'Protect & Preserve' Giving Day A Huge Success For Laguna Beach

LAGUNA BEACH, CA—In just 24 hours on September 1, $144,502 was raised by 450 donors for Protect & Preserve Giving Day Orange County. The funds support seven nonprofits that work to sustain our land and ocean ecosystems. Three local organizations alone—Laguna Canyon Foundation, Laguna Ocean Foundation and Pacific Marine Mammal Center—exceeded the day's original goal of $75,000.

The Laguna Ocean Foundation took in just a tad over their dream amount, with 78 people donating $30,745. "We would be nothing without this community," began a message on its Instagram. "We started here, loving our coast and wanting to protect it 18 years ago. This is where our heart is, because this is where you are. THANK YOU." The funds will keep the nonprofit's tidepool education program going strong.

Professional tidepool educator programs at Treasure Island Seashore (below the Montage Resort) and Heisler Park State Marine Reserve operate year-round. Guides head out to the intertidal zones whenever the tide drops below 2.5 feet.

Laguna Ocean Foundation also trains volunteers to help educate Laguna's millions of annual visitors through its tidewater docent program. Volunteers must be 18 years of age to apply. The training requires volunteers to attend a lecture and two field training sessions. Then they choose among Crescent Bay, North or South Shaw’s Cove, Woods Cove, or Goff Island for their 3 hours of volunteering each month.

The Laguna Canyon Foundation raised $40,089.89 from 100 donors to protect the 22,000 acres under its purview. Advocacy, outreach and conservation are the nonprofit's guiding principles as stewards of the canyon. From protecting the coastal sage scrub, which is the last of its species on the planet, to maintaining the wilderness trails for recreation, there's much work to be done.

The foundation utilizes casual and specially trained volunteers, and is currently seeking to hire a conservation coordinator.

Pacific Marine Mammal Center proudly received $41,000 from 172 donors to carry on its ever expanding mission. The nonprofit is also celebrating 50 years of ocean and marine mammal conservation. Their science-based efforts include rescue, rehabilitation and release of stranded seals and sea lions. Ocean education and research are integral to its mission, as well.

Find out more about PMMC's 50th anniversary gala, including its online silent auction, scheduled for November 7.

The Laguna Beach community truly came through as stewards of the land and sea on Giving Day 2021.