If seeing trash on the beach disturbs you, you might already be a Stewardship Traveler!
Explore a deeper connection when you engage in activities that protect the very things you are enjoying. As thousands of people visit our beaches and coastline, there are always those few who leave their trash behind instead of removing it or properly disposing of it. The annual California beach cleanups remove tons of harmful debris from our oceans and coastlines, and the daily efforts by locals and visitors who care, makes a great difference all year long. You may not realize what a great impact you can have when visiting a beach community.
What is a Stewardship Traveler?
Stewardship travelers care deeply about the areas they visit and enjoy participating in activities that benefit the planet. Anything from trash pick-up to financial donations to local conservation groups, makes you a Stewardship Traveler. Maintaining the pristine beauty and untouched areas along this special part of the California Coast is something locals do vigorously. The very popular Fiscalini Ranch Preserve was once slated to be a gated community and golf course, but locals led the charge to purchase the 400+ acre property as forever open space for all of us to enjoy. There are endless opportunities to participate on the ranch. Efforts to restore native habitats and remove invasive non-native plants is an ongoing commitment that Cambrians fully embrace. If you would like to join the "Friends of Fiscalini Ranch" efforts, visit them at http://ffrpcambria.org/
Why be a Stewardship Traveler?
Because the only way to keep these areas the way they have been for generations is to take care of them. Every person can be a hero to the animals they are saving by removing trash and debris from the beaches. Marine debris harms wildlife as they mistake it for food. It creates a situation where mammals, birds, and fish feel full from eating but have gained zero sustenance, resulting in malnutrition and eventually death by starvation. The 6-pack rings, plastic bags, fishing line, and other items can entangle animals so they are unable to swim, eat, and even breathe. Plastic can take hundreds of years to break down and will continue to harm the ocean creatures unless removed and properly disposed of. Some schools offer volunteer credit when children are active in stewardship activities while on vacation…check to see if your school participates.
