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Scotts Valley Rotary Sustainability Committee Patrizia Materassi, Chairperson Sustainable Development & Planning POBox 66287 Scotts Valley, CA 95067, USA (831) 334-2383 Mpatrizia2@gmail.com

Marine Debris Ocean Stewardship Program- International Pilot Project August 31, 2017

OVERVIEW AND OBJECTIVES

This project is to educate students on the negative impacts of plastic pollution in the ocean, and allow them to see first-hand the connection between their activities on campus with the pollution in the ocean. Study of the local watershed is part of the program; they learn how all storm drains, creeks, and rivers are branches of the ocean.

ULTIMATE GOAL

Ultimate goal of the project is at least to “plant a seed” for the reduction of marine debris in the Guanabara Bay, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and in our Monterey Bay Sanctuary, CA, USA, via a hands-on education program at “sisters” high schools. The program is funded by the Scotts Valley Rotary (SVRSC) in partnership with the Tampa Bay Community Foundation, Florida (TBCF), and the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The SVHS is the first school to participate in the pilot program. They will be renewing their grant this year. See Press Release with photos of their 2016 program below. A representative of the SV Rotary will be in Brazil between September 20 and October 1 to help potential “sister” schools and "parent" Rotary Clubs to fill out an Application. This is a pilot program to be repeated/copied by many schools not only

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around the two bays listed above but in other bays of Brazil and/or in bays all over the world!

STUDENT PROJECT ACTIVITIES

1) The students conduct 2 field trips to the beach to collect marine debris per scientific protocols

2) Back in class they catalog the info collected into the NOAA National Marine Debris data base; they analyze the data and develop an outreach program to share their findings with the rest of the students and with the community. The students exchange photos and compare info collected with their “sister school” abroad;

3) Based on their evaluation of the marine debris collected the students use the remaining grant funds to make campus improvements to reduce plastic pollution and contamination of ocean waters. Projects may vary from installation of water fountains and distribution of metal canteens to reduce use of plastic water bottles, or change packaging in the cafeteria to reduce single use of disposable plastic; installation of organic gardens, recycling and composting stations, etc, depending on the needs of the school.

OPERATION AND FUNDING

Grant Amount and Rotary Club Sponsors

The grant amount is $4,000 per school, originating from the Scotts Valley Rotary Club in partnership with TBCF and NOAA. When out of the country, the local Rotary Club “adopts” the school and serves as a “parent club” allowing the transfer of funds to the school via the Rotary District Foundation as applicable; and, potentially providing support to project via the Interact Club of the same school.

A Sponsor Club can contribute funding to the program 1) at large, 2) funding a particular school here or in Brazil, or 3) both. The SVRSC has a specific account with the District 5170 Foundation where donations and project funds can be deposited. The sponsoring does involve helping the Lead Teacher fill out the Application and official documents which are sent to NOAA for review and to the SVRSC for funding. The school Interact Club is strongly encouraged to participate in the school program, especially in the community outreach and project’s pass-it-on task.

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Grant Renewal and Special Incentives

Provided 1) the Rotary Club sponsor has the funds, 2) the school complies with all what it promised in the Application, and 3) the "parent" club continues its support the grant can be renewed for up to total of 5 years in decreasing amounts. Participation of the school Interact Club is a requirement for renewal of the grant.

Special incentives apply in the second year to Brazilian schools which plan to install and/or maintain marine debris collecting floating-boom nets or barriers at the mouth of a polluting creek or river within their watershed, thus preventing debris to reach the ocean/the bay. School can hire expert companies to help.

The grant allows for Lead Teachers to receive a stipend for extra hours.

Responsible Party and the Starting Point

The responsible party is the “Lead Teacher”. She/he fills out the Application and receives help/support for the Scotts Valley Rotary representative/Chair of the SVR Sustainability Committee, Patrizia Materassi, as well as from the other sponsor club as applicable. When the school is abroad, the school Application is to be accepted by the “parent club” prior to approval. Patrizia can be contacted any time via WhatsApp at (831) 334-2383.

Press Release of the Scotts Valley High School project

Banner Story

Youth - Marine Debris Ocean Stewardship Project

Congratulations go to members of the Scotts Valley High School "Green Team," students Alicia Snyder, Kaylee Reyes, and Julian Ruiz, who made a presentation to the Scotts Valley Rotarians regarding a recently launched program sponsored by the club’s Sustainability Committee, along with NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Tampa Bay Community Foundation.

About 120 students from Ms. Adi Welch's Marine Biology class, and from Mr. Mark Andrews' Environmental Science class, and Matt and Emma of Save Our Shores, collected and recorded data on marine debris at the Boardwalk Park Main Beach.

Student member Kaylee Reyes said, "It is the goal of the SVHS Green Team to begin to bring awareness to the chemicals that we use to maintain our schools and landscapes that end up polluting our oceans…We currently use a herbicide that is toxic to both marine and land animals."

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Alicia Snyder summed it up by saying, "We hope to continue this program over the next few years and expand it to include other schools so that the message gets out that we need to protect our marine environments."

Green Teamer Julian Ruiz stressed that "If we don't do something now to curb the plastic pollution and acidification of our oceans, we may just go the way of the dinosaurs once the oceans cannot provide the many resources that we need it to provide so that the human population can survive and thrive. I want to pass along a better and cleaner planet earth to my grandchildren, don't you?"

The Scotts Valley Rotary and the overall project coordinators (Patrizia Materassi, Scotts Valley Rotary Sustainability Committee, Seaberry Nachbar, and Naomi Pollack, NOAA’s Ocean Guardian School Program) extend their appreciation and congratulations to the SVHS Green Team for a great presentation!

                                                           

                       

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