WHALE TAIL® Grants fund projects that support experiential education and stewardship of the California coast and its watersheds. Highlighted below are examples of some of our grant recipients within the last few years. See a full list of all past grantees on our grants map.
You can support the WHALE TAIL® Grants Program by purchasing a WHALE TAIL® License Plate or by donating to the Protect Our Coast and Oceans Fund on the California state tax form.
"To take care of the land is being a steward of the land."
- Blue Lake Union Elementary School 7th grade student
A WHALE TAIL® Grant supported Blue Lake Union Elementary School District (BLUESD) in providing 6th and 7th grade students an enriching Indigenous cultural experience that incorporated environmental stewardship for local waterways and the ocean. In collaboration with the Native American Studies Model Curriculum Project, community partners, and the staff from California State Parks, BLUESD created a curriculum highlighting the relationship between the Yurok Tribe and the California State Parks. The curriculum "Yurok Country - Since Time Immemorial" uplifts Yurok perspectives and the importance of the partnership with State Parks on the North Coast.
Students made real-life connections to the curriculum through hands-on cultural demonstrations led by Yurok community members and field trips to State parks, including a kayaking trip to Chah-pekw O' Ket'-oh/Stone Lagoon Visitor Center and an overnight trip to Sue-Meg park. As a BLUESD staff member put it: "It is so impressive to see the level of respect and appreciation that the students have for the Yurok community members that were so gracious to share their culture with the group. This type of educational experience is imperative to become good stewards of the planet."
“The BORP Kayaking is such an amazing experience. It was fun stepping out of my comfort zone and trying out kayaking. I was a little nervous as one can be trying something new such as kayaking but the people working with BORP made me feel safe and comfortable throughout the whole experience. It was such a joy to get out on to the water to paddle…I enjoyed learning more about kayaking as well as learning about the birds/wildlife in the area. The volunteers are very kind, helpful and knowledgeable. They showed great ingenuity and quick thinking with their adaptive solutions to help me. They carefully considered what would suit me the best, which gave me confidence that I was safe and secure. I really appreciate the time that they took to get it right. I had an awesome time kayaking! I am looking forward to doing even more.” - Alecia W., Trip Participant
BORP Adaptive Sports & Recreation empowers people with mobility and vision disabilities through sports, fitness, and recreational programs that foster independence, health, community, and belonging. A WHALE TAIL® Grant is supporting BORP in leading adaptive kayaking day trips. On one such trip at MLK Jr. Regional Shoreline in Oakland, seven participants with disabilities enjoyed paddling and environmental interpretation. For three participants, it was their first time kayaking. BORP is also assessing and documenting the trip locations to help paddlers with disabilities plan accessible kayaking adventures. Check out their kayaking page for their kayak location profiles.
It was a beautiful, sunny day at Rodeo Beach with KIDS for the BAY. Two classes from Michelle Obama Elementary in Richmond came out on an ocean field trip to apply hands-on science learnings from classroom workshops and a bay habitat field trip as part of the Watershed Action Program. KIDS for the BAY received a WHALE TAIL® grant to engage eight 3rd through 5th grade classes from Richmond and San Pablo in watershed stewardship and ocean ecology.
KIDS for the BAY educators engaged youth in using their senses, learning about coastal plants and animals, and cleaning up trash from the beach. A highlight was a beach scavenger hunt where groups searched for something natural to closely observe. Students got to share out their discoveries, including algae, mussel shells, a brown pelican feather, and by-the-wind sailors! It was a full day of fun and coastal connections.
A WHALE TAIL® Grant supported Bird School Project to provide bilingual and culturally-relevant birding programs, with a focus on Latino and Spanish-speaking participants. Guided boating trips through Elkhorn Slough introduced intergenerational families to the rich diversity of migratory birds along the Pacific Flyway, while community birding events across Watsonville and Salinas created inclusive spaces for community members to experience local birding and outdoor activities.
Participants engaged in special guest presentations, guided discussions on conservation, bird identification and community science activities (including a Bird Lotería guide!), and storytelling. By drawing connections between bird migration and human migration, families were able to share about their own migration journeys and see their stories reflected in nature. This sense of belonging and stewardship has resulted in continued participant engagement beyond these trips, with many joining habitat restoration efforts, community events, and field trips through other local organizations and partners.
With support from a WHALE TAIL® Grant, the Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians is organizing Traveling Tataveaveat: Áhëvëve mëmët (Traveling Tataviam Lands, On the Ocean Shore) to introduce youth to traditional Fernandeño Tataviam cultural and natural sites through fun, educational experiences. Youth engage with outdoor educators and naturalists to gain knowledge of local conservation efforts, while also gaining leadership skills, peer mentoring opportunities, and personal growth in culturally appropriate practices. In early 2024, youth visited Aquarium of the Pacific to observe marine life, they toured UC Santa Barbara to learn about educational opportunities, swam in the ocean at Leadbetter Beach, and explored the Santa Barbara Channel via boat. In March, Tataviam and Chumash Tribal Elder, Alan Salazar, shared traditional stories, his knowledge about tomols (traditional ocean canoes), and the importance of access to water as a cultural and natural resource. Youth made abalone shell necklaces with materials provided by Mr. Salazar, and they learned about cultural and natural resource preservation at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History.
A WHALE TAIL® Grant supported Paddle for Peace to provide a free, Sunday morning beach recreational program with participants recruited from BIPOC communities of San Diego. The program included an educational component to teach students about the coast, inspiring them to return as stewards or pursue a job in coastal conservation. Along with ocean safety instruction, beach recreational activities such as surfing, boogie boarding, beach volleyball and soccer were offered for students to participate in if comfortable, with additional alternative beachside recreational activities available. The grant also supported an end of session family celebration, and a community-wide beach event for Juneteenth and Father's Day.
A WHALE TAIL® Grant supported summer camp for East Oakland middle and elementary school students with Camp Acta Non Verba. The six-week camp experience was jam-packed with fun and learning. The younger kids received swimming lessons at Mills College. They visited Crab Cove Vistor Center and played in the water at Crown State Beach. The Marine Science Institute brought their mobile aquarium to camp and shared knowledge about leopard sharks and other fish and the adaptations that help them survive in the bay and ocean. Then campers went to Aquarium of the Bay where they saw many more marine animals up close.
Older campers, known as Leaders-in-Training, learned how to sail at Alameda Community Sailing Center. They had a day of exploration and fun at Pacifica Beach, and then volunteered with Save the Bay at their native plant nursery and took part in a shoreline cleanup to care for the coast that they had been enjoying. Leaders-in-Training also paddled the bay with Marine Science Institute's Canoes in Sloughs program where they learned about coastal wetlands, and they went swimming at Cull Canyon and Don Castro Regional Recreation Areas.
Sailing lessons will continue during the school year and the grant will support camp again in 2023.
A WHALE TAIL® Grant is supporting a paid summer internship with Monterey Audubon Society focusing on the Black Oystercatcher. Intern Miguel Alvarado reflects on his experience:
"My name is Miguel Alvarado and I currently attend California State University of Monterey Bay as a third year student majoring in Environmental Studies. In early 2022, I was offered the opportunity to become an intern for the Monterey Audubon Society working alongside the Audubon Environmental Advocate and my personal mentor, Amanda Preece. As an intern, I am observing the Black Oystercatcher, a locally nesting shorebird, in order to collect progressive data to add to the previous 10 years of monitoring. This entails monitoring multiple oystercatcher territories and observing how the public uses these areas in order to reveal inhibiting factors to the birds' nesting success. I have become competent in my skills of educating the public, and have learned local regulations in order to provide the most accurate information. So far, this summer I have attained a multitude of skills; within my experiences I have acquired ways of communicating with the public, bird surveying techniques, and other analytical skills. This position is paving the way for a successful future in research within the scientific field that I am exploring. A goal of mine is to achieve a PhD with an environmental focus. Alongside obtaining my PhD, I would love to follow a path in developing Environmental Policy at a local level. As a first generation, Hispanic researcher from the Los Angeles area, I strive to reach a point where I am able to inspire individuals who are just like me, to reach their dreams of research and achieving a higher education."
