Patch Picks: Five Local Earth-Friendly NonProfit Organizations

Some of us really do want to get involved in the green movement, but we’re just so busy that it’s hard to imagine having time to volunteer. As valuable as volunteers are, though, a lot of our local and national environmental organizations really need financial support.

You could think of it as a tax write-off, or you could think of it as helping to fund the global green movement. Whatever your personal reasons for donating, here are Capitola-Soquel Patch’s Top Five Picks for environmental nonprofit organizations to donate to.

1. Save Our Shores: This local organization formed in the late 1970s when community members of Santa Cruz got together to fight the placement of offshore oil rigs on the Central Coast. In 1978, they succeeded in keeping the rigs out of Monterey Bay and decided to form a community action group to protect the Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuary. Their list of achievements is long, and they continue to work hard at bringing ocean awareness to the community.

They helped to successfully ban the use of Styrofoam in Santa Cruz County a few years ago, and they are now working hard to prevent plastic pollution, educate school children about marine life, conduct river and beach clean-ups and promote clean boating. If you wish to donate, you can do so HERE.

2. Ecology Action: This organization formed in 1970 and has served the community by instilling environmental awareness through education services, technical assistance and programs to help businesses, individuals and government contribute to a sustainable local economy with environmental quality.

This group also has a long list of achievements, which include a research and education in graywater and laundry to landscapes systems. It is an environmental consultancy connected to many of the resources and organizations in town that work for pollution prevention, zero waste, energy efficiency and education. To donate to Ecology Action, click HERE. 

3. Sierra Club: The local Sierra Club for Santa Cruz and Monterey counties is the Ventana Chapter. The current conservation issues it has been involved in locally include protecting the Pajaro River, offering advice on creating a general plan for the future management of Nisene Marks State Park, and preserving open space, wildlife habitat and water quality at Terrace Point.

To make a contribution to the Sierra Club Ventana Chapter, mail a check to Aldo Giacchino, treasurer, 1005 Pelton Ave., Santa Cruz 95060. 

4. Surfrider Foundation: The Surfrider Foundation was founded in Malibu back in 1984 by a group of surfers concerned about polluted runoff, which was making a lot of surfers sick. The organization has grown to 50,000 members in 60 local chapters in the U.S. and also has ties in Australia, Japan, France and Brazil. The local Santa Cruz chapter conducts monthly beach clean-ups, water testing and storm drain stenciling, and it is working on a campaign to wipe out plastic takeout containers in local restaurants.

Make a donation to the local Santa Cruz Surfrider chapter HERE.  

5. Environmental Cleanup Coalition: Formed by Rich Sundance Owen three years ago, the ECC is committed to working on the cleanup of plastic build-up in our oceans and the massive plastic deposits in the ocean’s natural current gyres.

Owen says that cleanup of the gyre is not impossible; its simply an engineering challenge. His organization supports this challenge and that of bringing awareness about plastic pollution. At the beginning of the month, the ECC put on the first ever , which challenged local students to make outfits entirely out of trash. The group will host another Trash-n-Fashion show in the fall.

To make a donation, click HERE.