I loved working with Save The Whales! They are so geared towards helping the local community and educating people about ocean conservation, it was lovely to work with them!
I started volunteering with Save the Whales this year and it has been a wonderful experience. From beach cleanups to educating kids about the environment Save the Whales does so much to protect our oceans and champions marine conservation. Through working with them I have been given so many incredible opportunities, like educating kids on how to use a compass or working Whalefest. Being with Save the Whales has been such a joy and I would highly recommend volunteering with them even if you are not a marine science major.
I am glad to be part of this amazing non-profit organization. I did my service learning for CSUMB with them. All the events that I was able to be part of were extremely enjoyable. I participated on beach clean ups, educational outreach, watershed presentations, and many more, to different communities such as: Gonzales, Soledad, and King city. Sharing common goals for a better ocean and our communities has been truly amazing, also, being able to share and educate children on how we could help to preserve our environment and planet, has been an experience that I enjoyed the most. The people behind Save the Whales are so knowledgeable, humble, and passionate, that I am grateful to be part of the team. Thank you, Maris and Amanda.
Save the Whales is such an amazing organization! The women who organize the activities that include the community, schools, students and teachers to come and learn about the importance of our beautiful ocean. They are trying to preserve our planet. They teach new information and wonderful ways to make a change. A lot of daily habitats that people indulge in affect our planet in numerous ways. Amanda and Maris are such wonderful advocates and activist! They bring beautiful energy for each event. It’s truly wonderful to be serving with these two. We need them because they make such a tremendous impact.
I’ve been volunteering with Save the Whales for the past nine months, and it’s been a significant experience. I have also had the chance to give back to my community in a way that is meaningful. Working with Save the Whales has been very eye-opening and impactful. We prioritize educating the students about ocean life, why protecting the environment is essential, and how they can help. My favorite experience has been educating the youth from Gonzales. Seeing how curious and excited they are to learn reminds me how powerful education can be. It’s significant to help kids understand these issues early on because they’re the ones who will shape the future. Teaching them about environmental safety and conservation gives them tools to take care of the world around them, and that feels like a real investment in both their future and the planet’s. I feel honored to be a part of such a meaningful and impactful organization. Seeing kids start making those connections and feel proud of their actions is rewarding. This has been a chance to give back to where I grew up and other communities and help the next generation become better stewards of the Earth. If you are passionate about conservation, education, and community, I highly recommend volunteering with Save the Whales.
I have volunteered for Save the Whales for the past nine months, and my experience with the organization has been excellent. It is truly inspiring to see everyone involved in the organization's passion for preserving and protecting the ocean and its inhabitants. Throughout my time with the organization, I have become more educated and aware of marine conservation. I have also had the opportunity to educate the younger generations and community members about the impact and responsibility we, as individuals, have in preserving our oceans.
I have worked closely with Amanda Good, conducting storm drain surveys at community trash disposal events, various school presentations and activities, and most recently, working at this year's annual Whale Fest. My favorite presentations have been the watershed and the presentation on Dee the Whale, a 43-foot-long inflatable humpback whale. With the watershed presentation, students and community members can learn about different forms of pollution and their effects on marine life and our oceans. Seeing students eager to know how they could help make a difference and wanting to go back home and share their knowledge with their parents or guardians is always amazing. With the presentation on Dee The Whale, I have had the opportunity to teach students how whales feed and what they feed on; we even have some real-life baleen for students to feel and touch. At this year's Whale Fest, I was allowed to take part in Dee's inside presentation, where I educated the public on the whale's intestines. It was truly an unforgettable experience seeing the faces of people walking by and going inside the whale, amazed by what they saw.
I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to work with Save the Whales, connecting and educating people from my community. What stands out the most to me is the passion everyone has for marine wildlife conservation and the fun, hands-on learning experience that is provided for not only the younger generation but adults like myself as well.
I have worked for Save the Whales as both a volunteer and as a staff member, and in both positions I was treated exceptionally well. I have loved all the outreach programs that I have helped with, and I believe that they have a wonderful mission. I have learned a lot about scientific communication and feel as though I am able to make a difference both at events and in other parts of my life.
I recently began volunteering with Save the Whales in February, and it has truly been an amazing experience. The dedication and passion everyone involved with the organization has for marine conservation is inspiring. The team is not only helpful but are incredibly motivated, making it a great environment to learn and grow. As a marine science major, I have found that the hands-on work I've done with Save the Whales has provided me with invaluable insight and knowledge that I wouldn't have gained elsewhere. This experience has deepened my understanding of marine ecosystems and the challenges they face.
I worked closely with Amanda Good on various school presentations, beach cleanups, and public outreach efforts. She proved to be an outstanding teacher throughout the process. One of the standout events was Whalefest, which aimed to educate the public about whales, marine life, and the many challenges these creature face. I had the unique opportunity to give a presentation inside Dee, the inflatable whale, highlighting all her organs. This interactive experience was unforgettable and significantly boosted by confidence in public speaking.
Overall, my time with Save the Whales has been nothing short of amazing, and I highly recommend Save the Whales to anyone looking to get involved in marine conservation. Its a rewarding experience that makes a real difference!
I started volunteering at Save The Whales a month or so ago. My experience has been amazing, i've worked with Maris and Amanda and they've been such great people to work with. I've done whale fest, community outreach at an elementary school, made emblems for storm drains and attended an earth day event. All of which I've gained experience and knowledge about our marine life, our oceans and of course our earth. This experience has been wonderful and I look forward to keep volunteering at Save The Whales.
I had the privilege of being a volunteer with Save The Whales and to say that it was a truly rewarding experience would be an understatement. I deeply respect every person involved in this organization, especially Maris Sidenstecker who has a pure heart of gold; her passion for helping others truly comes across in the best way possible. I directly worked with Amanda Good as well and I got to see her magic when it comes to working with kids. Amanda is amazing at fostering children’s curiosity and aptitude for saving the planet. The encouragement and motivational talk she gives them to not give up on their dreams will impact and inspire them forever, and they will always remember how she made them feel. I won’t ever forget this and will personally continue to make these same efforts with children, encouraging them to pursue their dreams no matter what.
This organization believes that children, the future of the planet, need to be empowered and know that their actions can promote change. Education is the key to saving whales, oceans, and ourselves. This was a theme for every event I had the privilege of taking part in. Some of the thing I was able to do was label non-toxic products at Home Depot to discourage the use of harmful pesticides, put "No Dumping" emblems on storm drains, beach field trips with elementary children and educate about the ocean, and events like CA Wildlife Day and Whale Fest where I got to educate them about steps we can take to not pollute the planet.
Being a part of Save The Whales has been one of the biggest highlights of my undergraduate experience and I am beyond grateful for every opportunity, memory, and conversation I have had while volunteering for them. I feel that I have made meaningful contributions to what they believe in and strive for. I feel as though you should dedicate your time to efforts you feel are worthwhile, and this is one that I will continue to always support even after I am no longer a volunteer through them.
Volunteering with Save the Whales has been an incredibly rewarding and educational experience. As a marine science major, I am passionate about ocean conservation and this organization has provided me with meaningful opportunities to make a real impact.
Through various events, I’ve helped spread awareness about environmental issues and promoted sustainable solutions. At Home Depot, I labeled non-toxic products to encourage healthier alternatives. During a community event, I engaged with children to educate them about plastic pollution. In Monterey County, I helped place emblems on storm drains to remind the public that these waterways lead directly to the bay, discouraging dumping and pollution.
Save the Whales does an amazing job combining hands-on conservation efforts with public outreach and I highly recommend getting involved! Whether you're passionate about marine life, environmental education, or simply want to get involved, this organization offers incredible opportunities to learn, contribute, and inspire change!
I had an amazing experience volunteering with save the whales. I helped with presentations and field trips at various elementary schools around Monterey county, teaching kids about the environment and pollution. It was really fulfilling for me to see how much kids were inspired and curious about the environment, It has even made me consider going a more educational route with my career. It was also a great way for me to connect with my community and create social bonds among other volunteers. Save the Whales is doing great things for the future of our environment.
I loved doing outreach presentations at elementary schools in South Monterey County, CA with the watershed presentations, Dee, the life-sized whale model, and school garden days. A lot of the kids had good questions and my favorite memory was when we went to a school in Gonzales, CA and a little girl came up to Amanda and I and said she wanted to learn more about ocean conservation so she can study it in the future. She also asked how to keep being involved. Additionally, a lot of kids love seeing Dee. Lastly, the garden days that I've participated in with STW have been really fulfilling. It's not just students and parents, it's a community thing and it was super nice to see them all be involved in planting veggies and other native plants and wanting to learn about alternatives to pesticides. Many parents said that they want to get their kids outside as opposed to keeping them inside where they just pass the day away playing on their tablets or watching TV.
Save The Whales is an amazing nonprofit I had the pleasure of working with for my undergrad service learning. Working with the gave me such insight on issues that face our planet and are very serious. It gave an outlet to be an advocate to our friends in the ocean and saw no limit to fight for the right thing. STW also gave great opportunities to work on projects and increase our experience in the field of ocean sciences. Overall, loved the staff and other interns that I worked with. This nonprofit does amazing work again constantly, and doesn't stop at just ocean-related issues. It's community driven, by going all around Monterey county presenting these cool facts and pressing issues to the community and having them get involved! I hope to continue to work with them!
Working with this nonprofit has offered more than I ever expected! What first started out as a service learning class, continued on as something I thoroughly enjoy. There is never a dull moment working with them. Activities and outreach included tabling at community celebrations and events, education for primary school children both at school and at the beach. I would highly recommend anyone with extra time and a passion for people or the ocean (or both) take a look at Save the Whales.
Save the Whales is a stellar organization that I was fortunate to work with last summer. They were transporting kids to the beach, educating them about marine life and water quality, and creating positive associations with the outdoors. This is only one of the multiple projects they coordinate. The staff are all professional, organized, and passionate about their work, making them a wonderful team to partner with! I am looking forward to working with them again, and excited for all the positive things they are accomplishing.
The school programs STW’s offer are not “one and done”, they build upon the natural curiosity of children; helping students understand the concerns, connections and how they have an important role in protecting the natural world we all share.
I’ve been an educator for many years, promoting stewardship of our earth, both with students and the public. Along the way I’ve learned the importance of engaging your audience, with an experience, a thoughtful question that generates a meaningful dialogue and/or connection before delivering the critical message or “take home”.
My experiences with “Save the Whales” in both student and public outreach has included all of the above and more! After all what could be more compelling than sitting inside a life size whale learning about the impacts of plastic pollution, as well as the critical contributions and balance they bring to the marine eco-system they are part of, or visiting the Monterey Bay, perhaps for the first time, and learning from a marine biologist or a passionate university student intern all about marine animals and their habitats, how to protect the snowy plover, use binoculars or sample and test water? I’ve seen so many “ah-ha” moments during the experiential learning STW offers to children and adults alike…I look forward to many more!
I volunteered with Save The Whales back in the Spring semester of 2022 and the Fall semester of 2022, and had a wonderful time. Everyone I met was extremely helpful, knowledgeable, and a pleasure to work with. Some of my favorite activities included trash cleanups all around the Monterey area, explaining a watershed model at various public events, and logging trash buildups within neighborhoods (which I have included a photo of below). Overall, Save The Whales is a wonderful nonprofit corporation and I would recommend anyone to volunteer with them!
Save the Whales was introduced to me through my Marine Science service learning course at CSUMB. What started as a simple class requirement soon became an incredibly enjoyable and educational experience. Save the Whales does impactful work within the local and neighboring communities and schools. Their staff are hardworking and are always providing opportunities to educate younger generations and spread awareness about the health of our marine ecosystems to all. The events that Save the Whales hosts/participates in never fail to leave me with a sense of humility and gratitude towards others and my environment, in addition to providing an outlet for my passion to serve the community, educate future generations, and ultimately protect our beautiful oceans!
Save The Whales is a fun and educational organization. Teaching elementary students the importance of water health fills my cup with joy. At the water quality station, seen in picture, I was able to help students understand what causes higher oxygen levels in water and ways to prevent it to better the health of the ocean, the animals, and the planet. Save The Whales is doing something in the Monterey Bay area that is not being done enough and to work with them brings me so much joy.
As a undergraduate student at CSUMB I had the privilege of working with Save The Whales. In my time working with this organization I had the privilege to learn about the amazing marine mammals that our bay is home to as well as ways to make a difference and help preserve there habitat. This semester was my last but oddly enough it was the first semester that I felt apart of the Monterey County community. Through my volunteer experience with Save The Whales I enjoyed educating local schools, working community outreach events and being apart of Whalefest. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with the amazing staff at Save The Whales; they not only taught me but also inspired me to continue to take part in the work they do and help in anyway I can.
As a student at CSUMB I chose to volunteer with Save the Whales. The organization presents incredible opportunities to schools with students from low income communities. They combine education with stimulating activities that both adults and children can enjoy. By incorporating engaging activities, such as Dee, the customized 43 foot inflatable Blue Whale, or the interactive watershed model that demonstrates how pollution is led to the ocean. The organization also works to educate the public about environmental crises and what can be done to help.
I did my service learning volunteer work for CSUMB with Save the Whales and continued to work with them after graduation because of how much I loved them. STW does invaluable community outreach to teach the public and younger generations about the importance of keeping our oceans healthy. I had the privilege of participating in teaching the youth, coastal litter cleanups, and storm drain stenciling. Their mission is something everyone should support and they do amazing work everyday. Volunteering with them has been the most rewarding experience and I highly recommend volunteering with this organization!
Thanks to Seaside, California's Save the Whales for responding to our call. We live in a semi-rural neighborhood with views of the iconic Monterey Bay, Carmel Bay and Point Lobos and occasionally whales migrating North and South along our coast. All are a constant reminders that these special marine environments - both flora and fauna - need our protection. Realizing the number of storm drains along our streets and that "all that flows, goes to the Bay" we reached out to Save the Whales for help labelling all our storm drains - a great reminder to residents and visitors alike while raising awareness that our actions (knowingly or not) have an affect on our environment.
I heartily recommend contacting Save the Whales and organizing a storm drain labelling campaign in your neighborhood... a very easy, positive and satisfying contribution. Larry
This was one of the most fun and informative groups I’ve been with. I really enjoyed being able to go to different schools our events to show what people can do to help our environment. I’m really great full to have worked with them and hope to continue working with them. All of the staff is very kind and passionate with what they do. Having fun while informing people give you so much joy. I really loved the environment!!!
I really enjoyed working with Amanda and Maris with Save The Whales. It was definitely eye opening learning about the watershed system here in Monterey/Salinas as well as how it all affects the whales in our own backyard. Amanda was very helpful during my time there and I definitely wouldn't mind volunteering with them in my time off. Studying Environmental Studies, I believe it is my duty to become more involved in environmental issues in my area and spread awareness to my community and Save The Whales does exactly that.
I really enjoyed my service learning experience with Save the Whales this year , so much that I wouldn't mind volunteering whenever I get some free time. Your organization aligned with my values with me wanting to be a Marine biology. I had a different perception of this aspect of the career but doing this has enlightened me and introduced me to new avenues for my career path. I really enjoyed working with the students and loved how a generation of students and staff have learned from the organization and connect with each other it's really a beautiful thing. I'll be contacting you guys again next year ! Again Thanks !
I started out as a bio major but realized that it wasn't for me so switched to human development. I still had an empty feeling and a passion for the outside world which led me to volunteer with Save the Whales for my service learning class and I'm in love with this non-profit! This was my way of connecting my love for the outside world and human development in two! This non-profit helped me a lot more than I helped them! Meeting Amanda, Meris and Karen have been amazing and are all so so incredibly nice and genuine. You can feel the passion from these woman and stand strong by their mission approach that's on the Save the Whales website. Hopefully I can stay connected with them while I'm at CSUMB and learn even more about how to be proactive in our world today!
Hello!
My name is Hana and I had the absolute privilage to get to be apart of Save the Whales as a university student volunteer and my experience could not have been any better. Amanda always, always made sure that everything was running smoothly and Maris was there to support us as learners. I am so thankful to have been able to have this experience and I will remember all of the memories made with these incredible people at Save The Whales Inc. The work that they do is so inspiring and important. Everything about Save The Whales is so rewarding and special. Super thankful to have the opportunity to be there for a full semester!
It was a fantastic time being able to volunteer for events for Save the Whales. The staff was kind, friendly, and flexible. The events themselves involved either community involvement and education, sometimes at elementary schools. This was extremely rewarding for me to inform younger generations about the importance of conservation and about marine mammals. We also participated in park cleanups, labeling storm drains, and trash audit labeling.
Working with Save the Whales was an amazing experience. I had so much fun working with them and helping create learning opportunities for our youth. I volunteered in a number of differnet settings and events focused on public and student outreach. I got to work the very fun whale booth during Whale Fest and at a local art gallery. I learned so much, and it was so much fun getting the chance to teach others about the magic of our oceans. I also had the pleasure to help on beach field trips and teach kids about local shore birds. Along with that I got to attend a garden day, where we encouraged children to learn about their own local habitats, and encourage growth in their own community. We also did lots of trash clean ups, and made them into a fun and friendly competition! I honestly had so much fun, and I know the kids had a blast too. I will miss working with them, and hope that maybe I will have another opportunity to support this incredible non-profit in the future. Thank you Save the Whales!!!
I chose Save the Whales as my service learning partnership and I couldn't be happier. Every activity and event really struck a cord with me. There mission and their devotion really made me proud to be a part of them as a service learner.
Each time we would light a light within our audience in joining our cause to protect and persevere the ocean and it habitants it really brought a sense of happiness and unity as a community.
I highly encourage people to volunteer or in some shape or form be a part of Save the Whales because it was that impactful to me and made me pursue my major in Marine Science with more passion.
It has been 11 years since my time with Save the Whales and yet the activities and outreach programs we performed in this nonprofit have stuck with me and I am constantly referencing my time with Save the Whales! This watershed model was my all time favorite presentation to work with because it was a fun activity to get students of all ages to see how their actions at home would effect the watershed of the community and eventually they could see all the pollution ends up in the ocean harming the sea creatures. Another program that I worked with within Save the Whales was First Flush, this program was following the first rain of the season and allowed us to monitor and collect data of what pollution was most prominently found within the waterways leading to the ocean. Maris is an amazing leader for this program and has run Save the Whales with pride and passion that is infectious to all she encounters!
I worked with Save the Whales for my service learning class at CSUMB and it was amazing! Teaching young students about ocean conservation and pollution was one of the most rewarding experiences of my college career. We also got together to do coastal cleanups and storm drain stenciling, I really felt like I was creating change and making a difference! Thank you so much Maris and Amanda for giving me this incredible opportunity! I hope to work with them more in the future.
I had a great semester partnering with Save the Whales. As a volunteer I helped with trash clean ups in the community, spread information on storm drains and their relationship with the ocean, and got to stencil storm drain emblems. By covering various areas throughout Monterey County we were able to spread information to many people which helps keep our bay both clean and safe. I am looking forward to future opportunities to partner with Save the Whales to further help preserve our ocean.
Save the Whales is one of the most dedicated and impactful non-profits in the Monterey Bay area. They are a solution-oriented organization that promotes change through education and direct action. By raising awareness about marine mammals and human threats to these beautiful creatures, Save the Whales inspires people of all ages to reconsider their everyday activities for the greater good. Their secret to success is a creative, hands-on approach that resonates with children, teens, and adults from all backgrounds.
I first learned about Save the Whales as a member of the public. Tom had set up a table at Whalefest with krill, baleen, and even whale poop! I was completely mesmerized by these items and extremely impressed with Tom’s knowledge on the subject. From that day on, I knew I wanted to be a part of Save the Whales. During my three years with Save the Whales, I found a sense of purpose through service to my community. My activities ranged from tabling events, school assemblies, litter cleanups, gluing emblems onto storm drains, labeling harmful household chemicals, and analyzing survey results.
To this day, Save the Whales is the most caring and exciting organization I have ever worked for. They treated me like family, respected my individuality, and even helped me with transportation. I am prone to epileptic seizures and therefore am not allowed to drive. Maris always checked to make sure I had transportation and, when I did not, she would drive me to and from work herself. I received nothing but kindness and compassion from Save the Whales and, thanks to them, I am now able to embody these traits in the workplace.
Thank you to all the wonderful people at Save the Whales! Monterey Bay needs this amazing organization.
I started volunteering with Save the Whales through my service learning class at CSUMB. I was very excited help with an ocean conscious organization, and got to participate in adding "no dumping" emblems to storm drains around the Monterey area. I love that I can walk by them today and see a little piece of what I did, as well as a reminder to everyone who walks by it that what we do on land impacts the ocean.
I also got to help at multiple Whalefest events where Save the Whales has an amazing life-size inflatable Humpback whale. I love helping and seeing as the kid's faces light up when they learn they can go inside. It is truly a unique and amazing experience, and a great opportunity to start teaching kids about marine debris and what they can do to help.
Save the Whales is a fantastic organization to volunteer with a variety of education programs and community services. I have loved working with the staff and helping the environment and the community around me.
It was a pleasure working with Save the Whales. They gave an inspiring lesson on the vaquita and my first graders decided to sell popsicles to raise money to help them. The whole school got involved and we ended up raising about $1,200.00. Our local newspaper covered the story.
Save the whales has many educational tools to make students and the public feel like their experiences are all real and memorable. Not just looking at photos or lectures. A watershed presentation, Sea Turtle, Otters, and whales which my favorite is Dee the Beautiful Whale. For those who haven't seen her she brings the amazing size of a Humpback Whale to reality, she's a 43ft long inflatable Humpback Whale. This fascinating and engaging Whale is mostly used in schools so students can really capture a Whale's size and understand our connection to Whales since we're both mammals. To add even more excitement you can go inside to see her organs in order to really grasp their size compared to our own and our similarities to them.
There is something truly special about watching the faces of all those who get to see her inflate for the first time to capture the magic of being in the presence of a Whale (since we can't and don't want to capture a real Whale) this brings a special connection to those who live away from the ocean. Dee doesn't just captivate students, all ages love to be around her. Some of the students have never been to the ocean so Dee makes learning real. On top of seeing her you can hear Humpback singing their magical songs, touch real Baleen, and make the connection of how we can help these majestic creatures by picking up trash on the land.
All of these amazing hands on tools of learning and teaching makes Save the Whales stand out from other nonprofits. They prioritize not just teaching to teach but truly connect with the students and all those listening and inspire them to make a difference everyday.
Save the Whales is the most amazing nonprofit. It's run by very knowledgeable folks who are passionate about the ocean and it's inhabitants. STW has wonderful educational programs as well as "Take Action" steps that engage anyone wanting to help make a difference preserving our oceans, for example, with the Balloon Ambassador program. You can find this board member sporting whale attire any day of the week!
I had the pleasure of working with Save the Whales in many different roles off and on for about 5 years and it was one of the most fulfilling and educational experiences that I have been a part of. Save the Whales helped me to not only become more educated and passionate about reaching out to our community members regarding the health of our marine habitat but also our involvement as individuals and responsibilities to keep it safe, clean and healthy.
Save the Whales helped me grow my network of colleagues in the Monterey area to excel in my passion for the marine environment. I was able to gain knowledge about working with the city and county to help the National Marine Sanctuary as well as build leadership, communication and organizational skills to succeed.
Save the Whales gave me and experience that I will forever be grateful for, and skills that will be with me for my entire career. It was a valuable turning point in my educational path.
I've worked for other nonprofits where the administrators and co-workers were unprofessional, unorganized, condescending, and uncaring. NOT SO with Save The Whales! My 1st volunteering exposure to them restored my belief that there are truly good, dedicated people in nonprofits! I was immediately impressed with their careful scheduling of volunteers by keeping people's needs in mind. Their whole focus is to help the planet locally and globally. Further, they help create kindness and respect for every being and part of our environment one person, one cause, one school, one event at a time. Children, students, and adults are exposed and educated about how our everyday actions impact the world. The mom and daughter founders have given their lives and have sacrificed much by putting animals, other beings, and environment first. They never give up and they lead by example, always on the alert for how they can help more -- locally and globally. Bravo to this amazing nonprofit!
Maris is a dedicated, passionate founder of Save the Whales. Her entire goal is to educate others on marine mammals and their conservation. How amazing is it that her childhood dream became a reality. This is truly a grass-roots organization at its heart and soul.
Save the Whales is such an amazing organization. I was lucky enough to volunteer and work with Maris and Amanda and some of their other teammates as well. Save the Whales organization is not just about whales, while working with them I did many different events that promote sustainability and love for our planet. Some events included beach clean-ups, taking students to the beaches and teaching some small experiments with the ocean water, helping at a local garden, and as seen in the picture linked, working directly with schools to show and tell kids how amazing whales are:)
Save the Whales (STW) has been very supportive of the Butterfly Garden in Del Rey Oaks, CA. At our pre-pandemic workday, STW arrived with a team of eager volunteers. Each were passionate to advance outreach for Integrated Pest Management and Pollution Prevention by demonstrating weed control using sheet cardboard methods, with recycled chip mulch overlay, planting native pollinator-friendly species, and erecting a barn owl box. STW’s volunteer efforts made a real difference and impact. Their staff also helped facilitate and implement Stormwater Pollution Prevention grant objectives by researching and obtaining native pollinator plants for the Butterfly Garden. Sustainable Del Rey Oaks is very grateful for STWs support and their education efforts to prevent pesticides from entering our creeks, rivers, and the ocean.
Karen Harris
Chair, Sustainable Del Rey Oaks
Previous Stories
Save The Whales (STW) is like no other. Their impact is phenomenal, both locally and globally. Co-founders Maris Sidenstecker I & II have dedicated their lives for marine mammals and the oceans in general. They are inspirations on how each of us can make a positive impact. Whether stenciling stormdrains, litter assessments, Low Impact Development Workshops, Green Gardening outreach in stores, to community exhibits and surveys, school presentations, and radio, TV, print, and online ads, they do it all, and masterfully.
STW seamlessly collaborates with other like-minded entities and non-profits to magnify their messages and stretch funds. Their extensive connections are put to good use with local municipalities, politicians, media personalities, environmental superstars such as Jane Goodall. STW works with many municipalities in the Monterey Bay to conduct stormwater outreach and education. STW has been recognized for their many accomplishments by various cities, most recently, The City of Greenfield for helping to save the Vaquita porpoise from extinction.
STW was honored to receive $8,000 from an elementary school student in Texas who was bullied when she turned the focus from being a target of bullying into a fund-raiser for STW. Her inspiration allowed STW to purchase a full-size humpback whale inflatable replica. This whale named, "Dee", is 43' long - people can enter her to view her organs! This has been an amazing outreach tool to inspire personal responsibility to save whales and our oceans in general. Humpbacks are the anti-bullies of the seas by fending off orcas from other marine mammals and fish such as Mola molas.
Working side-by-side STW for over 10 years has been a privilege. I can't say enough in this format to substantiate this fact. Maris is the real deal. Her heart, soul and being are "all In" saving whales and our planet. I'm with her. Hope you are too.
I have supported Save the Whales (STW) for over 30 years, and have been a board member for the last 10 years. As a marine biologist and educator, I have witnessed first -hand the amazing work of STW to fulfill its mission to preserve and protect the ocean and its inhabitants. The founders, Maris Sidenstecker I and II, along with staff and volunteers, have a deep, unwavering passion for their mission and have met and surpassed the goals and expectations of STW. Over the 44 years of the existence of STW, it has educated thousands of students through its bilingual education programs and informative website, it has influenced marine policy, and has acted as an information hub for those who work with whales and dolphins world-wide. In addition, they have worked with communities statewide to monitor for and educate citizens about clean watersheds. STW has led through their actions and has not been afraid to stand up to large corporations and agencies on behalf of cetaceans and the ocean’s inhabitants, both nationally and internationally.
I am proud to be a board member of STW, one of the most transparent and honest organizations I have served on, and I feel privileged to work with an organization that continues to inspire and teach so many to be effective ocean conservationists.
My volunteering experience was not what I expected. The leadership seemed unorganized, and employees frequently made promises they could not keep (specifically, about their ability to provide transportation, and their willingness to work around student schedules). I was forced to give a previous review - in which I had to post a picture - and I felt I could not be completely truthful since the review would not be anonymous. After giving what I felt was a very generous review, I received an email from an administrator berating me for said review. I found this to be extremely unprofessional, and will not be volunteering with them again.
Our school had the presentation Sea Turtles and Debris. Tom did four classes of third gradera at Ohlone Elementary. My students were engaged, asked questions and did not want presentation to end. The activities, visuals and artificats the presentor brought allowed students to understand the content better. We are a title 1 school and 85 % of the students are English learners and they were able to comprehend the content because of presenter's ability to use prior knowledge and his interactions with rhe students. My students decided to do more research on sea turtles and other sea creatures, I have no hesitation in asking him to come back next year. Thank You from all of us at Ohone Elementary and the Pajaro Community.
Previous Stories
I am a Teacher at Ohlone School. Tom came to do a presentation on marine animals. He presented to all the third graders at Ohlone. We are a TITLE 1 School and have many students with limited English skills. Tom presentations were educational and accessible to all students. He used hands on activities and visuals to reach all students. The students learned so much from his presentations that they started a Save the Earth Club at Ohlone.
I can't say enough good things about Save the Whales. Maris is always on my mind as I struggle to find my place in the science world. My experience with Save the Whales is the most professional and exciting experience I have ever had, and I am realizing more and more that watershed science and ocean advocacy will always be my greatest passion.
I started with Maris as a volunteer in 2016 as part of my service learning requirement at CSUMB. After working with Save the Whales for one semester, I was hired as an outreach intern. This was the first real job I had in the sciences and it launched my career in ways I never could have imagined.
My three years with Save the Whales gave me the experience necessary to teach an undergraduate Biology course at a California State University. It has also opened opportunities to work with state and federal agencies to preserve our watersheds and marine habitats. Most importantly, however, it allowed me to serve my community by making science more accessible and advocating for our marine friends.
A wonderful non-profit with a great mission. They are currently working on many projects that focus on local wildlife, storm water issues, single use plastics, and trash cleanups. Save the Whales does education programs for Monterey County schools with an emphasis on South Monterey County. Education programs include "DEE", the 43' inflatable humpback whale, watershed model, and building butterfly gardens to help the western monarch butterfly population. The gardens while also be used to help teach proper storm water behaviors. I am proud to be a part of Save the Whales.
I volunteered with Save the Whales Fall 2019. I had a wonderful time working with everybody on the Save the Whales team. It is a very positive and fun environment to work in. I really enjoyed working with the children in Soledad and working on restoration projects. It was a great learning experience and they are an amazing organization.
I had a good experience with Save the Whales through my service learning class at Cal State Monterey Bay. The staff was very friendly, approachable, and kind. The scheduling was a little confusing, but staff was very good about answering questions, and replying quickly.
I had the amazing opportunity to work with Save the Whales Fall Semester of 2019. In this experience, through education and serving, Save the Whales focuses on educating the public, especially kids, on the importance of marine species. Save the Whales has taught me how to inform others about the impact people have in the Monterey County and how we as a community can get together to make changes. I enjoyed every activity, from trash pickups, to helping create a butterfly garden, to inflating a huge actual size whale and teaching kids the physiology of whales. Maris, Amanda, and Dan have shown how much they care about our community and I am happy to have volunteered for them.
I am an instructor of Marine Science service learning at CSUMB and every semester, I encourage my students to choose Save the Whales as a service learning partner. Their experiences volunteering with Save the Whales have been wonderful - they have plenty of opportunities to work in different communities and schools throughout the County, work with the most passionate volunteers and educators, and help make a difference. I feel great knowing that my students are putting their energy and talents into such a worthy cause and in return, they learn so much.
The photo below shows some of my students at the beach with a whale rib bone and vertebrae. This was taken after they took field trips to the beach with underserved students from Soledad and had them use binoculars to look at birds and marine life, do water monitoring, and build a blue whale on the beach.
Research shows that providing students experiences that connect them with nature at a young age is one of the best ways both to improve academic performance and emotional/social maturity across the board, and to instill an environmental ethic and interest in science. Underserved communities often have less access to these important outdoor education opportunities, particularly here in Monterey County where underserved communities are generally located farther from the beaches, and their school districts often lack the funding to take them to the coastal environment. Save the Whales works with schools throughout the county, making an important dent in this gap in access to outdoor and nature experiences. They also do vital work cleaning up the community, from beaches to urban areas, to make sure pollution doesn't make it to storm drains and the ocean.
My experience with Save the Whales has been one I won’t forget. Last spring, a fellow artist and I painted concrete trash bins at a local park in the city of Marina. I feel fortunate for the opportunity to help beautifying the community and having a creative outlet for my art to get out there.
Currently working with Save the Whales on future projects for later this year. I’m excited.
I volunteered with Save the Whales from January 2019-May 2019 through CSUMB's service-learning institute. I loved volunteering with them! The activities that I participated in included educating the general public on marine debris and sound pollution. I also did beach/park clean-ups and worked with Dee the Humpback Whale (pictured below). I enjoyed my work with them! I plan on volunteering with them again.
I started volunteering with Save the Whales through the Service Learning Institute at CSU Monterey Bay. I loved the work they do and the work I got to do with them so much, that I stayed on as a volunteer even after my semester with them ended.Most of my volunteer work with them has involved educating elementary school students about watersheds and how, even if you don't live on the beach, your actions directly impact the ocean and it's beautiful inhabitants. I have also volunteered with them for many other community events, which lead to my favorite photo from a beach clean up of a giant piece of litter that read "Do Not Dump In This Area" (very ironic). To this day, I continue to volunteer with Save the Whales whenever I can because I believe in their message and all the work they do.
The Save the Whales program inspires students to take action in protecting the environment. Our young students can explain and demonstrate how the litter in their city, located hours away from the ocean, can pollute the ocean and threaten the lives of marine animals. During the day, my students take initiatives to pick up litter on the playground to stop it from going down the storm drain. They are also mindful about recycling to reduce the amount of trash that we generate every day. I’ve also learned from the parents that their children are also taking initiatives at home to protect the environment. The hands-on learning led by the passionate staff at Save the Whales has enriched our school’s science curriculum. Save the Whales is making a difference in our community! Thank you Save the Whales!
Before I had started attending CSUMB as an Environmental Studies undergrad student, my goals and plans after graduating is to focus on coral reef restoration. Given that I was immensely fascinated by coral reefs and the whole fish community living and thriving within. All I ever imagined was being in my two year undergrad course and a gaining knowledge and experience solely on coral restoration. However, that changed drastically when I was given the privilege to perform my service learning hours with the non-profit, Save the Whales. I learned things I never imagined I would in college, gained the best experiences that I never knew I needed. Having the opportunity to work with the public with children and the rest of all ages, has made me realize the huge impact education has on our planet. The significance of educating the people, especially children, comes at a very great level-perhaps, maybe even greater than the work I imagined to accomplish focusing on coral restoration. If one person like myself, would do all that I know to do in order to reverse the bleaching corals, it still simply would never be enough if no one else is aware of it. No one would agree that the work I do is vital to the earth and their own health, if they do not know what is at stake. It would almost seem useless if we do not share our knowledge and progress with others. Sharing my knowledge through story-telling allows others to relate to my passion and creates empathy for them to make their own difference in our planet. The more that I do this, the more people will be inspired to do the same. Working with Save the Whales has not only given me the most important lesson of what it means to do service and to actually make a difference, but they have also given me a platform to spread my wings and let my inner light shine. I am eternally grateful for the incredible friends, mentors, knowledge, and skills that I have been given by working with Save the Whales. I hope that I could continue to do the job post graduation and make a career for myself that is just as fulfilling as working for Save the Whales. I know in my heart that when I graduate this spring, the biggest and most impactful thing I will take away from my school years is having the chance to work with Save the Whales. Thank you, Maris.
I volunteered with Save The Whales for my university's upper division service learning class and it was a fun and unforgettable experience. All the employees are so nice and helpful and their passion to protect marine animals is very evident. The most impactful experiences I encountered was the ones that involved dedication and collaboration such as the butterfly gardens and beach clean ups. I believe it is an experience that the future generations should have to more accurately understand the world and appreciate the hard work it takes to maintain the environment.
My time with Save The Whales as a student volunteer from CSUMB was one of the most fulfilling and educational experiences I have had during my time in college. As a transfer student to CSUMB, my experiences with Save The Whales introduced me to the community that I had so newly joined. Maris, Amanda and Dan all welcomed me to their organization warmly, which is something that I will always appreciate and remember. Doing events focused on educating the public and students throughout Monterey County introduced me to where I was living and taught me about the people that are in my new community. While I educated the public about the science behind Save The Whale's mission, I was also being educated about where I had just moved and felt confident and oriented in my new journey in Monterey County.
Save The Whales teaches the public and the youth of Monterey County about the importance of each one of us in and how our actions can make a difference for our environment, the health of the ocean and it's waterways. Through hands-on activities, we are able to show our community members about how steps along the way can help protect the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and the ocean beyond. This information can truly make a difference in many people's lives and their day to day choices.
Save The Whales also uses their education to promote creativity through their projects and field trips. Their education plan truly shows kids that they are able to do anything they want in the future- whether that be a scientist or an artist. This helps the children they are working with feel motivated no matter what they love to do.
The Save the Whales program has become part of our Frank Ledesma Elementary School’s family. The in-class programs and outdoor field trips continue to lay a strong foundation for encouraging successful learning and building positive attitudes that can subsequently lead to improvements not only in environmental stewardship but in student academic achievement and motivation. While the geographic distance between Monterey Bay and Soledad is relatively short, the cultural distance is long; many of the children in our school have never been to the ocean, and have little to no understanding of their connection with the coast. Listen to the teachers:
“The students were engaged in climbing, touching, feeling the exterior and interior of a ‘real’ whale. It brought the concepts of recycling and pollution into reality with the use of Dee the whale that they could fully experience (both inside and outside). Students remembered the content presented in an earlier Save The Whales program and applied that knowledge when meeting Dee. “
Amy Bowen, 4th Grade Teacher, Frank Ledesma Elementary
“Every student was fully engaged and attentive. Every part of the presentation helped students learn about whales because of the hands-on and strong presentations with student participation components throughout the program. Unlike textbook-based learning, the hands-on experience help students retain and internalize learning. The most valuable aspect of this program is that students are beginning to take ownership of what they have learned. I believe that the students will become caretakers of the ocean.“
Sung Shin, 5th Grade Teacher, Frank Ledesma Elementary
Frank Ledesma Elementary School supports a diverse population of students both culturally and socio-economically. Our school is a Title l school, and a large percentage of our students come from low-income families. The opportunity for these children to get outside and interact with the natural environment will enhance their learning and broaden their horizons. We encourage any generous donors to continue the funding of Save The Whales’ program. This program touches lives beyond anything we had imagined. Thank you very much!
Richard Radtke, Principal, Frank Ledesma Elementary, Soledad Unified School District
We love Save The Whales! Tom Kieckhefer came to all of our 6th grade classrooms October 25th at Lincoln Elementary to do a presentation on Marine Mammals and Marine Debris. It was obvious to see how passionate and dedicated he was about the Save The Whale's mission to educate students about ocean animals, their habitats, and pollution. The presentation was very well-done from the details in the presentation to the items of mammals displayed on the table. Tom definitely invoked curiosity and awe in whales, dolphins, and other mammals in the ocean as they learned about them. It was nice that the kids were able to take a quiz to reinforce what they learned about from the presentation. We are so thankful that Tom was able to accommodate all of our classes in one day and also provide us with grant funding. Please continue to support this amazing organization as it speaks to shaping the value of protecting our ocean and earth through our future leaders!!
Save the Whales has been a wonderful organization to partner with over the last years. They have generously shared their expertise and knowledge with our students, including bringing Dee the inflatable whale, partnering with our school for Community Project and helping to organize a beach clean up. We love the partnership we have created with Save the Whales and look forward to continuing the relationship with them.
I have had a great experience working with Save The Whales. I'm passionate about the protecting the ocean and it has been a rewarding to work with individuals who feel the same. I believe the work they are doing for and with the community is amazing especially all the outreach they do involving local schools. Before working with Save The Whales, I wasn't comfortable working with kids. But I had the opportunity to work with kids teaching them about water sheds showing them how water flows from the mountain to the ocean, turbidity, and how a pH scale works. They responded well to the information they were given and excited to learn about how they can help the ocean. It was rewarding to see kids concerned about ocean and helped me grow confidence in myself with working with kids. It warms my heart to know that this organization does so many outreach programs to many different schools all over Monterey and surrounding counties. I have nothing but good things and experiences working with Save The Whales and I will continue to work with them.
MAOS (Monterey Academy of Oceanographic Science) staff, parents, and students have worked alongside Save the Whales during the annual Whalefest held on Fisherman‘s Wharf in Monterey for the past few years. As an Oceanographic Academy at Monterey High School, we have many students interested in marine life and ocean preservation.
We have greatly enjoyed working with Maris to help raise awareness of the importance of protecting the oceans. Maris is very passionate and dedicated to helping raise awareness about the endangerment of whales and other species.
We look forward to working with Maris and Save the Whales in the years to come!
Therese Mayone
MAOS Administrative Coordinator
I had the opportunity to work with Save the Whales and I can safely say that It was a truly enriching experience. I have always been passionate about protecting the ocean and all if its inhabitants, working with a likeminded organization was so refreshing. The excitement that Save the Whales brings to kids and communities in regards of conservation is incredible. They are serving communities across the Monterey County including those are farther inland. They are teaching kids about how regardless of where you are located, their actions still make an impact on the ocean. This opportunity not only made me realize how crucial community outreach is, but how much I enjoyed it.
I was given the opportunity to volunteer with all demographics of the community and it was incredible. Every person needs to have accesses to this vital information. Save the Whales truly serves the community and is passionate about what they do. This is evident in their tabling events, school events, and all other community events in which they participate.
Not only did I help the community, I gained a lot from everyone I was working with. All of the interactions I had with the community, especially with the elementary school kids will stay with me forever. Working with kids made me realize how important it is to keep them informed on what is going on in the world around them. They truly care and if we can make an impact on them when they are you, it will likely stick with them forever. Nurturing and keeping their passion alive for knowledge and conservation is truly important and Save the Whales is doing a great job at this.
Tom came to educate the kids in our school and did a great job of engaging them in the material. We are so grateful for his knowledge and enthusiasm. It's great to find environmental educators who are passionate and give great info without scaring the kids. Great job! Thanks so much.
Volunteering with Save The Whales has been nothing shy of amazing. In the beginning, Save the whales was the organization that I volunteered with for one of my projects at CSUMB and now (2 years after graduation) I continue to volunteer for this amazing nonprofit organization and will continue to do so for years to come. Nothing but great experiences and even better people.
Volunteering with Save The Whales was one of the highlights of my graduating semester at my university. They offer a variety of programs that you can choose to help with, from teaching kids about the Watershed to teaching kids about Sea turtles. There was always something new to learn with every event that I was able to attend and help with.
I also really liked the flexibility of being able to essentially choose your own schedule, they emailed out a list of dates and events which made it easier to schedule service hours, and I enjoyed not being tied down to a specific time slot of hours every week. Save the Whales is a great organization and if I was still in Monterey Bay I would have loved to continue volunteering for them, they really do a good job of serving their community and I am so thankful for the opportunities they gave me.
I never knew volunteering with SavetheWhales would be such an eye-opening and unforgettable experience. At the beginning of it all, I picked working with SavetheWhales as part of my service learning class. I assumed (and hoped) that I was going to be working by myself; all the things that are opposite of a service learning. Then, I found out that I would be working with small children and my heart dropped in my chest. I don't have any patience and teaching children is another work altogether.
However, I persisted and told myself that everything would be okay. Oh, how right was I. My first volunteer experience was going to the Arroyo Seco National Park and helping to teach the kids about the animals that lived there and what was a water shed. Other events were cleaning up part of the Salinas River and teaching grade schoolers about whale anatomy and ocean pollution through Dee the Whale. The pictures below are from these events.
I learned I had a knack and enthusiasm for teaching kids; they listened to me and got excited when I asked them a question. They soaked in everything around them, eager to learn and discover. I even got a hug from a kid!
None of these experiences would have been possible without SavetheWhales. They taught me to go outside of my comfort zone and be able to use knowledge from my classes to teach grade schoolers in a way they could understand.
I will be volunteering with SavetheWhales again and I recommend anyone who wants to do volunteer work, volunteer with SavetheWhales. You will not regret it.
To Maris, Dan, Amanda, Nikki, Christie, Mika, Abigail and Keegan, thank you so much for the opportunity to work with you all in SavetheWhales. I will be coming back soon!
Tom from Save the Whales came to our school and gave a great presentation about whales and sea turtles. His presentation was very hands-on and the kids loved it! They were very excited to learn about the ocean environment and taking care of it. We hope to see him every year!
Previous Stories
I am a Third grade teacher in Salinas and have had the privilege of having Tom come to our school to teach the students about whales, otters, sea turtles, and ocean ecology. His presentations are hands on, with lots of activities and actual whale bones and baleen. He shares videos, models and pictures with the students and they are very engaged and interested in everything he shares with us. A lucky child gets to put on the whale costume.
They love his presentations.
I am writing on behalf of students at a local elementary school who participate in our after school program. To be honest, many of our students do not have opportunities to explore nature and the world around other than what we bring to them at the school level.
I reach out to Thomas, Save the Whales, every year. He brings the ocean to life for our students. There is not much more to say other than, when you have 2nd graders repeating key phrases about protecting our resources that Thomas and Save the Whales taught them--- well, need I say more.?
It is a wonderful way to expose the students to different aspects of our ecology, and to be in awe of the wondrous nature around us.
My experience with Save the Whales has been a very enjoyable and fulfilling one. Every event that I have participated in from beach and park litter clean ups, emblem gluing, to tabling at Fiesta del Mar at the Monterey Bay Aquarium has cemented my feeling a part of the community here on the Monterey Peninsula. Not only that, but volunteering with Save the Whales has supplemented my academic work significantly. The conservation education efforts of Save the Whales greatly impact the community through creating awareness and fostering engagement with the local environments.
First, I would like to mention how I learned about the Save the Whales Program.
I was waiting at a Doctor’s office when I noticed a beautifully designed flyer in Spanish: “La Bahia de Monterey Empieza en tu Calle”.
Since I work with Latino students and their parents at a local elementary school in Santa Cruz, I decided to take this information with me to our Parent Meeting and to ask them if they would be interested in learning more. They were very curious and excited about this possibility.
I called Save the Whales to ask if they would like to come to hour school to make a presentation about “Monterey Bay Begins on Your Street” to our Latino Parents. The lovely Maris was very helpful, and arranged a presentation for us.
Save the Wales came to our parent meeting with a Watershed Model of the Monterey Bay to illustrate how the bay really starts on their street. The presentation was very engaging, the visual aids were excellent, and the instructors--including, a young graduate student, who acted as the Spanish translator--were knowledgeable, funny, and fantastic.
This presentation was an eye-opener for the parents, because it was a hands-on presentation, where parents actively participated in the presentation. Some of their comments were: “now I can understand what my son was talking about”;
“I did not know that by lifting a water bottle lid I can help so much”; “I will not wash my car on my driveway anymore”; and, “I will watch out for garbage in the park”.
The presentation was such a total success that other schools in district are interested in have the same presentation at their schools.
As an educator, I am so thankful to the Save the Whales organization for coming to our Latino Parent Meeting and teaching us about the importance of helping to keep our environment clean. Our parents were very thankful to the Save the Whales organization for this opportunity.
A big thank you to Save the Whales!!
Each time our students have the opportunity to attend a classroom presentation from Save the Whales, everyone very much appreciates all that they have learned. Because we are a homeschool program, parents and students have the opportunity to continue learning, whatever topic has been presented. We have been very fortunate to be able to participate in these presentations and look forward to inviting Save The Whales whenever our schedule permits.
Monterey County Home Charter School, Salinas
Previous Stories
Students in grades K-8 at the Monterey County Home Charter School were very excited to have the special presentation, Amazing Sea Turtles, to look forward to during the winter break. The information, video, and hands on turtle shells and skulls were especially interesting to students. We look forward to inviting Whales on Wheels to our school again.
I have had the privilege of serving as an intern at Save the Whales for two and a half years. It has been an honor to be involved with an organization that touches the lives of so many, human and non-human. I have never met someone who does as much to help animals as Maris. She is an exemplary human being in that she is completely selfless and will stop at nothing to make the world a better place. She works tirelessly and is directly involved with every aspect of STW, whether it is doing administrative work, speaking in classrooms, or kneeling next to a storm drain to attach an emblem.
As an intern, I have been involved in many different projects and I am always amazed at how multifaceted STW proves to be. I have spoken in classrooms and at public outreach events such as Whalefest, participated in litter-cleanups, affixed emblems to storm drains, labeled non-toxic chemicals in Orchard Supply and Home Depot, collected and statistically analyzed public intercept surveys, and contacted local car washes to suggest a voucher program. One of the most touching experiences I've had with STW was hosting a field trip for South County schoolchildren, many of which had never been to the beach. As the children eagerly posed for a class photo, a pod of dolphins appeared in the background. It was as if nature was smiling in approval.
I can honestly say that Save the Whales has changed my life. I have learned humility, compassion, and respect for nature. I have learned that there really is no such thing as "one-time use" or "throwing away". Plastic does not just go "away". It persists in the environment and its effects can be devastating. Working with Save the Whales has also made me realize my passion for science education, and it is now my career goal to teach biology at a university.
Monterey Bay needs Save the Whales. Maris is the voice of marine organisms that cannot speak for themselves. She teaches children and adults alike to love animals and to protect them by changing destructive habits. She helps people make informed decisions about the products they use and teaches them how to reduce their carbon footprint. It has been an absolute honor working for Save the Whales, and I cannot wait to see what the future holds for this organization.
The City of Gonzales and its “Gonzales Grows Green” Community Sustainability Initiative depends on Save the Whales to support our goals of providing high-quality environmental education and outreach to our community. They engage with our community in ways that are relevant to both our geographic location and demographic makeup.
While there is much focus on our oceans (as there should be), many inland communities such as ours face pressing issues such as litter, blight, illegal dumping, stormwater contamination, and lack of understanding of the importance of waste reduction, reuse, and recycling. Whether it is our summer library program, summer day camps, after-school programs, a weekend community cleanup event, or community event in our park, Save the Whales finds unique ways to complement and add depth and context to our efforts to educate our community on our specific environmental challenges.
The programs and staff of Save the Whales are my go-to education partners. Their education programs are fun, engaging, and hands-on! When connected with our library’s summer program this past year, over 100 parents and children showed up for the event (a huge turnout for our small community). Their programs help participants consider both the negative and positive consequences of their actions on a local and global level. Their programs offer practical solutions for change that empowers individuals in our community to be collective agents of change.
I am a 2nd grade teacher in Castroville, CA. My students got to experience the program on sea otters by Save the Whales. My students had an amazing time learning about sea otters, touching sea otter artifacts, acting out sea otter behavior, and dressing up as a sea otter. I am very thankful for Save the Whales doing these presentations for students and look forward to having Save the Whales visit again.
We have had the privilege of having Save the Whales present at our school for two consecutive years. Tom has presented an excellent watersheds presentation for our fifth grade classes. He is very flexible regarding scheduling and communicates the expectations and presentation needs well in advance, allowing ample time to prepare for his visit. The greatest part of his presentation is that he ensures each student (sometimes there are 30 children per class!) gets a turn to contribute to the presentation and project. He talks in a way that engages the students and is very patient. Tom is very knowledgable and was able to answer all of the questions the students presented them with. The students were so thrilled that there were actual artifacts that they could touch! The students fully understood the purpose and lessons being taught in the presentation. So much so, that numerous students have reported changes that their family has made at their own houses because of something they learned in the watersheds presentation. Multiple students have asked when we might be able to have a presentation from Tom again!
Working with save the whales has been a great experience. Being able to teach the latino community has been eye opening experience for myself and the community memebers that we educate. Most of the parents and children that I have spoken to are thankful for informing them about the marine and terrestrial enviornmental concerns that we being to their attention.
Previous Stories
Educating children about marine life was one the most first goals I set for myself and I appreciate Save the Whales for allowing me to accomplish this goal. In working with Save the Whales I was able to gain a greater respect for my Latin culture and Spanish language as I was able to communicate with the Latin community about pollution, pesticides, and La Vaquita as most of this information is not a central topic in our communities.
The presentation has been key lesson in talking about the protection and conservation of marine wild life. Students are able to see and hold various marine bone replicas as well as real ones. They see first hand the impact plastics have in our oceans and how they can help change. Thank you for the years of service to students in this county and helping them become responsible global citizens.
Mr. B
Gault Elementary
Room 8
I am a 4th grade teacher in Monterey. Save the Whales came to my school to do a program on sea otters. It was informative, interesting, and the kids loved it. There were lots of interesting facts and anecdotes, and I learned quite a bit. The kids really enjoyed themselves with the hands-on realia and the cool slides and presentation.
I was very happy to have this wonderful presentation for my students, and hope to see Save The Whales again next year. Great presenters, great program!
We brought Save the Whales down to the San Diego area to work with our 4th and 5th grade classes a few years ago. They were very professional and really worth the costs associated with their visits. I still have teachers asking about having them return, but unfortunately we haven’t had sufficient funding to have they repeat their visit. I highly recommend them for their great work with kids and education, and for their excellent science interpretation.
Save The Whales is an amazing educational experience! Tom brought the Whales on Wheels workshop to my high school in Santa Cruz. He presented an interactive and engaging seminar that kept students interested and participating the entire time. His dedication to nature and depth of knowledge is phenomenal. My students loved that he brought so many items for them to identify and explore. I found the workshop to be an excellent addition to my Environmental Science and Life Science courses, and a fantastic way to bring nature to the classroom. I serve an at-risk and low income population, so the fact that these programs are offered free to Santa Cruz schools makes it an even more fantastic opportunity. I highly recommend Save The Whales for any educator who wants to increase student involvement, activate learning to diverse student populations, and connect young people to nature in all its glory.
Tom has been coming to our school, Bay View, for the past two years. I was extremely impressed with his preparation, organization, and willingness to present this important information to our fourth graders. My students were completely engaged 100% of the time! I have recommended this presentation to all other 4th and 5th grade teachers. Thank you for a great experience.
Save The Whales is a phenomenal non-profit. Not only are they educational but they are interactive and very scientifically accurate taking marine mammal natural history, science and policy to the public in creative and innovative ways. Truly an educational non-profit touching many children/schools each year. They are also very involved in current marine mammal issues such as the Vaquita and helping to heighten the awareness of this nearly extinct marine mammal. Kudos to Save the Whales - truly making a difference.
Save the Whales' "Sea Turtles" presentation was a great hit here at the Gonzales library!
In south Monterey county, residents rarely go to the beach. Issues concerning our oceans aren't high priority because the education isn't there. We know agriculture and rural lore, but we forget we are literally at the edge of the country. Our location is a great gift, and we ought know more about caring for it.
Tom and Amanda were very informed and well prepared, and they did well with the demands of a varied audience (different ages and different levels of English language proficiency).
I would not hesitate to recommend them to anyone looking for a presentation that drives home the importance of maritime preservation and educates, while being fun.
I had a great experience with Save the Whales! This is a great organization that really captures people of all ages through education and information. As a service learner, I was able to educate kids on the safety of marine animals, and work hands on in making a difference with putting emblems on storm drains. I was even able to dress as a sea turtle as shown in the pictures to really connect with children on a friendly level. Save the Whales is a great organization for all ages, and is a great pick for service learners, especially those in the environmental and marine sciences.
I had an awesome experience with Save The Whales! I really enjoyed educating elementary school students from Salinas about water quality, MBNMS, and blue whales! Never a dull moment with this knowledgeable, professional, and LIVELY group of truly genuine people. One thing I would like to stress is the importance of Save The Whales' services. I witnessed firsthand the absorption and retention of knowledge by kids after several weeks of Save The Whales field trips. We live in a beautiful area with so many natural resources needing protection - inspiring the next generation about environmental stewardship is always a fun and sustainable process with Save The Whales!
My fourth grade students were very excited to see a gigantic life-size humpback, and to learn the story behind Save the Whale's newest learning experience, "Dee" the whale. Maris and the Save the Whales staff are enthusiastic, wonderful people who engage the children in learning about whales and about how our everyday choices can impact marine mammals. In an interactive 45 minutes, the staff covered everything from whale anatomy and whale sounds to watersheds and storm drains, and how everything ends up in the ocean. Students experience going inside "Dee" the whale to see her inner anatomy and to understand how pollutants, trash and plastics can impact the health of even the biggest mammals. The consequences of our (human) actions have never been easier to understand. The children will certainly remember this hands-on lesson and this amazing experience for the rest of their lives. Thank you, Save the Whales!
For years now, the Gault Elementary third graders have been spellbound while learning about sea turtles and the issues they face in the Amazing Sea Turtle educational outreach program. Students get up close and personal with Turtle skulls, shells and other realia which enriches the program too.
Save the Whales was the best thing to ever happen to our school. It's expensive to take students on field trips but Save the Whales come to us so all students can learn to conserve the ocean environment we live in, here in Marina. They use hands on items that relate to the new NGSS science standards and makes science fun. My special need students especially love the Save the Whales program and holding real animal bones. When my students come back as alumni they always tell me how much then enjoyed when Save the Whales came to class
I was partnered with Save the Whales through my service learning class my senior year at California State University at Monterey Bay. Let me tell you, working with Maris and all the other incredible volunteers was an inspiring experience. Collaborating with my and the surrounding communities helped me connect people with the importance of protecting the world we live in. With Save the Whales I have helped educate and encourage students in elementary and middle schools to be aware of their impacts on the environment and marine animals. Each of the members and volunteers of Save the Whales work hard each day to promote sustainability and environmental awareness. Thank you for helping me grow and make the world a better place.
Volunteering with Save The Whales through Service Learning at CSU Monterey Bay has had quite the impact on my life by helping me to collaborate with respectable science communication professionals and to find where I belong in the sea of opportunities in which the world of science has to offer. Save The Whales has also helped me understand that science communication is the key to employing a closer to world wide leadership in environmental protection. Through fairs, tabling, classroom education, social media, and many other sources, Save The Whales shares their passions for endangered species and the environment.
The Save The Whales staff is extremely passionate about environmental education and protection. They take the time to spread that knowledge and passion to children in many (including underserved) communities. They truly care about everything they work on and make it their life. I wish to do the same and I am happy to say that I will be continuing to work with Save The Whales in the future for my Capstone Project.
Thank you Save The Whales!
An excellent organization with incredible amounts of passion and direction. Maris is an absolute delight and truly puts the wellbeing and education of others above anything else. I like to think of her needs as self-transcendence. "Transcendence refers to the very highest and most inclusive or holistic levels of human consciousness, behaving and relating, as ends rather than means, to oneself, to significant others, to human beings in general, to other species, to nature, and to the cosmos." I would highly recommend the work that Save the Whales does for the community.
This organization defines what it means to care for the environment and its inhabitants. I am honored to have volunteered my time with them and will continue to do so. Save the Whales is an incredible organization inside and out.
I've recently had the wonderful opportunity to work with Save The Whales. Everyone there has been beyond professional. The amount of help I've received for my own professional as well as personal growth has been insurmountable. I've made countless connections on top of being able to truly feel like I have been able to be part of something much greater than myself. I look forward to working with them in the future and helping them to better our world.
Save The Whales has been a wonderful resource for both 1st and 2nd graders here at Gateway School in Santa Cruz. Tom has always sparked my students' interests in continuing to keep our oceans clean and provides amazing lessons about marine mammals. He is easy to work with and brings many fun, hands-on activities which engage every student. After his visit, he followed up with information and websites for us to continue our learning and I look forward to planning his visit next year. Thank you!
Save the Whales is a fantastic program that facilitates watershed and ocean awareness and action! I've partnered with Save the Whales for the past several years in environmental education and LID project programming with local students and teachers from Seaside, Marina and Salinas. Maris and Tom are very knowledgeable, passionate and effective teachers working toward conservation of our land and oceans. Hooray for Save the Whales!
Maris and Tom were very helpful in teaching our group about wetlands. We did a clean up for Earth Day. We also ran a car wash fundraiser for them to raise awareness about run off into storm drains. Our day with Save the Whales was part of our Ocean Conservancy project.
I've worked with Save the Whales in two capacities: as a Service Learning instructor at CSU-Monterey Bay who sends my students to work their volunteer hours with StW, and as chair of the Surfrider Foundation Monterey Chapter, a fellow environmental non-profit organization, who has partnered with StW for various local programs and initiatives. In both capacities I've been genuinely impressed by the commitment and tenacity of Maris, the E.D. and her staff, for doing good work in the community. They don't just do education and outreach, which is so critical and important, they go to Home Depot and label which garden products are safer for the environment, they attach signs to storm drains so people don't dispose of anything in them- they do real 'boots on the ground' work that makes a difference in our community. It's been a privilege and a pleasure to be able to partner with them and to send my students to work them, and be enriched by everything the learn from Save the Whales
Every year Save the Whales hosts 8-10 college students from California State University Monterey Bay as service learners. These university students meet with Save the Whales (STW) Director, Maris who assigns them to serve in outreach or education roles with STW. Every student raves about their experience with STW citing what they learn about marine mammals, their connections to local and international conservation efforts, and most importantly how critical it is for each of us to engage in action. Many of the students remain volunteering with STW for years. The vision, the work, and Maris and Tom--are inspirational.
Previous Stories
As a university service learning instructor, I have partnered with Save the Whales for the past 7 or 8 years. Every semester groups of my students do their service with Save the Whales. Their experiences in the community and with the super staff of Save the Whales are consistently meaningful. Students have multiple experiences interacting with the public and come away inspired to continue both with the program but in marine science based outreach. The students are inspired by the passion and commitment of the Save the Whales staff as much as the scope of the programs. From preserving Vaquitas in the Gulf of California to eliminating toxic runoff in the Monterey Bay, the work of Save the Whales is instrumental to preserving the health of our planet and its many creatures.
Maris and Tom have given our students the opportunity to volunteer at Whale Fest and Earth Day clean up. They engage young people and teach them about caring for our marine life and wetlands. Their displays and brochures and classroom materials can be used by students and adults. Save the Whales Foundation is making a positive impact in our community.
2 people found this review helpful
Tom with Save the Whales presented an amazing multi-media, hands-on program to my k-5 science students. The program was so informative an engaging to even my youngest students. Save the Whales is about much more than whales. Students learn about ocean ecology as well as environmental issues our marine ecosystems are facing, all age appropriate.The children develop a love and respect for the ocean that will influence a lifetime of stewardship. I look forward to many years of partnership with my students and Save the Whales.
Save the Whales is an incredible organization! I began volunteering for them in August 2015 as part of my Service Learning requirement at Cal State Monterey Bay, and I have been fortunate enough to be invited back as an intern. The staff members and volunteers at Save the Whales are very passionate about their work and they go well out of their way to ensure that the public is informed about environmental issues. Save the Whales does an excellent job presenting these issues to the public in a non-confrontational manner and, as a result, people seem to genuinely care about these issues and want to take action. I have never been so proud to be a part of an organization as I am with Save the Whales.
I have personally served as a program manager over seeing the work performed by Save the Whales and have nothing but positive things to say about the people at the organization and the high level of work product they produce. I have also collaborated with the Save the Whales group on various contracts and they do exceptional work. Doug Dowden, ECS LLC.
Our school contacted "Save The Whales" when we were looking for local nonprofits to help us provide community projects for our 8th grade students. They happily volunteered and brought their informative displays to our Community Project Expo. In addition to creating an inviting display, they gave a talk describing two community projects that were perfect volunteer opportunities for our students. Afterwards, they happily stayed and chatted with interested students and parents. I felt so lucky to have such a dependable, informative and meaningful resource provide us with exactly what we needed! Thank you so much!
We have had the privilege of having Save the Whales visit us for over ten years in a row now. They bring us an amazing presentation about whales including demonstrations of their enormous size, recordings of the sounds they make, and specimens of baleen and whale food. Kids are fascinated by the material and love the activities such as trying to catch "food" with baleen vs. teeth. So impressed to have such a rich experience, we often ask them to come and teach us about otters as well. Raising awareness of how to care for our ocean and its inhabitants is weaved into each presentation.
Save the Whales has come to my 3/4 grade class of students with special needs for the past several years. This hands-on program has been integral in helping my students understand our oceans, their inhabitants, and the importance of preserving this critical environment. The artifacts and knowledge of the presenter are stimulating and excite student interest and participation. My students are in Title 1 schools and would be unable to have exposure to this vital program without the grants that have brought it to the schools. If you have a opportunity to experience this garb it . Your class will be amazed and excited. Anything that can help promote this program so it can continue should be pursued.
Susan Sonnthal
SDC Alisal School District
I teach third grade in Salinas. The majority of my students are second language learners living in crowded conditions. Santa Rita Creek runs behind our school. Tom's presentations bring the ocean to my students and help them understand how the nearby creek is connected to the ocean. I see a change in student's habits in relation to their views about recycling and picking up trash. The interactive presentations are good for language development and clearly explain environmental and biological concepts. I highly recommend Save The Whales' presentations.
The co-founder from Save the Whales, Ms. Sidenstecker, visits my fourth grade classroom each year during our water and environment unit . Ms. Sidenstecker does a fantastic job teaching the students about how the choices they make can effect the environment. Her model of a town and allowing students to "pollute" it impacts them greatly as students see the impacts of their everyday choices.
Save the Whales is a wonderful organization!
I attend CSUMB and as graduation requirement you have to complete 30 hours of Service Learning. I fulfilled this by working with Save The Whales as a volunteer. Maris Sidenstecker and Tom Kieckhefer were the ones I was working under for events that Save The Whales attended as well as storm drain GIS&GPS/stenciling.
I worked along side Maris Sidenstecker, who is the most inspiring person I have ever met. Maris' passion for education in the Monterey community reflects in her non-profit organization Save The Whales. This organization is known for educating the public on the environment and marine mammal preservation. The interactive models Save The Whales uses' for example the storm drain urban run off model gets not only children but parents involved in where trash and urban runoff can be prevented in their own homes.
I will continue to work for Save The Whales because it is a perfect reflection of my views and opinions on educating the public about marine mammals and our local environment.
Tom has been traveling to our school in South County for several years and always provides comprehensive,interesting, hands-on lessons for our fourth grade students. Since many of our students have never been to the Monterey Bay before he opens up a new world for them to learn about and appreciate. The students were getting his autograph the last time he came. I can't wait to introduce him to my new third grade group this year!
Tom, from Save the Whales, was an amazing presenter. My high school marine science class both enjoyed and learned so much from his Marine Mammal presentation. The only negative is my students wished it was longer! Thank you so much for such an enriching and memorable presentation!
I had the great opportunity to volunteer for Save the Whales over the past semester for class, and it was such an amazing experience. It was an awesome service site to work at and I enjoyed it very much. I gained more knowledge of the marine life thanks to Maris and Tom. I also learned about the Vaquita, and that is knowledge I will take with me and pass on to more people I come in contact with. Working with save the whales has made me realize how much more I want to work with marine mammals in my future and I appreciate that very much. Thank you for the wonderful semester, and thank you for all the hard work you do to make this organization run.
Tom and his staff provided a comprehensive, thoughtful, interactive presentation to my 1st grade class. I had worked with Save the Whales before w/ a 5th grade class, and am impressed how seamlessly this group transitions between grade levels, creating a an atmosphere conducive to appropriate standards and relevancy to the given grade level. They brought in the fun, expertise, and meaning to make this memorable and applicable as a school adjacent to the Monterey Bay Sanctuary. We are fortunate to have Save the Whales as a community resource! Scott Douglas Laxier, Marina Vista Elementary
Volunteering with Save the Whales has opened my eyes to a world that could potentially be lost to us forever unless; we begin to take a stand for those who do not have a voice. Working with Maris Sidenstecker and Tom Kieckhefer has taught me that passion is everything!
I am a recent graduate (2014-15) from CSU Monterey Bay (CSUMB) with a degree in Environmental Studies and a focus in Sustainable Communities. For the last year I worked with Save the Whales (non-profit organization) to coordinate and organize fundraising events and alone accumulated over $500. I partnered with Save the Whales to educate the general public during community events about pollution prevention, and how their efforts can play a role in protecting and saving the Vaquita. Save the Whales uses petitions and the signing of letters to the president of Mexico, asking him to do all he can to save the Vaquita. Reflecting on my experiences during service learning, I felt excited and moved by the adults and children getting involved in our Save the Whales’ booths. Seeing the reactions of both the adults and children when they learned that there are only 97 Vaquita left on the planet caused them to immediately sign the letter to the president of Mexico. This made me think about all the support we could easily gain if the general public were aware of the current injustices. I also believe in putting up pet waste emblems in local parks, and community storm drain stenciling to remind the public to do their part to help protect the oceans and the environment is essential.
Thank you Save the Whales for all that you have done for our oceans. I can rest assured knowing we are in good hands! I look forward to joining forces. My perfect world is a place where no animal is endangered or could become extinct because they have been exploited by human activities.
Save the Whales is very dedicated to educational outreach to all ages: from children to adults. They have developed a great presentation with a visual model to show participants how their individual actions affect the environment. They provide specific actions that people can do to help with ocean conservation. I am a Save The Whales enthusiast because the team is dedicated to finding strategies to inform the public about how to conserve the oceans and protect marine animals. They are effective communicators and creative with their presentations.
Don't be fooled by the name. While the wonderful staff at Save the Whales do put in countless hours in advocating for the protection of many different marine species, they are making a wave of difference in many people's lives, locally and internationally. I want to thank this non-profit for reaching out and changing peoples perspectives on, not what they have been doing wrong everyday of their lives, but how to change their daily habits to better themselves, their health, and the health and the well-being of other species in which we share our homes with on Earth. Save The Whales takes the doom-and-gloom out of a rather difficult situation in the decline of many marine mammal population numbers, by teaching kids and adults alike just how amazing these marine mammals are, and just how easy it is to change our ways for the better. I can keep going on, and on, but its best to just be grateful that there are good people doing an amazing job at building a better life for all. Thank you Save the Whales!
Tom Kieckhefer from Save The Whales planned a class presentation tailored to the needs of my high school Ecology class. The multimedia workshop on Marine Mammals of Monterey Bay: Adaptations & Communication, featured hands-on activities, interesting information and opportunities for discussion. Tom included current research, threats to marine mammals, and ways the students can support marine mammal conservation. I appreciate his willingness to work with me to create a workshop that supported the goals of the class.
Tom does a great job with his presentations to youth. He is very explanatory and knowledgeable along with the visual and hands on presentation. He know how to catch the kids attention and keeps them throughout his presentation. He is excellent at speaking and presenting. I believe the kids really learn from this program.
Excellent organization. They do a great job educating our youth through hands on teaching techniques and ocean conservation.
Tom brings an amazing multi-media hands-on program to students. Save the Whales is about so much more than whales. Students learn about the ecology of the ocean and tons of information about the theme animals- in our case sea otters, sea turtles, and whales. The children develop a love and respect for the ocean that will influence a lifetime of stewardship. I hope all children get to experience this program. The students at Santa Cruz Children's School loved it!
I teach 6th grade Earth Science. Tom cam in towards the end of our unit on Ocean Health. Students loved the hands on experience, as well as Tom's personal, in the field experience with the vaquita porpoises in Mexico. Students really enjoyed the echolocation simulation! I will have Tom back again!
Our local Sustainable Seaside group has partnered with Save the Whales on several occasions in the past years. This year we will be having our 6th Annual Sustainable Living Tour and Save the Whales will once again have an info table. We expect over 200 people will attend.
Save the Whales is a wonderful nonprofit which includes college students and mentally challenged adults as supporters. They are well organized and informed and offer important ways of protecting Monterey Bay and the whales. I always enjoy partnering with Maris as I know she'll come through with her commitments in a kind and dedicated way. I continue to learn from her and her volunteers.
Kay, Chair Sustainable Seaside (an action group of Communities for Sustainable Monterey County)
I started volunteering with save the whales a few years ago through CSUMB and loved my experience that I continue to be involved. Their mission and work that they do in the community is more then just about the ocean. They are very involved all through the county to focus on education and inspiring other people.
I worked with save the whales as part of my service learning requirement for CSUMB. Maris is so much fun to work with and she made the experience feel less like a requirement and more like fun. I hope to keep volunteering with her in the future!
This semester I have been working with Save The Whales as a Service Learning student with CSUMB. This intimate organization does great work! It has been an outstanding experience. I really enjoyed connecting with the local community at outreach events teaching about the endangered Vaquita porpoise, the local watershed and how our actions have a direct impact. I'm excited to continue my work with Save the Whales summer.
Save the Whales is a wonderful organization. They have current information on many environmental issues happening in our oceans that could be of great importance. All of the staff are wonderful and very informative.
The hands on presentation was top notch with awesome materials. It had my lethargic high school class paying attention and asking questions.
I started out as a volunteer for Save the Whales in 2011 as a service learning student at CSUMB. After the semester was over I decided to continue on with Save the Whales as a volunteer. Being apart of this non-profit has taught me so much about community outreach, public education, community involvement, environmental protection and most importantly making a difference. After I graduated CSUMB I have been gratefully awarded a position with this non-profit in assisting communities with their storm drain inlets through GIS and GPS research, and also emblem application. Now I am getting to show others what it feels like to make a difference with me and it has been one of the best experiences I have ever had.
I am proud to volunteer for Save the Whales: They help the water and environment. They help not only the sea creatures, but all land creatures. Volunteering to place stencils stating that the ground "grate" drains to the bay not only feels like we are contributing to the world: we are. The stencils educate the public about making conscious choices: what they drop, what they do not pick up, and what they let spill ALL drains to the ocean. When the public asks what we are doing, we educate them that we happily volunteer and what the stencil means. Many of them had no idea that all that "stuff" drains to the bay and are appalled at how their unknowing made the ocean worse. Then they tell people they know!
I began working with Save the Whales as a CSUMB service learning student. I thought that Maris and her project ideas were actually something that I could participate in that made a real difference. I spent that first semester just feeling the program out. I then continued to volunteer with Maris because it was something that I really believed in. She soon hired me as a paid intern and I started to branch out and do more for the environment through this great organization. Maris and Save the Whales has helped me to really become involved in protection of the environment and community involvement. I am thankful for my experience and I would do it again any time.
Save The Whales is honestly amazing. Working with them as a CSUMB students has been so great. I have learned so much and have had so many amazing opportunities. What I love the most about this organization is that it is community based and strive to better educate everyone on issues that not only affect marine life but ultimately everyone. The fact that they work so hard throughout the entire Monterey Peninsula to promote and educate ocean conservation has assured me that a career in marine policy is were I belong. I am so greatful for everything STW has and counties to offer me.
As a CSUMB student, Save the Whales has really opened my eyes to the positive changes that just a few people can have on their surrounding community. Being involved with Save the Whales has allowed me to directly interact with the public and get people excited about protecting whales, marine mammals and the ocean. Save the Whales focuses on education through all age groups and it is clear that what Save the Whales is doing is making an impact with the Monterey Bay Area. I am truly thankful for the experiences I have gained through working with this nonprofit.
Los Arboles Middle School
294 Hillcrest Ave
Salutations. The "Save the Whales" program was one of the best things we did all year!
I am writing as an 8th grade science teacher for Los Arboles Middle School. I have over 200 students come through my classroom in a day. With so many young active minds, I love to teach them with hands on material so they can really understand science. Especially my English Learners EL's and kids with IEP's and Special Ed kids mainstreamed in science they were so excited to hold real whale bones, krill in a jar, and learn how to protect our animals.
We all learn best by using our sense and experimenting. That is why I am so honored to have had "Save the Whales" come to my classroom. You see we are an "ocean guardian" school being so close to the ocean, and I use the Monterey Bay Aquariums curriculum to have the kids understand tough physical science standards. Our final part of being an ocean guardian school was having "Save the Whales" come and teach the kids about the ocean animals and habitat. Also since 80% of ocean trash starts on land, we have worked really hard as a school to reduce litter and recycle to Save the Whales and other ocean animals. Especially because the dump is in Marina, we want kids to send less items to the dump and think about making smarter decisions for our planet and its' animals.
"Save the Whales" was a great hands on review of the standards taught by a professional. We want to continue this program for our school. We want even more talks next year about animal sounds and echolocation as well as about saving sea turtles. Especially with common core next year, teaching kids "listening and speaking skills" and learning from "professionals in industry" this "Save the Whales Program" is a perfect fit.
Please continue to support this amazing program that allows kids to learn science in a hands approach by experts with "Save the Whales." Its an essential program for schools such as Los Arboles Middle School, Marina.
Ms. Munoz
LAMS
8th grade Science
Save The Whales came to our school to do two different presentations. Tom's presentations were definitely very engaging. The students really enjoyed the hands on activities and videos presented. It was a great learning experience !
First, I would like to thank Tom from the Save the Whales Foundation for his excellent presentation. Tom came to our school and presented to our sixth grade students on two different occasions. Both times, the students were engaged and enthralled by the presentations. They loved the hands on activities and the video clips. It was definitely and eye opener for many of students. They didn't realize the impact we can have on our environment and our animals.
We have had Tom from the Save the Whales organization come out several times and speak with our 4th graders. Each time the interactive, informative presentations made a great impact on our students. Our population is mostly low socio-economic and many have not even seen the ocean before. These talks have motivated them to be more ecologically friendly, increased their interest in marine life studies, and
inspired them to pursue future careers in this field. Thanks! and keep up the great work!!
The students in my class all have special needs. My classes have ranged from 2/3 combos to 2/3/4 combos. Currently my students are in the 3 and 4th grades. WOW has bringing their programs to my schools for the past 3 years. The caliber of instruction, hands on experiences and high interest subject matter has made an enormous impact on the students over the years. Students have enjoyed learning about the watershed, the Whale of a Rhythm , the Sea Turtles and Sea Otters Programs. They have become so much more appreciative of their environment and most importantly their responsibility regarding the environment. They are definitely making a connection regarding their actions and the impact they can make in protecting our marine life. Please! Please! help this wonderful program continue by making donations!
Previous Stories
This organizations brings wonderful hands on information to students and teachers alike regarding the roles these wonderful creatures play in our environment. Even more importantly the program generates respect for these giants and demonstrates in tangible ways how individuals, schools and other groups can work to help our environment by maintaining a healthy ecosystem for our whales.
My students were given their first exposure to whales, their roles and how to work toward helping to save our whale population. Most of my students have never been to the ocean despite living less than 25 miles away. They had no idea of the way whales hear and the tuning fork demonstration was very personal. They valued the opportunity to see the types of food eaten and to actually touch whalebone was thrilling for them. I highly recommend the program and have actively worked to bring it to my school for all third graders to experience.
During the migration of the Gray Whale in January, Fisherman's Wharf Association, sponsors along with BLUE Ocean Film Festival, and Monterey Academy of Oceanographic Sciences, Whalefest Monterey as a fund raising event to bring public awareness to the marine non-profits, organizations, and agencies that influence the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. The sustainability of our oceans is through, education, formal and informal of this generation and the next. Save the Whales has been an integral part of the event since inception. Save the Whales has provided three different interactive programs for all ages in the Wharf Theater, provided lectures and panelists in the Museum of Monterey Theater, interactive booths, and volunteers dressed as sea animals to provide marine information and to interact with the attendees, especially children. We are thrilled that Save the Whales will once again be participating in Whalefest Monterey, 2014.
Mary Alice Cerrito Fettis
Chair, Whalefest Monterey
President, Fisherman's Wharf Association
I am a teacher who hired this program to give an in-class presentation. It was an excellent, engaging mix of hands-on activities and presentation format.
Tom arrived in plenty of time to set up his sizable collection of equipment. The show was about sea turtles. I learned a lot, and the students were still talking about it weeks later. The thing that made the biggest impression on them was how plastic bags end up looking like sea jellies and get ingested by leatherback turtles, who then can't get the bags out because of the sharp barbs in their throats (evolved to capture and retain the jellies). This can lead to obstructions, and in some cases, even death.
The students mentioned some of the content taught by Tom in their year-end summary. I would love to see this program grow and reach more schools.
I have donated to Save the Whales, Inc. for over 25 years. I have always been impressed by how they do so much with a very small staff and are completely dedicated to the cause of helping marine mammals keep their place on this planet. It's been inspiring to see how the organization has changed and evolved over time. As our understanding of what threatens the oceans is clearer, Save the Whales has shifted their energies to educate us about these new and increasing threats such as non-point source pollutants, plastics, sound pollution, and entanglement. Their commitment to educating others has been steadfast, through student programs, college interns, tabling events and their newsletters. I have also been inspired many, many times by other members (some very young) who have raised money (by a huge variety of means), consciousness and motivation to also help in the very long fight to give marine mammals a voice. I will continue to support Save the Whales, Inc. and their fantastic work.
Save the Whales does valuable conservation work on many fronts. Their Whales on Wheels Programs do a fantastic job educating students with engaging hands-on lessons. The Save the Whales website educates the world by providing accurate and up-to-date information about different marine mammals and the threats to their survival. Furthermore, the dedicated staff of Save the Whales goes above and beyond when threats to marine mammals become critical. Some examples of this are the fight against the Navy’s Sonar Ship Shock proposals, the Save the Whales targeted programs to save the highly endangered Vaquitas, and numerous ocean pollution programs. The Save the Whales staff live and breath conservation. They put their hearts and souls into their work. They are effective advocates for the health of marine mammals, our oceans, and ultimately the health of all living things on our planet.
Previous Stories
I am a science teacher and underwater videographer. The Save the Whales website serves as a great resource for students seeking information about different marine mammal species and about the things which threaten the health of these animals. I am impressed by the Whales on Wheels program which is inspiring students to get involved in the preservation of healthy ocean environments. While filming underwater in the ocean, I have been eye to eye with whales, dolphins and seals. I have had all of these animals look me in the eyes, and I have experienced their awareness. Huge whales have gently swam right next to me underwater and have shown no aggressive or threatening behavior towards me. Groups of dolphins have surrounded me underwater and have playfully clicked at me and twirled all around me. I have had mother gray whales bring their babies over to our boat so that we could reach down and gently rub their skin. I have seen these same whales roll on their sides to look up at us from underwater. I have been amazed and surprised by the behaviors of these animals and have come to appreciate how important it is for us to protect them. Save the Whales educates people about the splendor and beauty of these amazing animals and teaches how many of these animals are carelessly and not so carelessly being harmed or killed. I donate video footage to Save the Whales because I believe in their cause.
Save the Whales has assisted the municipalities on the Monterey Peninsula in reducing the pollutants that end up in Monterey Bay and the Pacific Ocean when it rains. STW assists us by performing many of the tasks that we undertake to improve storm water quality , all with a careful eye on saving costs and working efficiently. STW has saved us tens of thousands of dollars over the past few years by eliminating unnecessary expenses and focusing on the tasks that will make the largest impact on our environment. STW is doing the "boots on the ground" work that results in real improvements to water quality, both projects in our communities and through educating people on how our actions affect the world we live in - both positively and negatively. Most of my day is spent pushing a lot of paper and completing seemingly meaningless tasks that too often seem unrelated to making a positive difference in the world. STW is making a real difference right now - not through philosophical arguments but through their investment of hard work in our communities. We have all benefitted from their efforts - and whether we realize it or not, they are still doing the work!
I am a 2nd grade teacher at a small private school in Santa Cruz. Save the Whales came to our school, worked with our schedule, and produced 3 wonderfully different presentations for different grade levels. The students were engaged the entire presentation and they really not only learned a lot, but also learned how and why we need to Save our Whales! This was the third year that we have had the pleasure of Save the Whales and I am looking forward to many more years with Save the Whales!
I am a teacher at a small private school in Santa Cruz. We always look forward to the hands on approach that we receive when the Save the Whales program comes to our school. The impact on our students is tremendous. They have lessons at our school about the ocean and ocean life, but not every student gets the chance to see the footage of film that comes with this program and hear the explanation of the life of the sea otter that is presented. The children are all captivated by the instructor Tom and when he leaves the special materials, we are able to continue with the lesson that he has just presented. This is an excellent program and schools should take advantage of the instruction that this nonprofit wants to provide. We love having them come to our school and look forward to their return each year.
Save the Whales is an amazing nonprofit organization that makes an impact on cetacean conservation with a very small staff and dedicated volunteers. As president of the American Cetacean Society, the world's oldest whale conservation organization, I am impressed by the nimble response of Save the Whales to issues of concern and by the dedication of its staff. ACS Monterey Bay collaborated with Save the Whales to form Viva Vaquita, and the partnership has been positive and effective. Save the Whales is a fixture at community events and inspires children by bringing cetaceans to the classroom.
I am a professional marine mammal biologist who has been working in the field for 30 years. I began to work with Save the Whales about 4 years ago, when we started collaborating on an effort to try and help save the world's most endangered marine mammal (the vaquita porpoise of Mexico's Sea of Cortez) from extinction VIVA Vaquita. Since then, I have had many positive experiences with STW, and have worked closely with all their staff on this and other important conservation issues.
I have found the organization be 100% dedicated to their mission of saving marine mammals, and I am constantly impressed with how much good work they can do with a relatively small amount of funding and a small cadre of volunteer and part-time staff. STW has made a measurable difference in helping to preserve cetaceans, and I applaud them for their efforts. I also look forward to many years of collaborative work with them in the effort to preserve our planet's threatened marine wildlife.
Tom Jefferson
Marine Mammal Biologist
It is with respect and delight that I write a review for Maris and her Save the Whales organization. She has been coming to teach my fourth grade class for many years now, and I always look forward to her presentations. Maris speaks from her heart, uses interesting models, and keeps the children totally engaged in the learning process. The presentation covers many aspects of ocean conservancy that are being taught to my students....be guardians of the oceans, habitat protection, caring for animals of the oceans, oil spills, littering, and pollution of earth, air, and oceans. Maris brings materials for us to use such as posters about drains leading to the oceans, stencils for us to put around our school drains that say that these lead to the sea, whale bones and measuring of their sizes, costumes of sea otters and whale parts etc. It is always intriguing to the children, and each year I learn new facts from the presentations. It is totally honest of me to say that having Maris visit my classroom is one of our highlights of the year. We are lucky to have Maris and Tom in our community, teaching children such vital facts in a fun and organized manner. The children are the future, and they are given ocean facts and thoughts to carry with them into adulthood.
Save the Whales made 90-minute presentations on Sea Turtles to each of my three high school Biology classes a few weeks ago. I was very pleased with the pace and content. The presentation included a talk and slide show, clips of video, hands-on interactions with artifacts from preserved sea turtles to items made from sea turtles. Students were engaged and the range of topics included in the talk touiched on several aspects of biology students had studied, from evolution to surface area : volume ratios, to conservation, migration and mapping. The presenter is more expert in whale biology, but had plenty of first person interaction with sea turtles and knowledge from research of others' work and was willing to acknowledge lack of expertise if a student asked a question beyond the range of his expertise.
I was very pleased with the range and pacing of the lessons and appreciative of all the work it takes the presenter before and after his presentations to transport and set up all the materials he brings including his own sound system and all the artifacts for students to see.
The presenter also brought posters and stickers and provided us with a disk and later email with links for additional digital resources.
I am very grateful that we were able to benefit from such a great presenation. I look forward to being able to hear other presentations on whales and sea otters from this same group.
I first began volunteering with Save the Whales through an Environmental Justice service learning course. As a service learner with Save the Whales, I participated in outreach events, storm drain stenciling, and even research into corporate policies. I had no difficulties completing my required hours because it was always very pleasant volunteering and I felt like I was really making a difference. I enjoyed my experience so much that after I completed my hours I continued to volunteer. My additional time opened doors to other special projects with Save the Whales and also provided opportunities to work with other organizations such as the Urban Watch water monitoring program. Maris and Tom were always great to work with and I learned a great deal about effective outreach and education from them. I feel that Save the Whales stays true to its mission and acts completely selflessly; I would still be volunteering today if I hadn't moved away from the area. In short, volunteering with Save the Whales was one of the most meaningful experiences of my life and truly helped shape my values.
Tom presented truly hands on science of whales and mammals that was understandable by our students who are mostly English Langauge Learners. The presentation included an ocean mammal dress-up from which all the students could understand the importance of physical adaptations for life in the oceans. Additionally the slides were clear and informative to even the youngest students. We have appreciated have Save the Whales come to our school. Tom has presented to grades Kinder - 5th grades in my school. ----------M.McLoughlin, Castroville Elementary School
The Save the Whales presentation was the excellent. Tom knows how to communicate with students.His presentation gave the students the opportunity to see and touch artifacts from the sea. The pace was just right. All students, no matter how much English they understood, were able to enjoy and participate in the presentation. We gladly recommend to all schools.
This was an excellent presentation. Tom is an engaging, knowledgeable presenter who really knows how to talk to kids. His presentation was hands-on and fast paced. My students waled away ready to be stewards of the earth!
My 3rd grade students have always enjoyed Tom's hands on presentations. The presentations I've participated in engage kids on all levels. The visual media, auditory component, movement activity, and the hands on objects he brings are fun. Kids even get to dress up as a sea creature. After the activities the kids generate very detailed meaningful writing. What more can you ask for?
Previous Stories
Save The Whales provided wonderful, hands on classroom presentations for the 3rd graders at my school in Salinas, CA. Those presentations were useful in making connections to, not only science standards and social studies standards, but to math and language education as well. Many of my students live in low income neighborhoods and do not get out much due to crime in the area. Save the Whales brought the ocean and its wildlife to them, which helped enhance student's learning and understanding of articles we had read in class. Best of all the writing in my classroom was meaningful and wonderfully detailed.
Save the Whales does a great job with their presentations! Both Maris and Tom are very knowledgeable and do a wonderful job with both the watershed model and the turtle presentation. The kids really love Tom, who is known on our campus as "Tom the Turtle Guy." The hands on materials involved in each presentation bring the material alive, and the slideshows have all kinds of great videos and images.
The presentation was age appropriate, hands on and rich in content. Tom was great at engaging the kids and they learned a lot. I highly recommend Save the Whales for any elementary school aged kids who are studying the ocean ecosystem.
Tom came to our elementary school and did two different types of presentations. The first was all about otters and geared to 1-3 grades. He did an additional presentation for our 4-5 graders on sea turtles. All of the children loved his presentation. Not only did they learn facts about these amazing creatures but he inspired all of the children to protect these animals. Recycling and reducing was a big topic and he gave great ideas that the kids could do to support their community. It inspired the children to think outside the box and specifically come up with solutions with the "garbage island" between continental USA and Hawaii.
Tom, the presenter from Save the Whales, came into my high school Oceanography classroom and gave a great presentation on Marine Mammals. He kept the students' attention for over an hour with plenty of hands on studff to look at and an interesting slideshow.
Previous Stories
I have attended several classroom presentations by Save The Whales. What impressed me most is the sincere caring for environmental stewardship that the volunteers shared with the children. The presentations were engaging and hands-on. I feel that their message to children is both educational and hopeful for the future of our planet.
The Save the Whales presentation my fourth grade class received was great. They learned about problems and solutions that related to their every day life when they learned abvout their local water shed. The students still talk about the cool water shed model and the dolphin species that recently became extinct.
Tom has done an awesome job presenting to the students I work with. Tom has presented for El Sausal, North Monterey County, and La Paz Middle Schools. The students definitely learn a lot, and have fun with the watershed model. We hope to keep working with Tom, and have him present to the next group of students.
Tom presented whale protection programs to 76 third grade students at Mission Park Elementary School during the 2010-2011 school year. The students continue to talk about the informative, hands on programs. Students are concerned about their ocean and tell others about keeping harmful items out of storm drains. They didn't like the underwater noise pollution and want to protect whales. Tom is great with the kids, presents lessons at their level, and involves them in hands on activities. All 3 third grade classes enjoyed his presentations.
I am a fourth grade teacher. Tom has worked with the students in my class for many years. He gives an organized, well presented program on watersheds and protecting the whales. He has a great way with children and they watch, participate and learn with enthusiasm. Tom is a great asset to the Return of the Natives Education program and the Save the Whales student presentation programs. I heartily endorse the program and strongly encourage the continued funding for these programs. In this time of dwindling funding for field trips or for any extra curricular education programs, programs like Save the Whales are truly invaluable.
Tom has presented at our school several times, and he always connects to the students. At the end of the year, the students consider his presentations one of the highlights of the year. He engages them in a way that helps them remember his information, and they become more aware of environmental issues and the fact that they can make a difference.
Tom has offered several presentations on marine mammals to the two schools I have worked at. He has a wealth of information and always brings in lots of artifacts for students to look at. His dedication and passion for marine mammals is evident and students always come away with a greater understanding of the issues affecting marine mammals.
Tom presented to the Pajaro Middle School Watershed Academy, an after school program this past January. He had so much information to share with the students and fully engaged them in so many ways. He had facts, details, and hands-on activities that helped the students understand their role in learning and protecting their world. Thanks Tom!
Save the Whales came to our elementary school for Family Science Night. They set up a great table display and talked to many, many parents and students. They are terrific.
As a science educator in a school habitat garden,
I have requested presentations from Save the Whales on numerous occasions. I facilitate volunteer dune habitat restoration around the Monterey Bay. Save the Whales watershed pollution lessons are excellent and include a great visual display allowing students to do "hands-on (non-toxic) polluting" of their own watershed. The students still remember the presentation years later. Best of all, they get the connection between pollution of the watershed model and what they do at their own homes, at school and at the coast.
The whale and sea mammal presentations are excellent with many artifacts to see and feel. The student's eyes were opened regarding all the varieties of marine debris and how they could help prevent pollution.
Whales on Wheels has produced excellent programs for the Salinas Public Library's three branches for the last two years. Thomas R. Kieckhefer is a very experienced presenter who engages our patrons with time-tested programs that delight and educate. We are particularly pleased to offer an introduction to this world-class natural wonder of the Monterey Bay to many patrons who find transportation to the ocean difficult even though they live so close. The fact that much of the presentation invites participation makes it that much more exciting. It is like bringing the ocean world to their neighborhood. I hope we may be able to enjoy Whales on Wheels for many years to come.
I am a 6th grade teacher at Natividad School in Salinas, CA. We invited Save the Whales (Tom) to come and give a watershed demonstration to students in order to prepare them for an upcoming field trip. Throughout the course of the hands on demonstration students were fully engaged. The next day I took students on a tour of the school in which they would identify potential hazards. Students sketched pictures about what they saw. I know that Tom's presentation was truly effective based on the fact that students could readily identify potential pollution sources, the effects of those sources, and potential solutions to the problem.
I am the principal at Carmel River School and annually have invited Whales on Wheels to conduct various marine based presentations at our school. The presentations introduce students to the marine life that exists in the ocean, properties of the ocean and ocean conservation. The programming has been excellent due to the content and high quality instruction that is offered. Students and staff alike thoroughly enjoy the material and it is an essential part of our "Ocean Celebration."
Tom provided a Save the Whales presentation to every one of Sprecklels Elementary's 2nd grade classes. The kids really enjoyed and learned a lot from the presentations.
Tom was perfectly on time and brought all kinds of media for the presentation.
They came to my school with all the supplies necessary. They led a hands on very interactive lesson for 60 minutes. This tied in extremely well with our study of animals and habitats. The students were amazed to learn how whales and dolphins communicate.
The Save the Whales Organization has provided valuable information to my fifth and sixth grade students for the past two years. Their use of hands-on activities and visual aids has made it possible for many of the students to recognize the pivotal role they play in the conservation and preservation of sea life. For example, a rural display was set up to demonstrate how pollution reaches the ocean. Students participated by adding various kinds of pollution to the scenery. Then they poured water over the pollution and watched as it washed down the drains and flowed to the bay. This reality caused many of them to express to their families the importance of being actively involved in environmental issues.
Save the Whales has been providing valuable information to my 5th Grade class for the past 2 years. The resource speaker came twice to provide very interesting & interactive presentations about ocean life & its preservation. This has been a valuable tool in making the children understand this area of science.
Save the whales has a wonderful education program, which comes into the classroom and teaches students. Teachers at our school are very thankful for the hands on lessons that this great group brings to school to support our teaching and to pass on ecologically friendly ideas.
Our experience with Save the Whales has been fantastic. The participants of our Hope Services Community Membership and Media Program enjoy the work applying decals to the storm drains. The training provided by Save the Whales was fun and informative. The particiapnts all felt good about doing something to help their community and the environment. The coordination with Save the Whales was smooth and they provided us with all the support we needed.
This is a great non profit orginization that is doing amazing work to help protect critical habitat. Save the Whales is helping to inform communities of the benifits of the ocean and its inhabitants and providing ways that people that help. This is very important work!
Save the Whales, Inc. has been coming to our school site for almost 5 years now. Each year the children learn about the importance of maintaining our ocean habitable for marine life through hands-on activities and their visual presentation. The Save the Whales presenters come well-prepared with objects related to ocean life (krill, whale vertebra, posters, water activities, and a rope that is the size of a whale among some things). The classes are engaged in learning by listening to whale sounds, watching the whales, and viewing some artifacts that relate to the marine mammals. At the end, the kids are encouraged to do their part to help conserve our oceans by not littering and helping to reduce the use of plastic.
Save the Whales is a fabulous asset to our community. They lead inspiring, engaging educational programs for school kids and for people of all ages. Their outreach presence enriches every event they are involved in. Maris is a community leader, who seeks creative ways to collaborate with other nonprofit marine groups. The group is responsive to community needs. The history of the organization is an inspiration in itself, with its grass roots beginning, that sends the message that one person and small groups of folks can make a big difference.
I work for a non-profit working in collaboration with Save the Whales. We support their mission by gluing decals to the sidewalks at storm drains. The decals remind the community that the storm drains flow directly to our ocean.
I greatly appreciate this non-profit because they are highly involved with their community, focused on collaboration, dedicated to their mission and solutions to environmental issues and expand their message through the use of education.
Outstanding educational programs for children, and adults, educating the public aboutcreating public awareness about our incredibly diverese, and endangererd Monterey Bay
The volunteer educational programs offered by Save The Whales is significant, informing students and even teachers about the value of ocean bio-diversity and particularly the role of large mammal species, their habitats and needs.
Save The Whales headed by Maris 1 and 2 Sidenstecker is using my song Make A Friend Out Of Me to bring awareness to the fight against whale slaughter. I have found their organisation to be reputable and of great impact in the war on whale slaughter and conservation. It is imperative they are given full support from the Government of the United Staes of America and their community. Sincerely Vinny Pop Australian artist musician singer
We help the community understand how they can help out with the environment around us. By just doing a few small things we can make a BIG difference!
I teach an upper-division service-learning course at California State University, Monterey Bay and students from my course have been working with Save the Whales for the past several years. Every one of my students who has worked with Save the Whales has expressed to me how much the organization has inspired them. Save the Whales provides them with a model of how to engage productively with communities, how to work with communities on fostering shared values, and how to promote shared values through effective community outreach, education, and engagement. This is an outstanding organization.
I am currently a 5th grade teacher at the International School of Monterey, located on the Monterey Penninsula. For two years my students worked on projects with Save The Whales. It was an excellent opportunity for the students to learn about the importance of protectin the bay and our watersheds. Through the monthly stream monitoring program the students were able to use real scientific instruments and conduct real research. The students looked forward to the field outings. This is an excellent program that helps students see the value of science and how if affects where they live.
I love volunteering with Save the Whales! The storm drain stenciling really helps to get the message out to people that our storm drains are really important. And if we keep our storm drains clean we can keep our oceans and waterways clean too. Their educational outreach programs are great too! I'm doing my capstone project with Save the Whales and one of their programs. The students seem to really enjoy the different programs that we have to offer. I would recommend everyone to volunteer with Save the Whales.
Save The Whales is a very small non-profit with only part-time staff, but they have accomplished and continue to accomplish great things. As one example, their role in helping to stop the U.S. Navy in detonating
One of the service learning activities I've been a part of was participating as the leader for storm drain stenciling in Pacific Grove. A group of about 20 middle school children from the Monterey Peninsula were divided into 4 groups in order to go stencil certain sections of the city of PG. I was in charge of one of these groups along with other adult mentors. This was in collaboration with the Monterey Bay Aquarium (MBA) from which these kids were associated with through a club membership. I felt the most successful part of this experience was the public education and public involvement components of this program. I felt these children have an increased awareness and understanding of storm water pollution prevention issues through participating in this event. Educating an audience, specifically children, enhanced my understanding of opportunities for promoting environmental and ecological justice in the real world.
Save The Whales is lead by very passionate people that are knowledgeable in all aspects of our oceans and marine life. Its an organization that has the ability to affect action on a worldwide level down to a local level. I've been involved on a local level helping to educate young people about water pollution and how we can all make a difference by education and changing our daily activities. STW has an awesome education program about urban runoff and marine organisms. After classroom presentations and activities, kids go out and stencil stormdrains further educating the community about urban runoff.
Also served on the Marine Sanctuary Foundation reviewing and evaluating various projects for funding. Save the Whales consistently provides the public, especially school groups, with accurate, age and cultural appropriate information and scientific date regarding sea mammals and the need for their protection. They are credentialed,dedicated scientists providing a much needed service by enlightening school children and the public.
The staff are wonderful people, dedicated to educating people on the connection of human actions to our rivers and oceans. Also commited to working with underpriveledged communities who usually to do not get this information. Hugely important program!
Working with Save the Whales' Maris Sidenstecker for the last 4 years on a series of ecologically educational videos. Maris has always been very supportive of our projects, and has pitched in to help everywhere she could. We've been working with High School students on a mentoring program, and we've succeeded in getting our videos produced and played on TV, as well as preparing our students for University study. Save the Whales has helped all those kids learn about video and radio, and used that knowledge to spread the word about preserving our oceans and the whales.
I had Save the Whales make a presentation in my college course and a number of students who are passionate about education and the environment decided to volunteer in the STWs water quality educational program. My students loved it and learned quite a bit about water quality and educating disadvantaged youth.
Save the Whales came to my daughter's kindergarten class and it was fantastic! It was a real hands on experience for the kids to learn and understand all about sea otters. Lots of visual and things for the little ones to touch and feel. Best part was the actual layering of the sea otter costume so they understand all the parts of the animal. Highly recommend in class demonstration of all ages. I as an adult learned a lot myself. Great organization to work with!!!
Save the Whales brought their Whales On Wheels educational program into my classroom on several occasions. I teach at-risk teens in an alternative public school setting. I was amazed to see how Whales On Wheels engaged my students with their hands-on environmental learning experiences. Everyone learned more about local ecology and environmental stewardship. This is a fantastic non-profit.
Save the Whales volunteered to come to the elementary school that I teach at and teach my 2nd grade class about storm drains and their affect on Marine Life. They worked with the kids to spray paint the storm drain warnings, the children loved it! It is so nice to have volunteers from organizations like Save the Whales sharing their knowledge and passion about their cause. This was one of the highlights of the year for my students. Everytime they walk by a storm drain, they will remember this experience!
Our Chapter has worked concurrently on projects including recently as two of the joint sponsors of the Viva Vaquita! website, a tool in the fight to save the Vaquita, a harbor porpoise that lives only in the north part of the Gulf of California. They have been great partners in the effort. Save the Whales' mission, as it relates to educating the youth of our world to the need for marine conservation in general and for whale conservation in particular is obviously key. Reaching the youth is the key to a successful future. The science on which their educational programs are based is sound and the overall need to restore the worlds oceans to a state where they can maintain their balance is well recognized. Save the Whales is doing an important job and targeting an important audience.