Emerald Keepers of the Month: Rotary Club of Coronado and its Committee to Protect the Environment

For Coronado locals and visitors alike, it is not unusual to see Rotarians in blue vests placing flags along Orange Ave, and more and more these days, at Central Beach, Tidelands Park and along the Bay at the Cays and the Strand. 

Emerald Keepers would like to recognize the Rotary Club of Coronado as June 2021’s Emerald Keepers of the Month. Historically, for decades, Coronado Rotarians have reached out to help the environment through service projects such as those monthly Saturday Beach Clean-ups, planting trees, and helping enhance local school grounds on Rotarians at Work Days. 

Even in the midst of a year marked by a ruthless pandemic, Rotarians rallied to educate and take action to protect the environment. Coronado Rotary’s commitment to environmental sustainability was strengthened by a new primary focus for Rotarians in service clubs around the world. 

Coronado Rotary’s Committee to Protect the Environment (CPE) started in the summer of 2020. Emerald Keepers applauds this growing committee (now with 29 active members) that is dedicated to direct action, education, and service projects supporting the environment. In just one year that was greatly affected by the pandemic, the committee has none-the-less brought valuable educational information to the Rotary Club through ZOOM, and provided safe opportunities for committee members and many additional Rotarians to participate in events that have benefited our local community.

Since the CPE committee started events in September, the group has held over 35 clean-ups in Coronado and on the Strand, as well as a clean-up across the bay with the Eastlake Rotary Club. Through 115 volunteer hours, 436 buckets of trash were collected. This total equals 2,180 gallons of trash kept out of our bay and ocean! 

Passionately dedicated to direct action, education, and service projects that support the environment, the Coronado Rotary Committee to Protect the Environment presented information about many topics at club meetings on Zoom. Each virtual meeting was attended by more than 100 members during the past year. Topics included: avoiding single use plastic; green holiday Ideas; water use and conservation, Project Drawdown: lowering GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions; End Plastic Soup – a Rotary Initiative to reduce plastic in the oceans; impact on the environment of single-use plastic bottles; Plover & Tern nesting season: protecting our shores; saving energy at home; pollinators: plants, life cycle, and migration; composting. and food waste- its impact on the environment.    

Asked what inspired her to take on a leadership role in Coronado Rotary’s efforts to protect the environment, CPE chairperson, Zayanne Thompson replied, “My dad was a Rotarian for over 50 years and I grew up with volunteering and service in my blood. I also love the outdoors and am passionate about education and the environment. This new area of service fits perfectly! Protecting the environment is vital to the other areas of focus for Rotary, and also for the health and future of our planet. We cannot have peace, healthy kids, clean water, disease prevention, economic development, etc. without a healthy, equitable, and sustainable environment.” 

Emerald Keeper of the Month: Jack Medved, Artist and Scientist

Jack Medved shared his sea animal drawings with Emerald Keepers in 2019. Several of his drawings were featured on our educational page in the Eagle & Journal as a coloring page early in the pandemic to give school children something fun to do. 

We caught up with Jack on Earth Day during the Chalk Walk where he was chalking Earth Day messages and animals. 

“Jack a person who experiences autism,” said Jack’s mom, Maria Nagy. “He lost most the use of his hand when he was young. He had multiple therapies to work on his hand strength. When he was about eleven, we discovered he was passionate about drawing things he was interested in – mostly animals.”

When asked if he knew anything about sea turtles, Jack responded: 

“These harmless shy animals are sea reptiles like sea snakes and marine iguanas. Because they are reptiles, they are coldblooded and they breathe air like we do. They can hold their breath for 40 minutes on a deep dive, so they go up to the surface using their noses to breathe. Speaking of Emerald, it kind of reminds me of a turtle that has to do with that -- the green sea turtle!  These kinds live in temperate waters. Sadly, all sea turtles are endangered but happily they are able to survive. Sea turtles really need to be protected.” 

Emerald Keepers was impressed with his encyclopedic knowledge of animals. Jack submitted several of his drawings to the library. Teen Librarian, Tara Davies said, “I really loved receiving Jack’s poster contest submission, not just for the art work but all the Emerald Keepers tips. It was so nice to get to meet him in person on Earth Day and learn he is a frequent library patron!”

Jack is a resident artist at Revision in Hillcrest. He has some animal stickers and environmental stickers, and his own an endangered animal coloring book. Jack has put together a packet of these special items for a drawing for all people who have signed Emerald Keepers’ pledge to be an Emerald Keeper on the website:www.emeraldkeepers.org. Drawing will be held June 1. Follow Jack on Instagram: @jacksanimalfunfacts. 

Jack’s love of animals and enthusiasm for everyone to be Emerald Keepers has earned him the distinction of being our Emerald Keeper of the Month. 

CHS Emerald Keepers Club Makes Saturdays Compost Days

The garden is up and running and the compost is back!

Parker Keyes Finds Treasure at Sting Ray Point

When Parker Keyes contacted Emerald Keepers at the beginning of the school year, he wanted to volunteer to fulfill his high school community service requirement. As we were in the middle of a pandemic, Emerald Keepers suggested he help by picking up marine debris on Coronado’s beaches. Parker got right to work.

“I signed up to pick up trash for Emerald Keepers this year because I wanted to contribute to my local community,” said Keyes.

Parker said he did not expect to find so much plastic. Sadly, there was no shortage of plastic bags, plastic wrappers, plastic utensils, plastic bottles, and plastic zip ties. Cumulatively, Parker has spent over 20 hours cleaning the beaches. 

“I didn’t realize how much trash was on the beaches, particularly Stingray Point, until I started filling up Hefty trash bags in mere minutes,” said Keyes. “It made me realize how much of a problem pollution is and what I can do to help keep the community clean.”

While picking up trash at Stingray Point, something in the sand caught Parker’s eye. He reached down and picked up an identification tag of an Army Air Corps Serviceman inscribed with the name Roy A. Roesch.

Parker described what he did next. “My parents helped me find Mr. Roesch’s family by using Google to search for his Army Number along with his name. The army number indicated Mr. Roesch was from Ohio and served in WWII. We then Googled Mr. Roesch’s name and Ohio. We found an obituary for his wife, and in that article found the name of his daughter Kathi Crabtree of Fayetteville, Arkansas. We then found Mrs. Crabtree’s name in the white pages.”

When Parker called Kathi Crabtree, he explained he was a student at Francis Parker High School working with Emerald Keepers to clean Coronado’s beaches, and that he had found a tag that he thought my might belong to her father.

“I found out that Mr. Roesch was a B-17 bomber pilot who flew 29 missions over Germany in World War II,” said Keyes. “Also, Mrs. Crabtree told me that her father was shot down over the English Channel, taken prisoner, and eventually escaped from a POW camp.”  

Ms. Crabtree indicated she has had no knowledge of her father ever being in California, and, as you might suspect, was delighted to hear Parker had found her father’s tag.

It is amazing to think that after all these years, bay dredgings, sand movement, and the untold number of people who have visited Stingray Point, the tag revealed itself on a day Parker was serving as an Emerald Keeper. Through his community service for Francis Parker, Parker Keyes learned the importance of keeping plastics out of our bay and ocean and an added lesson about the importance of reaching out to others to return a lost item.

“This experience brought me closer to a special part of history, and I feel proud to have reunited a treasured personal item to a total stranger,” said Parker.

Congratulations and thank you, Parker for cleaning our beaches and going the extra mile to return a treasured family heirloom. You are April’s Emerald Keeper of the Month!

Sharp Coronado Hospital: Emerald Green, Ocean Blue

Sharp Coronado Hospital is not merely a center for healing and health care. It also focuses on mindfulness and sustainability. Sharp Coronado Hospital is Emerald Keepers’ newest Emerald Green, Ocean Blue Business andRestaurant. Making this designation a priority, CEO of Sharp Coronado Hospital, Susan Stone, stressed, “We definitely have made huge progress in this area. It has been a journey.”

The team at Sharp Coronado has successfully reduced their collective impact on the environment through actions that include: 

·      Campus-wide LED lighting upgrades.

·      The Villa earned an Energy Star Certified Building Award 

·      The facilities earning the Energy Star Building Recognition for the 8th straight year.

·      Installation of water bottle filling stations (On the 3rd floor alone, nearly 7,000 bottles have been saved). 

·      Implementing numerous waste reduction and recycling projects.

·      Continued participation in Sharp Health Care “All Ways Green” initiatives.

·      Converting the patient belonging bag to reusable or paper bag.

Stone credits Ken Gibson, Engineering Director, with reducing energy consumption and helping Sharp Coronado Hospital earn the coveted Energy Star. Gibson said, “This is for the future, all the families here, and the future of our world. If everyone does their part, it makes the world a little better. We are saving energy and reducing greenhouse gases.”

Stone is especially proud of the hospital’s effort to make The Mindful Cafe at Sharp Coronado Hospital Emerald Green, Ocean Blue. They have eliminated straws, use sustainable takeout containers, and only dispense plastic cutlery upon request. The Mindful Café uses best practices for recycling and energy efficiency and offers healthy plant-based options. 

Emphasizing that becoming Emerald Green, Ocean Blue was a team effort. Chief Financial Operating Officer and strong advocate for sustainability, Fahd Benjalil said, “It is important for us to reduce our carbon footprint not only for this generation but for generations to come.” 

In addition to Sharp Coronado Hospital facilities being Emerald Green, Ocean Blue, their Coronado Vaccine Clinic became Emerald Green, Ocean Blue after encouraging volunteers and staff to bring refillable bottles to eliminate single-use water bottles. They also eliminated paper registration by moving to electronic check-in.

“Being Emerald Green, Ocean Blue is a priority for us because our passion is improving the health of our community and our community can only be healthy if our planet is healthy,” explained Stone. “In this beach community, it is so important that we contribute to improving the health of our planet. By working together to reduce our impact on the planet and help this beautiful community be healthy and well, we are securing the health of many, many future generations.” 

Congratulations, Sharp Coronado Hospital! 

Emerald Keepers Celebrates 2 Year Anniversary

Emerald Keepers of the Month: Eve DePree and NAB Neighbors

For Eve DePree and her NAB neighbors on Rendova Circle, cleaning their beach is more than just way of making a difference, it is a way to connect with each other. 

When Eve moved into her home on Rendova Circle on the Naval Amphibious Base almost three years ago, a friend told her how they used to have beach cleanups. When the first big winter storm hit and marine debris covered their beach, Eve began hosting cleanups with her neighbors. She said, “It took us months to clean it all up, but we did.”

Eve’s cleanups are often followed by a campfire on the beach with s’mores and an outdoor movie. In a close-knit Navy community, people take care of each other. Deployments can be long and frequent for many families. DePree said, “The beach cleanups and bonfires are a great way to create community with our neighbors.” The community they have created makes Rendova Circle a special place to live. 

The NAB Neighbors have their own FaceBook page. This is where Eve informs neighbors about upcoming cleanups. During the lockdown last spring, cleaning the beach became a way to connect with neighbors. Hosting cleanups is a win-win-win: beaches are cleaner, children learn community service, and camaraderie flows across all ages. 

“We usually get between ten and twenty neighbors for each cleanup,” said Eve. “We have lights in the trees and the firepit—making it even more fun!” 

Neighbors arrive with buckets and get right to work. Eve supplies gloves. Neighbors of all ages enjoy the cleanups and the sense of community. It is clear they take pride in their beach and neighborhood. The Navy housing group, Lincoln Military Housing, provides extra trash pick-ups and dumpsters in support of these cleanups.

Last spring when a juvenile elephant seal washed up on their beach, they called SeaWorld. The SeaWorld Animal Rescue Team responded, picked up the elephant seal that had become lost from its mother. They also spoke to the Rendova tenants about what they do and how they care rescued marine life. 

Emerald Keepers was pleased to be invited to speak at a recent NAB Neighbors cleanup. These neighbors already know what it means to be Emerald Keepers, giving of themselves and taking joy in their contribution to the environment. 

Congratulations to Eve DePree and the NAB Neighbors for being our March Emerald Keepers of the Month! 

Congratulations, Sharp Coronado Vaccine Clinic - Our Newest Emerald Green, Ocean Blue Business!

“Initially we were filling out a lot of paperwork and we wanted to reduce the amount of waste with the paper so we went to computers. We reduced all the paper for our check in.”  – Jennifer Cordova, Site Supervisor

“We send emails to all of our volunteer staff members to make sure that they bring a reusable water bottle. That way we don’t have a lot of plastic. We use reusable water bottles, and we keep everything environmentally friendly.”  – Ana Ramirez, Volunteer Coordinator

CHS Emerald Keepers Club Begins Compost and Garden

Straight Outta of Compost

Let the fun begin!

The Coronado High School Emerald Keepers Club “broke ground” on the new school garden and composting facility at the newly reestablished Angela’s Garden on Village Elementary School grounds Saturday. The team assembled and started their first two composting piles under the guidance of Coronado Master Composter Laura Wilkinson on Saturday. 

Reducing food waste is one of a few climate solutions that costs almost nothing but delivers financial and environmental benefits. The average household throws out over $1300 in “food gone bad” every year, which is more than they pay for gasoline in a year according to the ReFed. According to their website, food waste accounts for more greenhouse gas than the entire airline industry. 

“I love being able to lead such an amazing project in our community. It’s so fun getting together in the morning with my peers, getting our hands dirty, and making a positive impact,” said Jesse Hill, CHS Emerald Keepers Club Co- President.  

The ongoing project will allow opportunity for Coronado students of different grade levels and community groups such as scouts to participate with plots in the garden. The composting element will set benchmarks for sustainability by measuring pounds of food and yard waste diverted from our landfills and calculate emissions prevention metrics.  

“It’s been incredible to see these kids work in such a hands-on environment. Watching them learn and problem solve at our site makes me so hopeful for the future of our planet!”  said DaniRose Hill, CHS Emerald Keepers Co-Advisor.

The CHS Emerald Keepers Club members will be working with the community to ask for your organic food waste to help build the compost. When the composting process is completed, the rich composted soil will be available for gardening and, once established, Coronado residents who would like to earn that “blue ribbon” for their garden. EDCO has kitchen composting caddies available at no charge to Coronado residents to keep handy in the kitchen to collect everything from eggshells to carrot tops to fruits and vegetables gone bad (no meat or dairy may be composted but may be dumped into your green bin for EDCO).

Marla Steele, Co-President, CHS Emerald Keepers Club, added “I am so proud of this group of young individuals who recognize how important it is to protect our Earth. It is beautiful to come together with my passionate peers and work to make a change. I have learned so much already and I cannot wait to see the impact this project makes on our school, our community, and beyond.”

For more information about the compost and garden visit www.emeraldkeepers.org. To help fund garden for the kids, please visit www.coronadogarden.com. All contributions are tax-deductible. To order your own free composting caddy, visit www.edcodisposal.com go to the Residential Services tab and click Organic Recycling. Scroll down to the “Request a Kitchen Caddy” button. Be an Emerald Keeper, reduce food waste, compost and/or participate in EDCO’s Organic Waste program.

February Emerald Keepers of the Month Awarded to The City of Coronado

The City of Coronado has been making measurable contributions to reduce energy and greenhouse gas emissions. They are working toward implementing sustainable best practices. 

During the past two years, the City has earned the Institute for Local Government’s Beacon Program’s Spotlight Award (Silver Level in 2019 and Gold Level in 2020) for actions in 10 areas of sustainability. Some actions celebrated by Emerald Keepers are listed below:

·      All new City buildings are required to be built to LEED silver status. LEED buildings include the animal care facility, tennis center, senior center, clubroom and boat house.

·      The City implemented mandatory green building code standards and construction and demolition ordinances. They also adopted a solar streamlining ordinance to standardize and simplify permitting procedures for residential solar systems. 

·      Coronado has been designated as “Tree City USA” every year since 1984 and the Coronado Street Tree Master Plan includes plans to plant 50 new trees every year.

·      Glorietta Bay Marina is a designated “Clean Marina” and has adopted practices to prevent pollution. 

·      Coronado has installed 14 Electric Vehicle Charging stations and purchased green vehicles and bicycles for commuting between buildings. 

·      The City conducts bike safety educational outreach and safe routes to school program to promote safe biking. Coronado has been recognized as a Bicycle Friendly Community at the Silver Level. 

·      The City is converting lighting in public facilities and buildings to LED lighting for an average electric savings of 50% to 70% per lamp. To date current facilities are 35% to 60% converted to LED. 

·      Coronado provides a City-subsidized ferry service for pedestrians and bicyclists between the Coronado Ferry Landing and the Broadway Pier in San Diego. The free commuter ferry operates Monday through Friday during the morning commute with a free return trip. 

·      The City has been recognized at the Silver Level under SANDAG iCommute’s Diamond Awards Program for its commuter incentive benefits. 

·      The City operates a Waste Collection at Public Services on First Street for motor oil and used batteries. They also offer periodic ewaste recycling. 

·      The City has a golf course water savings plan as well as turf reduction and a high efficiency irrigation system.  The new computer system increases irrigation efficiency and has reduced water use by 20% for a savings of $175,000 in water and $10,000 in electricity. 

·      Coronado is building a City-operated wastewater recycling plant on the golf course to be completed in 2022. 

·      Coronado’s gas-powered leaf blower prohibition ordinance has converted all City equipment to battery power. 

·      The City actively invites community members, organizations, and local agencies to participate in ongoing conversations in the development of their Climate Action Plan.

·      Mayor Richard Bailey officially designated the month of June as Emerald Green, Ocean Blue Month. 

Additional notable actions include:  installation of over a dozen water bottle refilling stations around town; elimination of single-use plastic water bottles at City Council Meetings; and Emerald Keepers messaging signs in Glorietta Bay Park, on the free shuttle, and soon on Center Beach. The City supports Emerald Keepers’ effort to educate the community through their Community Grant program and by displaying Emerald Keepers’ banners as part of the Orange Avenue Banner Program to promote sustainable practices for an Emerald Green, Ocean Blue Coronado.

“The City of Coronado strongly supports community partnerships to address environmental sustainability,”  said City Manager, Blair King. “The City of Coronado takes pride in our efforts to adopt policies, implement programs, and embrace practices that pragmatically address environmental sustainability.  We are fortunate to be surrounded by a wild fragile aquatic ecosystem that we embrace with respect and a desire to nurture.”

Congratulations to the City of Coronado for being the February Emerald Keeper of the Month!  

Emerald Keepers Partners with Naval Base Coronado to Remove Marine Debris

Emerald Keepers proudly partnered with Naval Base Coronado’s Environmental division to clean up “Delta Beach,” bringing approximately 80 volunteers to comb the stretch of San Diego Bay between Fiddler’s Cove and the Naval Amphibious Base. 

Special thanks to Base Operations Officer, CDR Kimberly Ernst, and Planning and Conservation Branch Manager, Joyce Sisson, for coordinating this clean-up and two ocean beach clean-ups on the new Navy Coastal Campus and Breakers Beach at North Island. Thanks to YMCA Camp Surf Director, Zayanne Thompson, who provided those without base access parking for the Coastal Campus clean-up two weeks ago and encouraged Rotarians to participate.

This was the first time Delta Beach had been cleaned since Emerald Keepers’ Can the Trash in September. “I knew there was trash on the beach, but I was truly surprised at just how much there really was. We worked for three solid hours and still didn’t get it all!” said Kimberly Ernst.

The timing of the clean-up was particularly relevant as the beach is a protected nesting area for the Snowy Plover and Least Tern; nesting season begins next month. 

Volunteers picked up bottles, bags, food containers, bottle caps, jugs, buckets, crates—ALL PLASTIC—as well as personal care products, shoes, backpacks, PPE, and Styrofoam… so much Styrofoam! Littered throughout were kids’ toys, Christmas ornaments, ear plugs, micro plastics, cigarette butts, and straws galore! Volunteers even waded into the cold water and sunk into the mud to retrieve many plastic bags, bottles and jugs. 

“Along the shoreline of our beautiful San Diego Bay it was impossible to walk more than five feet without the need to bend over and pick up garbage. From pulling plastic bags and waterlogged tennis shoes out of the bay to separating pieces of micro plastic sprinkled throughout the sand to dragging larger items like mattresses and seat cushions washed ashore—it was difficult but highly rewarding work,” said Zayanne Thompson. “Knowing that we were working together to get the area ready for the nesting season of endangered birds made it all the more worthwhile.” 

Sarah Jones said, “As I filled my bucket with little pieces of plastic, I was glad I was keeping them out of the stomachs of local birds and sea life.”  

A dead sea lion washed up at the north end of the beach was testament that we can and must do better. 

Volunteers filled buckets that were dumped into large garbage bags that were picked up by Navy Seabees driving trucks up and down the beach.  Two 20-foot dumpsters were filled totaling over 2000 pounds of trash removed over a three hour period. 

Laura McNeal posted photos of the clean-up on Facebook and commented, “It was honestly therapeutic. I would do it every week for the privilege of being inside the preserve!”

“Everyone who helped is an Emerald Keeper,” said Emerald Keepers President Amy Steward. “It filled my heart with gratitude to see so many people on a such blustery day picking up all the trash. It felt hopeful.” 

Emerald Keepers encourages everyone to grab a bucket and take a walk on the beach to pick up trash. Use the Marine Debris Tracker App to double your impact by informing scientists of the debris you find. The app tutorial and information about organized beach clean-ups can be found at EmeraldKeepers.org.

Rocio Bunker, First 2021 Emerald Keeper of the Month

As a lover of the ocean, Rocio Bunker runs along the bay and ocean with her eyes cast toward her beloved water looking for small fish, rays, shells, and shore birds. On New Year’s Day, all she could see was the enormous amount of marine debris washed up on the rocks, and she sprang into action. Rocio posted her clean-up efforts to her Instagram story and tagged Emerald Keepers.  Hers was the first social media post I read on New Year’s Day.

“When I see a lot of trash I can’t continue running. I have to stop and do something. I feel responsible,” Rocio explained. “I see other people walking along with their coffee looking down at the water too. I know they see it. Maybe they are thinking, ‘I don’t have time,’ or ‘I don’t want to get wet.’ It would be easy for me to think the same, but I can’t. I want the ocean to be healthy. I would be insulting all the creatures that live there – the fish, sea mammals, and the birds. It is their home, and it is my home too.”

Rocio reminded me the migration of the Grey Whale is taking place off our coast. “They are our species. Too many people are oblivious to the risk to the whales brought on by the products they choose and their habits. Their eyes are on top of the water - not below the water. My mission is to help people see underwater. People only protect what they know.”

Originally from La Paz, Mexico, Rocio first fell in love with the ocean as a diver with “The Cortez Club”. She is currently the Chief Instructor with Ocean Enterprises Dive Team where she trains dive professionals. She was a pioneer with PADI, an organization that certifies divers, helping produce educational materials and social media content to promote diving and ocean awareness.

Today, Rocio is one of approximately 50 PADI Ambassadivers worldwide who share their love of diving and the ocean to teach and help people connect with their local waters. Rocio dives almost every day at La Jolla Shores with her sea friends – the many fish, crabs, octopus, nudibranchs, sharks, dolphins, seals, sea lions, and turtles.

Rocio stresses buoyancy control when diving—the ability to maintain a steady depth. Without excellent buoyancy control, divers bump along the bottom destroying fragile reefs and ecosystems. She encourages her students to pick up trash and tuck it securely in their buoyancy compensator (diving equivalent of a lifejacket) pocket. She spends hours teaching them to identify and understand ocean’s creatures and their individual purposes. She explained, “Everything is connected. We need to protect sea life, and that means protecting the waters they inhabit.  It is also important to vote for laws that protect the ocean.”

Last year, Rocio snorkeled from Tidelands beach to the Marriott pier.  Recalling the day as an “amazing experience,” she went on to say, “I saw two seahorses, stingrays, snails making a beautiful basket of eggs, little wentletraps snails that look so delicate like a wedding dress -- so tiny and fragile. There were so many fish, lots of seagrass, and scallops swimming among the grasses. I saw sea anemones munching on bits of algae. The sea life in the bay is amazing and beautiful... yet you never see people snorkeling there. If people feel it’s dirty, then they need to make changes. You don’t want to miss the beauty of the bay.”

Just this month, Rocio was recognized as a Level 5 Reef Surveyor by reef.org—the highest level. To receive this prestigious distinction, she catalogued over 200 species and conducted over 100 surveys while diving. There are only three Level 5 Surveyors on the west coast. Rocio’s underwater photography is as beautify as it is captivating.

Thank you, Rocio, for your selfless efforts and leading by example to make 2021 a year in which people step up and make a greater effort to be Emerald Keepers. Your spirit and dedication exemplify that it is everyone’s responsibility to care for our oceans.   Congratulations to 2021’s first Emerald Keeper of the Month!

Emerald Keepers' Banners on Orange Avenue

Thank you to the City of Coronado for selecting Emerald Keepers for the January - March Banner Program. May they remind you to use sustainable habits for the health of our oceans. Being Emerald Green, Ocean Blue means you are making a concerted effort to make positive changes for our planet. From using reusable grocery bags to picking up trash every day to driving less and walking more, everyone can commit to a bing an Emerald Keeper.

Meet Brianna Heinken - December Emerald Keeper of the Month

If you are looking to brighten your day, read the stories of Coronado’s Emerald Keepers of the Month. These are the stories of people who truly care about Coronado and our oceans. They go above and beyond for our town ­– quietly under the radar. Our final 2020 Emerald Keeper of the Month is one of these incredible unsung heroes.  

Meet Brianna Heinken, 2020 graduate of Coronado High School (CHS) who has penchant for service. A Navy Junior, Brianna moved to Coronado with her family when she was in fourth grade. Her long list of service is impressive. She was Co-President of the Coronado High School (CHS) Interact Club. She was the founder and President of the CHS Unicef Club and was the Secretary of the first CHS Emerald Keepers Club. Brianna also earned her Girl Scout Gold Award by designing a healthy lifestyles program incorporating tennis and nutrition at an orphanage in Tijuana for 50 children.

When Brianna learned about Emerald Keepers she was all in! She said, “It is important to create a more sustainable future. As we experience increasing amounts of harmful waste and pollution, Emerald Keepers’ provides crucial leadership to educate, implement projects, and advocate for the protection of our beach community and planet.” 

“I am an Emerald Keeper because Emerald Keepers inspires me to continue learning and push myself to be the best global citizen that I can be,” said Heinken. 

Brianna is the creator of Emerald Keepers’ Fact Friday found on Emerald Keepers’ social media platforms. She is always willing to write an article for Emerald Keepers to help educate her community. 

A resident of the Naval Amphibious Base, Brianna noticed the large amounts of marine debris washed up on the beach behind her home. She immediately set to work to remove the trash. Brianna cleans the beach regularly. She understands the importance of removing the debris so the animals and shore birds that live in the bay and ocean do not ingest or become entangled. 

Brianna said, “Coronado has been such a beautiful community to grow up in and helping preserve its beauty is the best way for me to give back to the community.”

Brianna is a freshman attending the University of Melbourne where she is working toward a Bachelors of Biomedicine with a major in Neurobiology. She will also receive a Diploma of Languages in Spanish. Like so many students around the world, her first semester was online. In January, Brianna will be moving to Australia to attend in-person classes. Even though she will be in the “Land Down Under,” Brianna plans to continue her work with Emerald Keepers. While the University of Melbourne may be almost 8000 miles away, the University has taken notice of her work with Emerald Keepers in Coronado. Brianna is the recipient of the University’s Leaders in Communities Award for 2020.

Yes, there are many stories to brighten your day found in our town. Brianna Heinken continues to be a shining star and will be truly missed in Coronado. She departs with a New Year’s resolution for everyone: “Sign the Emerald Keepers Pledge. Focus on small changes such as bringing utensils from home rather than using plastic utensils at work or bringing your own bags to the grocery store. These are simple ways to reduce environmental waste. Signing the Emerald Keepers’ Pledge is simply a commitment to yourself that you will do your best to take simple steps to a more sustainable life. If everyone does their part, we can make a big difference and keep our beautiful beach community clean.” To sign the Pledge, visit EmeraldKeepers.org.

Congratulations, Brianna Heinken, for being our Emerald Keeper of the Month.  We wish you safe travels and happiness as you embark on your next adventure. 

Meet Annika Laughlin – Emerald Keeper of the Month!

If you want to feel hopeful about the future, spend a few minutes chatting with Annika Laughlin, Coronado High School graduate, class of 2020!

Annika’s journey began as a budding environmentalist living by the ocean. She wanted to care for the beauty around her. It wasn’t until her junior year when she enrolled in Karoly Tippet’s AP Environmental Science class that she found her passion in sustainability. She began educating herself and expanding her knowledge. about sustainability. She read as much as she could and found inspiration in TED Talks and YouTube videos. She is a fan of Lauren Singer and her Package Free Shop.

Two years ago, while searching Pinterest for sustainable items, she came across direction to sew your own vegetable mesh bags. She bought some material and began making vegetable bags for family and friends. She now sells her vegetable bags so others may also avoid plastics. 

Living a sustainable lifestyle is important to Annika. She shops from the PackageFreeStore and thrift stores or good quality clothing stores that use sustainable practices. She stays away from prepackaged produce and uses her own reusable bags to buy loose produce. She washes her clothes in Guppy Bags to filter micro-plastic pollution and uses dryer wool balls with a dab of essential oil in lieu of dryer sheets. She only eats plant-based foods because she recognizes the meat industry is a climate change contributor. 

Annika was thinking of starting her own sustainability club with her friends when she heard about the new Emerald Keepers Club at the high school and decided to join. She served as a club officer and helped Emerald Keepers with their Late Start Thursday programs at the Coronado Public Library for elementary students until COVID hit. Following graduation, Annika had planned to take a gap year to travel and immerse herself in service learning in Costa Rica, but the pandemic precluded her from following her gap-year dream. Now a student at Mesa Community College, Annika is looking at sustainability programs at Cal Poly, SDSU, and Colorado State. 

When asked if she had advice for the people who want to become more sustainable, she said, “Just start. Educate yourself. Netflix and YouTube are great resources. Watch Life on our Planet, Game Changers, and Down to Earth. Reconnect with nature, put away your phone and take a walk on the beach or hike in the mountains. Feel the sun on your face and look up and see the clouds or mountaintops so you have a better appreciation for the Earth. Then you will want to care for it more.” 

Listening to Annika’s enthusiasm for saving our planet through personal responsibility warms my heart. It makes me feel more confident that we may very well emerge from this pandemic a little kinder with empathy for our neighbors, with an extended hand for those in needs, and a shared desire to reduce carbon emissions and plastics. 

Congratulations, Annika Laughlin, our Emerald Keeper of the Month. To purchase Annika’s reusable vegetable bags, email her at nadoannika@gmail.com.