Save Our Shores is an environmental organization based in Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California

Santa Cruz is the county seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, California in the US. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, Santa Cruz had a total population of 59,946...

, California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

, founded in 1978 and organized under IRS code section 501(c)3. The organization spear-headed creation of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary

Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary

The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary is a US Federally protected marine area offshore of California's central coast around Monterey Bay....

 and lead opposition to offshore oil drilling. Previous Executive Directors include Dan Haifley

Dan Haifley

Dan Haifley has been Executive Director of O'Neill Sea Odyssey, a free ocean science and ecology program for school-aged youth sailing Monterey Bay, since 1999. From 1986 to 1993, he was Executive Director of Save Our Shores, based in Santa Cruz, California where he spear-headed the creation of the...

and Vicki Nichols and the organization is currently run by Laura Kasa.

Beach cleanups

Save Our Shores has been conducting beach cleanups since 1978. For July 4, 2010, SOS hosted cleanups at seven Santa Cruz area beaches where 220 volunteers removed 2,750 pounds of trash and 400 pounds of recyclables in just three hours—much of it left in bags Save Our Shores had distributed the day before to beach-goers ready to celebrate July 4 fireworks and picnics on area beaches. (http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/ci_15592158?IADID=Search-www.santacruzsentinel.com-www.santacruzsentinel.com)