Laguna Ocean Foundation Celebrates 20 Years Of Ocean Stewardship; Eyes Future

LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. - Oct. 31, 2023 - PRLog -- Laguna Ocean Foundation celebrated 20 years of ocean stewardship and outreach on October 26, 2023 during "A Shimmering Night by the Sea" at the Ocean Institute in Dana Point. It was an evening of music, food, drinks, ocean education, and opportunities to connect with other enthusiastic supporters of the Foundation and lovers of Laguna Beach's marine environment.

Highlights of the festivities included a special Commendation from the California State Legislature, a congratulatory speech from Laguna Beach's Mayor Bob Whalen, and a presentation by Laguna Beach ocean explorer and celebrated photographer Rich German who wowed the crowd with his extraordinary personal stories about whale encounters while  paddleboarding off the Laguna Beach shoreline.

More than$26,000 was raised through donations and a live auction with close to 150 people in attendance.

Proceeds from the event will go to support tidepool education programs, classroom and field education for students K-12 and college level, restoration of Aliso Estuary to a healthy, thriving ecosystem; and programs leveraging citizen science for more informed data collection and community engagement.

28 auction items were donated by local business sponsors that  included The Ranch at Laguna Beach, Montage Resorts, Vissla, Soka University, Marc & Rose, OC Taproom, and many more.

"It was a beautiful evening," says Ed Almanza, Board Vice Chair, "Laguna Ocean Foundation answered the community's call to action  20 years ago and each year we take on more challenges and reach a larger public. The  community showed up in strong support of our mission to protect Laguna's unique coastal ecosystems for future generations. We look forward to twenty more years of protecting the beauty and vitality of this world-class coastline and working with the City to restore the Aliso Estuary to the jewel of the Laguna Coast. "

For more information and to support Laguna Ocean Foundation with a donation, please visit the Foundation website at www.LagunaOceanFoundation.org

About Laguna Beach Ocean Foundation

Laguna Ocean Foundation is a non-profit 501(C) (3) organization founded in 2003 by a small group of concerned Laguna Beach residents with a goal of educating shoreline visitors about the delicate nature of the marine ecosystem.  Laguna Ocean Foundation provides stewardship for supporting sustainable ocean ecosystems and the responsible enjoyment of our precious coastal resources. With outreach and programs centered on the rocky shoreline unique to Laguna Beach, Laguna Ocean Foundation is committed to protecting and enhancing the 7 miles of coastline. The Foundation also runs the annual KelpFest, a free music and arts festival celebrating vital coastal resources and the giant kelp that is the cornerstone of off-shore marine life.