The Santa Monica Bay Restoration Foundation (SMBRF) is asking local residents to join in a nationwide “Toast Your Coast” this Saturday, Sept. 28 in celebration of the 25th annual National Estuaries Day.
The local organization is part of a network of 28 National Estuary Programs working to improve and restore the nation’s most important estuaries – the vibrant coastal areas where rivers meet the sea.
“Toast the Coast is a way for people all around the country to show their appreciation and support for clean rivers and bays, by simply raising a glass,” said Shelley Luce, executive director of the SMBRF and current Chair for the Association of National Estuary Programs. “At home with your family, in a restaurant with your friends – wherever you are, you can honor your local waterbody and remind others how important it is for all of us to work toward a clean and healthy coast.”
The SMBRF invites its supporters to toast the coast on Sept. 28 by posting on all social media options with the hashtag #ToastTheCoast. Those who cannot attend are invited to share pictures of their own toasts honoring clean rivers and bays online at:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Santa-Monica-Bay-Restoration-Foundation/130999036940840
Twitter: twitter.com/SMBRF
Instagram: @SMBRF
They will be joined by thousands of individuals and organizations around the country celebrating with toasts and other National Estuaries Day events.
Nationwide, approximately 110 million people, or more than half of all Americans, live near an estuary and enjoy the many benefits estuaries provide.
These benefits include jobs in industries like agriculture, commercial fishing, power generation, tourism, shipping, and even brewing and winemaking.
According to the nonprofit Restore America’s Estuaries, coastal counties provide more than half the nation’s gross domestic product and support more than 69 million jobs, or about 40 percent of U.S. employment.
The purpose of National Estuaries Day, first observed in 1988, is to promote the importance of coastal environments where rivers meet the sea.
National Estuaries Day is supported by Restore America’s Estuaries, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Estuarine Research Reserve Association, the Association of National Estuary Programs, and countless other organizations, associations, and agencies.
The Association of National Estuary Programs (ANEP) is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting responsible stewardship and a common vision for the preservation and restoration of our nation’s bays and estuaries. ANEP works with the 28 National Estuary Programs established by Congress to protect and restore tidal waterways of national significance.
For more information about Toast Your Coast or National Estuaries Day, visit www.santamonicabay.org or call the SMBRF at 213.576.6645.
