WEBVTT Kind: captions Language: en 00:00:01.760 --> 00:00:04.440 [Jody Lust] So this beach used to be covered with ice plant 00:00:04.440 --> 00:00:07.540 but it's an invasive here and it took over 00:00:07.540 --> 00:00:10.160 and we saw our habitat disappear. 00:00:10.160 --> 00:00:12.560 We saw our snowy plovers disappear, 00:00:12.560 --> 00:00:16.380 we saw our bush bunnies and our burrowing owls disappear. 00:00:16.380 --> 00:00:21.200 And the beach suffered from great erosion and floods 00:00:21.200 --> 00:00:25.380 and sand was carried away from this habitat. 00:00:25.380 --> 00:00:29.300 This is my classroom, third grade students from Gault 00:00:29.300 --> 00:00:31.920 that are part of a five year legacy 00:00:31.920 --> 00:00:34.860 when we have claimed this beach, this habitat, 00:00:34.860 --> 00:00:36.720 as part of our community 00:00:36.720 --> 00:00:41.780 and we are connected to it and we're practicing stewardship today. 00:00:51.900 --> 00:00:55.380 [Seaberry Nachbar] The NOAA Ocean Guardian School Program is really an opportunity 00:00:55.380 --> 00:00:59.300 to have kids out in the environment doing hands-on projects 00:00:59.300 --> 00:01:03.200 that are really stewardship-based. So the kids are learning by doing. 00:01:03.200 --> 00:01:07.200 Working with their hands and conserving our beautiful area 00:01:07.200 --> 00:01:10.320 like this, the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. 00:01:10.320 --> 00:01:12.800 One of the projects that we're looking at right now 00:01:12.800 --> 00:01:15.400 is the kids are actually planting native dune plants, 00:01:15.400 --> 00:01:19.880 restoring a beach dune system that was degraded with invasive plants, 00:01:19.880 --> 00:01:24.080 and they're taking the time to learn why they're doing this. 00:01:24.080 --> 00:01:28.020 We're teaching kids that through doing these conservation projects 00:01:28.020 --> 00:01:30.680 and the stewardship projects, they're actually helping to protect the ocean. 00:01:32.020 --> 00:01:35.920 [Gianna] My name is Gianna and I'm an Ocean Guardian 00:01:35.920 --> 00:01:38.640 and why I love being an Ocean Guardian is 00:01:38.640 --> 00:01:41.640 because I really like saving sea animals 00:01:41.640 --> 00:01:45.800 but what I don't like is if there's a bunch of plastic 00:01:45.800 --> 00:01:48.760 that's not what I like to see. 00:01:49.280 --> 00:01:52.940 [Seaberry Nachbar]: This is a great example of really connecting kids 00:01:52.940 --> 00:01:57.520 and showing them that by doing and by creating opportunities for them 00:01:57.520 --> 00:02:01.620 to actually get into their own community and restoring degraded dune systems, 00:02:01.620 --> 00:02:06.380 that they can help protect our natural resources and our sanctuary resources. 00:02:06.380 --> 00:02:10.220 These kids right here, these kids, are actually protecting 00:02:10.220 --> 00:02:12.840 Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary resources. 00:02:13.500 --> 00:02:16.680 [Student's voice] So we came from Gault School so we could do this 00:02:16.680 --> 00:02:22.580 [Student #1] We're just planting native plants and taking out the ice plant 00:02:22.580 --> 00:02:26.700 [Student #2] The ice plant doesn't really have any nutrients for other plants. 00:02:26.700 --> 00:02:28.820 It's pulling all the water out. 00:02:29.880 --> 00:02:32.900 [Seaberry Nachbar] A local community partner that actually works all up and down the 00:02:32.900 --> 00:02:35.960 coast here in California, that really helps support the school 00:02:35.980 --> 00:02:39.660 in terms of the science behind it is Groundswell. 00:02:39.660 --> 00:02:45.240 [Bill Henry]: Getting kids involved in changing their environment for the better is, 00:02:45.240 --> 00:02:47.600 there's never been a more important time. 00:02:47.600 --> 00:02:52.560 I mean we are facing changes on a global scale at an unprecedented rate 00:02:52.560 --> 00:02:56.780 and so involving students in even small changes gets them in that mindset 00:02:56.790 --> 00:02:58.980 that they can make a change 00:02:58.980 --> 00:03:01.240 and then having that connection, 00:03:01.240 --> 00:03:06.540 that sense of place, having that place-based awareness to their backyard 00:03:06.540 --> 00:03:10.400 I think making that connection is very important. 00:03:11.440 --> 00:03:13.760 [Seaberry Nachbar] One of our partner organizations that we're working with 00:03:13.760 --> 00:03:16.080 and we really couldn't run the program without their support is 00:03:16.080 --> 00:03:18.220 the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation. 00:03:18.220 --> 00:03:21.520 We've been partnering with them to look to expand this program 00:03:21.520 --> 00:03:24.980 because right now we are limited in some of the areas that we can serve 00:03:24.980 --> 00:03:28.060 and working with the foundation in close partnership, 00:03:28.060 --> 00:03:30.980 they are helping to support us to expand it nationwide. 00:03:30.980 --> 00:03:37.480 We'd love to see this program into more schools, into more regions, into more states across our country. 00:03:38.720 --> 00:03:43.460 [Lolita Kiorpes] My greatest hopes for the Ocean Guardian students is that they have a happy life, 00:03:43.460 --> 00:03:48.160 that they're successful, that they do something that they enjoy, 00:03:48.160 --> 00:03:55.100 and that they take away the opportunities that they've had with the program, 00:03:55.100 --> 00:03:57.020 that they never forget it. 00:03:57.020 --> 00:04:00.680 [Isabelle] When we went to Mallows Bay there wasn't too much trash there 00:04:00.680 --> 00:04:04.400 and we were admiring it because a lot of places that we go 00:04:04.410 --> 00:04:06.320 there's a lot of trash everywhere. 00:04:06.320 --> 00:04:09.580 I did get to go to the County Commissioners' office 00:04:09.580 --> 00:04:14.900 and speak so that they might be able to make a law to ban plastic straws in restaurants. 00:04:14.900 --> 00:04:18.340 That was pretty cool because I'm just in fifth grade 00:04:18.360 --> 00:04:22.700 and I get to do that. I might be making a law so that would be cool. 00:04:24.080 --> 00:04:28.420 [Jody Lust] They're working together for one cause and it's bigger than just themselves 00:04:28.420 --> 00:04:31.300 and so they're connecting to things that are important 00:04:31.300 --> 00:04:34.260 and it has relevance and it has meaning for them 00:04:34.260 --> 00:04:37.640 and they're seeing that education goes outside the classroom 00:04:37.640 --> 00:04:44.160 and it can be fun to learn and to get ideas and then to make something happen. 00:04:44.160 --> 00:04:47.800 We're grateful to Ocean Guardian for being the leaders 00:04:47.800 --> 00:04:51.980 and teaching people that you don't have to wait for someone else to create change. 00:04:51.980 --> 00:04:59.040 They gave us the platform, the opportunity, and it's been an awesome experience. 00:04:59.980 --> 00:05:04.420 [Stephan] I've certainly learned a lot more and have a lot more, just, focus. 00:05:04.420 --> 00:05:09.420 I mean I just love this program because it has really really stoked her interest in the environment 00:05:09.420 --> 00:05:13.180 as well as the sciences and it's just been a wonderful thing. 00:05:15.500 --> 00:05:17.840 [Seaberry Nachbar] I think we're changing kids' lives. 00:05:17.840 --> 00:05:20.620 They want to know how to fix this environment. 00:05:20.620 --> 00:05:24.100 They hear the stories and they want to know how they can change it 00:05:24.100 --> 00:05:28.240 and we're giving these kids an opportunity to have their environmental voice. 00:05:29.560 --> 00:05:34.460 [Maya] I hope that the ocean can get cleaner 00:05:34.460 --> 00:05:38.160 and I hope that from our class doing it 00:05:38.160 --> 00:05:41.320 that other people realize how important it is 00:05:41.320 --> 00:05:45.820 and I hope that other people will become Ocean Guardians too. 00:05:46.900 --> 00:05:49.080 [Seaberry Nachbar] One of the greatest things about this program 00:05:49.080 --> 00:05:53.180 is that we're always trying to make the link between education and resource protection. 00:05:53.180 --> 00:05:55.680 And this program has really done that. 00:05:55.680 --> 00:05:58.860 We're seeing now that with the hard work of kids 00:05:58.860 --> 00:06:03.000 and getting them involved and the continued work that they are able to provide 00:06:03.000 --> 00:06:07.760 that we're seeing these native dune ecosystems return to their natural habitat. 00:06:07.760 --> 00:06:10.920 And because of that we have two threatened and endangered species 00:06:10.920 --> 00:06:13.260 that have returned to these ecosystems, 00:06:13.260 --> 00:06:15.620 the snowy plover and the burrowing owl, 00:06:15.620 --> 00:06:18.300 and this is first time that we've actually been able to 00:06:18.300 --> 00:06:21.900 link an education program with actually protecting the environment. 00:06:21.900 --> 00:06:24.440 So we're seeing it. These kids are doing it. 00:06:24.440 --> 00:06:29.260 [Students] We are Ocean Guardians!