Thinkshift | July 26, 2012
Last Friday morning, three Thinkshifters reported for San Francisco Bay patrol duty at Pier 1½. San Francisco Baykeeper, the recipient of our 1% for the Planet donation, invited us to join them on their patrol boat to show us more about what they do. Eliet Henderson, Baykeeper’s development director, met us with the day’s mission: locating drain pipes and outflows along the San Rafael Canal.
Here’s what we learned:
Storm water runoff is the biggest source of pollution in the bay. Since outflows are not adequately mapped, so Baykeeper is skirting the bay looking for them so that when the rainy season comes, they can track where storm water comes into the bay and monitor the pollutants.
Baykeeper does amazing work, and they manage it on a very tight budget. Much of this is due to dedicated volunteers like the skipper and first mate on our boat. Volunteers like these, along with donations, are what allow Baykeeper to continue its vigilant protection of the bay.
Our patrol trip was a treat—we enjoyed a beautiful day on the bay and spotted some wildlife (ospreys, herons, a sea lion) as well as a few outflow pipes. We also learned a lot about Baykeeper’s day-to-day efforts, and we’re proud to support their work.
To learn more about San Francisco Baykeeper and how you can help, visit baykeeper.org.
