Scotts Valley Rotary Sustainability Committee sponsors the Marine Debris Ocean Stewardship Program.  This was the second field trip for students from Scotts Valley High School to Davenport Beach, on March 29, 2018. . 
 
 
A portion of the grant funds are allocated to reduce plastic pollution in the ocean starting on the campus. The GreenTeam at the High School leaded by Mark Andrews, Environmental Studies Teacher, have built and are enhancing a sustainable organic garden! Learning to drain only clean water into the watershed going to the ocean.
 
 
All together 150 High School students participated in this “marine debris survey.”  Many youngsters camp at this beach overnight and although many pack their trash, few take it up the steep cliff to be disposed off. Looking at these pictures you can see in about an hour the students collected enough trash (already bagged and hand picked)to fill up almost 3 big containers up at the parking lot.
 
 
The plastic and other trash was logged in worksheets. The students later in class input the info into the NOAA Marine Debris National Data Base. Really a great data to help ocean policy development.
 
 
This is a hands-on experience that hopefully will teach students to refuse single-use disposable plastic, and protect the health and integrity of the ocean ecosystem.