Outside Possibilities
“Education programs outside are what led me to love science and nature when I was young. I am grateful to Sand Hill Foundation for being a strong partner in our vision by funding these activities; the foundation is deeply invested in our work and our success on the ground.”
— David Lewis, Executive Director
No matter where you are in the San Francisco Bay Area, the expansive salt waters of the Bay are visible. Without Save the Bay’s advocacy since 1961, this iconic natural resource at the center of our communities would be a fraction of its current size. Save the Bay works with youth and adults to protect and restore the Bay – and its wildlife – through pollution-prevention campaigns like the plastic bag and styrofoam bans, the enforcement of clean water laws, and extensive educational programs focused on the next generation.
Since 2010, Sand Hill Foundation has funded Save the Bay’s youth programs. Students learn science through ongoing restoration activities focused on blighted shorelines in East Palo Alto, the Baylands, and Redwood Shores. Surveys of students and teachers show that participants have been inspired to change specific behaviors, such as producing less trash and conserving water. Students also gain hands-on experience with math and science concepts through curriculum-integrated field work.
Another recent small capital grant from Sand Hill Foundation contributed to the construction of a badly-needed work shed at the organization’s nursery in Palo Alto, allowing native plant nursery production to increase in support of volunteer replanting efforts. Save the Bay’s goal is to restore 100,000 acres of tidal marsh around the Bay, with the help of many local residents. So far, they have saved 78,000 acres with the help of over 8,000 people each year.
