Connor is the first MicroActivist and urges other children to join in with keeping beaches debris-free.

From birth, Connor loved the water. It soothed him, drew him in and was always his happy place ... During a trip to visit family in Hawaii, Connor saw a wild monk seal on an early morning walk down the beach (and) he had to learn all there was to learn about the endangered monk seal. Learning how these curious creatures are often entangled in discarded fishing nets and leftover beach trash set the five-year-old on a mission to clean up as many beaches as he could...What started as one little boy's mission to save endangered monk seals has grown into a movement of kids determined to change the fate of the oceans!

The Aquarium of the Pacific has awarded Connor with the 2017 Youth Hero of the Year Award for his ongoing efforts on ocean conservation. And he earned the 2017 Earth Warrior Hero Award.

Kids can join Connor in ocean conservation like these boys and girls pictured below during a recent beach cleanup.

--from Microactivist Foundation

3 Easy Ways To Keep the Beach Healthy

Who can't wait to hit the beach this summer? There are sand castles to build. Surf to slide and ride. Picnics. Volleyball. 

We love the beach!  Now let's show our love with these three easy ways to keep it healthy this summer.

1. Beach toys:  Be sure every single plastic toy comes back home with you. The ocean doesn't need one more piece of plastic in it. Did you know that some stores sell recycled plastic beach toys? One company even makes "plastic" beach toys that biodegrade.
2. Food wrappers:  Yikes! Plastic bags so easily slip away and into the ocean. Boo! Try using wax paper or pack your lunch in take-home containers instead.  
3. Juice and drink containers:  Did you know that those tiny little plastic lids from a bottle of juice, water, and tea are one of the biggest ocean polluters? Did you know that many seabirds have mistaken those containers for food? That's not a good thing. Be sure to properly dispose of those tiny lids. The ocean and its creatures will thank you. Also be sure to recycle those plastic bottles.  

Dear Ocean....

Student Devoted to Cleaning Beach

By Abigail Burrus — Student at Teach Elementary Morro Bay

One day, my teacher told us to choose a community action project. I immediately knew what I wanted to do: a beach cleanup. I chose a beach cleanup because I knew trash can hurt many animals in the ocean. A floating plastic bag looks like a jellyfish to a dolphin. It might eat it, then choke and die. I planned to pick up trash from Morro Bay to Cayucos.

I found out, when researching, about a large pile of trash floating in the middle of the Pacific Ocean that is the size of Texas! I wanted to stop this junk pile from getting bigger.

So every weekend, I went to the beach to pick up trash. I picked up more than 20 pounds! I was proud, but I knew people, not caring about the consequences of their actions, would still litter and add to the trash heap in the Pacific.

I want more people to pick up trash than people who litter it. If every person picked up one piece of trash, imagine how clean the beaches would be! The animals of the ocean would be safe, and the Pacific trash heap wouldn’t expand. What a great day at the beach! 

Source:  San Luis Obispo Tribune

Read more here: http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2013/02/15/2395147/pick-up-the-beach.html#storylink=cpy

5 Ways Kids Can Help Save the Seas

1. Be sure all plastic toys, bottles (and their tiny lids), and bags go home with you.  Fish and birds might eat that plastic if it goes into the sea.

2. Sea stars (starfish) are beautiful to look at in tide pools.   Leave them there, even if you really, really want to keep it for its beauty.  It will die.  Oh, and it will stink too.

3. If a sign reads “Dogs Must Be On Leash”  please do.  There may be tiny birds or other sea life that would be harmed by a dog splashing thru the waves or romping across the sand.

4. Even a tiny candy wrapper tossed on the beach will wind up in the ocean. Fish easily mistake shiny wrappers for food.   Wrappers can poison fish.

5. Stay on marked paths.  Stay off of beach areas when signs ask you to do so.  Someone is trying to save a delicate plant or stop unnatural erosion. 

Sea Stars: Boys & Girls Who Cleaned Beaches

Girls and boys around the world are real Sea Stars.

Here's a few stories we found:

The Girl Scouts of Troop 499 wanted to clean up one of their favorite beaches. They found bottle caps, cigarette butts, straws, lollipop sticks, and even a dirty sock!  The girls had a great time doing a good deed!

 Brownie Troop 61243 from St. Paschal Baylon Church in Thousand Oaks spent the afternoon picking up trash at Leo Carrillo State Beach.. in an effort to keep the ocean safe and clean. Pictured are, top row, from left, Jessica Miller, Ava Miele, Emily McCormick, Ella Busch and Julia Tushla. Bottow row: Sophia Pantess, Olivia Elias, Rachel Wetzel and Ashley Edington.

Community service projects are a big part of scouting and recently Cub Scout Packs #741, #744 and #749 took part in a beach clean-up at Corona del Mar State Beach, also known as Big Corona. 

This event was a means for all the boys to get back together after taking the summer off and show the community how even a small group of individuals can make a difference.