Santa Barbara, CA: Over 400 fifth grade students from Title I schools in the Goleta and Santa Barbara Unified School Districts have participated in Explore Ecology’s Flows to the Ocean Program (FTO), thanks to a generous two year WHALE TAIL® Grant from the California Coastal Commission.
The $47,512 grant made it possible for students to receive immersive learning experiences at sea. The Flows to the Ocean program included whale watching trips aboard the Condor Express which were funded by this grant. Each part of the FTO program emphasizes environmental stewardship, pollution prevention, and the interconnectedness of ecosystems.
“We’ve had a great time out on the water with all of the classes! We saw humpback and minke whales, dolphins, sea birds, and many other cool animals. Students and teachers really enjoy the program.” says Veronica Lee, Explore Ecology Environmental Education Program Coordinator.
Each class that participates in FTO works on a student-led action project that focuses on educating others, raising environmental awareness, and creating change on their campus or in their community. Teachers work with students to design, implement, and document their final action projects. Last year’s projects included:
- Seven campus wide cleanups over six months at Monroe Elementary. The cleanups inspired Monroe’s Principal to purchase 45 trash grabber poles to encourage hands-free trash collection.
- PowerPoint presentations, assemblage art made of collected trash, comic books, videos, watershed models, and rock art with environmental messages at Brandon Elementary.
Veronica Lee shares, “Our 2025 classes were very creative with their action projects making posters, performing songs, and doing lots of school cleanups. These fifth graders are now ready to be great watershed stewards. We can’t wait to see what this year’s students will come up with!”
WHALE TAIL® Grants fund projects that connect Californians to the coast and its watersheds through experiential education, with a focus on communities that have historically had fewer opportunities for marine science engagement.
Schools participating in the 2025 to 2026 Flows to the Ocean program include Adelante, Brandon, Hollister, Monroe, and Monte Vista. 2024 to 2025 schools were Adelante, Brandon, Harding, and Monroe.
“We’re so grateful to the California Coastal Commission for this grant. Santa Barbara County students have learned so much through Flows to the Ocean. For many of them, it was the first time they’ve ever been on a boat, and seeing wildlife firsthand has a profound impact. Students feel much more connected to nature and the ocean after watching a humpback whale breach or a pod of dolphins surfing the wake of the boat,” says Lindsay Johnson, Executive Director at Explore Ecology. “We also thank the Condor Express team and crew for making the boat trips into the Channel possible.”
About Explore Ecology: Explore Ecology empowers our community to protect and preserve the planet with innovative education and nature-based learning. Explore Ecology programs include Environmental Education, Art From Scrap, the Watershed Resource Center, and the School Gardens Program.
For more information, visit ExploreEcology.org.
About WHALE TAIL: WHALE TAIL Grants are supported by drivers who purchase WHALE TAIL License Plates, as well as California taxpayers who “Check the Coast” at tax time with contributions to the Protect Our Coast and Ocean Fund. Since 1998, the Commission has awarded over $20 million to close to 1,000 grants, primarily for projects that provide opportunities for inland, rural, and historically excluded communities to experience and learn about the coast and ocean and develop leadership, stewardship, and science-based skills.
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