tools and training to continue teaching this program to future classes.

$35,000 for Lions Center for the Visually Impaired/Lions Blind Center of Diablo Valley
Project Title: ABCs – Aging, Blind Coastal Delta Exploration
Engaging Communities in: Alameda, Contra Costa, and Solano Counties
Grant Category: General public/adult programs
Project Timeline: March 2022 – March 2023
Blind and visually impaired adults will receive in-home, virtual and on-site environmental programming, with fun and educational trips to shoreline parks in Alameda, Contra Costa, and Solano Counties.

$19,900 for AYPAL: Building API Community Power/Asian Pacific Environmental Network
Project Title: Bay API Youth Connected to Environment
Engaging Communities in: Oakland and Richmond
Grant Category: Youth programs
Project Timeline: April 2022 – April 2023
Youth will learn how to restore and preserve natural habitat and plan outdoor activity days to foster and reestablish their relationship with the land and water.

$50,000 for Boys & Girls Clubs of Sonoma-Marin
Project Title: Under the Sea Program
Engaging Communities in: Sonoma County and Marin City
Grant Category: Youth programs
Project Timeline: March 2022 – August 2023
Eight week-long, coastal-themed summer camps will take place in both 2022 and 2023 for elementary and middle school youth, including a field trip to a Sonoma County beach.

$36,000 for Point Bonita YMCA of San Francisco
Project Title: Strengthening Science – Experiential Education in Nature’s Classroom
Engaging Communities in: Marin City
Grant Category: Youth programs, Climate change
Project Timeline: March 2022 – December 2022
In partnership with teaching staff, middle schoolers at Bayside Martin Luther King Jr. Academy will develop science skills with hands-on curriculum in marine ecosystems, geology, and natural history in the classroom, school garden, at the Marin Headlands, and the local shoreline.

$50,000 for NatureBridge
Project Title: Marine Science Education for Youth
Engaging Communities in: Northern California and Central Valley
Grant Category: Youth audience
Project Timeline: March 2022 – June 2023
Refurbish the Marine Science Lab after the disruption of the pandemic and provide scholarships for classes to attend multi-day programming at NatureBridge’s Golden Gate National Recreation Area campus.

$19,945 for Tomales High School/Shoreline Unified School District
Project Title: Shoreline Experiential Learning Project
Engaging Communities in: West Marin County, southwest Sonoma County
Grant Category: Youth programs
Project Timeline: March 2022 – April 2024
Students will develop naturalist skills and learn about human impacts on coastal ecosystems in the classroom, on Tomales Bay, and during overnight trips to Salt Point State Park, Elkhorn Slough, and Clem Miller Education Center in Point Reyes. Curriculum and family outreach with be in both English and Spanish.

$50,000 for Turtle Island Restoration Network
Project Title: Training and Diversifying the Next Generation of Marine and Watershed Educators and Practitioners
Engaging Communities in: West Marin County and Statewide
Grant Category: General public/adult programs, Youth programs, Shoreline enhancement
Project Timeline: April 2022 – July 2023
Expand an internship program to address disparities of opportunity for BIPOC communities. Provide living and travel stipends to residential and non-residential interns for field science, education, community building, and career development.

$33,006 for American Canyon Community & Parks Foundation
Project Title: Watershed Explorers Program
Engaging Communities in: American Canyon
Grant Category: Youth programs
Project Timeline: April 2022 – April 2024
Every American Canyon fourth-grade student will experience an ocean and watershed science program in the classroom and in their local wetlands, while also learning about careers in watershed science.

$49,840 for Napa County Office of Education
Project Title: COOL Coast
Engaging Communities in: Napa and Santa Rosa
Grant Category: Youth programs
Project Timeline: April 2022 – May 2023
Engage 3^rd-8^th grade students in environmental education and service learning, including trips to the Napa River, American Canyon marsh, and Sonoma/Marin coast, as part of the Expanded Learning program.

$25,566 for Napa County Resource Conservation District
Project Title: Stream Watch Community Science Program
Engaging Communities in: Napa County
Grant Category: General public/adult programs
Project Timeline: May 2022 – December 2023
Engage volunteer community scientists to contribute meaningful data on dry-season stream flow, and implement three Stream Engagement Events to spread awareness of the importance and diversity of the Napa River Watershed and its connection to the Bay and ocean.

$49,933 for Conservation Corps North Bay
Project Title: Watersheds, Summit to Sea
Engaging Communities in: Sonoma County
Grant Category: General public/adult programs, Shoreline enhancement
Project Timeline: March 2022 – September 2023
Young adult Corps members will take part in stewardship, outdoor education, and recreation to learn about the connection between fire-shed, watershed, and ocean health. Partnering with Occidental Arts and Ecology Center, the project will include an educational workshop, hands-on stewardship and training to enhance upstream salmon habitat, and a fun and educational day kayaking at the mouth of the Russian River.

$20,000 for Russian Riverkeeper
Project Title: River and Ocean Trash Education and Stewardship
Engaging Communities in: Cloverdale, Healdsburg, Windsor, Santa Rosa
Grant Category: Youth programs, Shoreline enhancement
Project Timeline: June 2022 – June 2023
School groups will receive education and opportunities for data analysis regarding trash and plastics accumulation in the Russian River watershed, building on solutions-based stewardship and community connection to the environment.

$49,497 for California Urban Streams Alliance – The Stream Team
Project Title: Gualala River Stream Team Stewardship Project
Engaging Communities in: Southwest Mendocino and northwest Sonoma Counties
Grant Category: General public/adult programs, Youth programs, Climate change
Project Timeline: April 2022 – December 2023
Establishes a volunteer monitoring program with rural coastal residents, engaging community in the connection between inland waterways and the ocean and impacts on anadromous fish, and promoting stewardship and involvement in resource management decisions. Also includes teacher professional development, programs in three local schools, and outreach at community events.

$18,261 for Jug Handle Creek Farm & Nature Center
Project Title: Pomo Coast Connect
Engaging Communities in: Lake and Mendocino Counties
Grant Category: General public/adult programs
Project Timeline: May 2022 – April 2024
In a partnership with six tribes, multi-day retreats will connect native communities to the ocean and their traditional Pomo lands with regenerative cultural activities, nature education and restoration activities, and fun activities on the coast.

$36,299 for Noyo Center for Marine Science
Project Title: Talking Trash Again – Making Choices That Support a Healthy Ocean
Engaging Communities in: Fort Bragg, Mendocino
Grant Category: Youth programs, General public/adult programs, Shoreline enhancement
Project Timeline: April 2022 – April 2024
Youth will learn about trash, recycling, and ocean health through classroom lessons, campus trash audits and beach cleanups, as well as an ocean plastics exhibit at the Discovery Center in downtown Fort Bragg involving the wider community.

$4,670 for Potter Valley Elementary School/Potter Valley Community Unified School District
Project Title: Sixth Grade Science Camp
Engaging Communities in: Potter Valley
Grant Category: Youth programs
Project Timeline: March 2022 – April 2022
Sixth graders will spend a week studying marine ecology at MacKerricher State Park with the Pacific Environmental Education Center.

$19,171 for Northcoast Regional Land Trust
Project Title: Coastal Connections Event Series
Engaging Communities in: Humboldt County
Grant Category: General public/adult programs, Climate change
Project Timeline: April 2022 – November 2023
Community members will participate in interpretive tours, outdoor adventures, and stewardship experiences related to wetland restoration, habitat protection, and sea level rise, as well as unstructured opportunities for building authentic connection to the coast.

$48,370 for Humboldt Baykeeper
Project Title: Humboldt Bay Rising Tides
Engaging Communities in: Humboldt County
Grant Category: General public/adult programs, Climate change
Project Timeline: March 2022 – April 2024
Boat and walking tours of the Bay will combine with a weekly radio show and podcast to bring visibility and civic engagement to local issues connected to sea level rise.

$19,631 for Redwood Community Action Agency
Project Title: Salt Marsh, Sand Dunes, and Sea Life Stewards
Engaging Communities in: Humboldt County
Grant Category: General public/adult programs
Project Timeline: March 2022 – April 2024
Individuals and families in transition will experience a series of coastal field trips including a salt marsh boat tour and sand dune and tide pool explorations, and to participate in coastal cleanup activities if able, inviting a shift from inner thoughts to outer sensory experiences.

$50,000 for Save California Salmon/Trees Foundation
Project Title: Water and Climate Protection Campaign
Engaging Communities in: Northern California
Grant Category: Youth programs, Climate change
Project Timeline: March 2022 – April 2024
Projects will include developing a junior high school curriculum based on the Traditional Ecological Knowledge, Science, and Management speaker series, developing regionally-focused lessons on water policy and decision making, hosting teacher professional development trainings and working with local jurisdictions to implement the curricula, hosting trainings for youth to learn how to participate in government decision-making processes, hosting Native youth camps, leading Klamath and Trinity River cleanups, and hosting community tours of Sue-meg Village.

$33,643 for Scott River Watershed Council
Project Title: Creek to Coast
Engaging Communities in: Etna
Grant Category: Youth programs
Project Timeline: June 2022 – August 2023
During a summer program, youth will learn about and visit the Scott River watershed from Etna to the Klamath estuary, highlighting the salmonid life cycle; riparian, estuarine, and marine habitats; and active restoration efforts.

$50,000 for Yurok Tribe Environmental Program
Project Title: Cultivating Food Sovereignty Through Environmental Stewardship
Engaging Communities in: Yurok Indian Reservation and Ancestral Territories
Grant Category: Shoreline enhancement, Youth Programs
Project Timeline: April 2022 – March 2023
Establish an educational program for Yurok elementary schools and community. Educational and stewardship opportunities will be made available to the entire Yurok community through the adoption of two Del Norte County beaches, the installation of five monofilament recycling stations, and through the development of educational materials for community distribution. Marine debris studies conducted during beach cleanups at the adopted beaches will provide insight into educational needs throughout the Yurok Indian Reservation.

$20,000 for Smith River Alliance, Inc.
Project Title: Del Norte and Adjacent Tribal Lands Coastal Stewardship Project
Engaging Communities in: Del Norte County
Grant Category: Shoreline enhancement
Project Timeline: April 2022 – April 2023
Work with partners to develop an Adopt-A-Beach program for the northern 20 miles of the Del Norte County coastline and the lower Smith River and expand upon a July 4^th waste prevention campaign.

$50,000 for Tolowa Dunes Stewards/Friends of the Dunes
Project Title: Protecting Biological Diversity by Advancing Indigenous, Youth Stewardship
Engaging Communities in: Del Norte County
Grant Category: Shoreline enhancement, Youth programs, General public/adult programs
Project Timeline: March 2022 – April 2023
In partnership with Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation, a series of culturally focused education and stewardship activities will engage tribal youth and families, including plant and wildlife outings and recreational activities on and near the Tolowa Coast. Sierra Service Project youth and community volunteers will engage in multiple restoration projects and coastal cleanups.

$23,731 for Association for Environmental & Outdoor Education
Project Title: Climate Champions: Mobilizing Environmental Educators for a Just and Sustainable Future
Engaging Communities Statewide
Grant Category: Climate change, Youth programs, General public/adult programs
Project Timeline: May 2022 – June 2023
Climate and water education will be integrated into California’s Environmental Educator Certification Project, with scholarships to the program increasing access for historically excluded communities.

Staff Report: https://documents.coastal.ca.gov/reports/2022/2/W6f/w6f-2-2022-report.pdf

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