Leading up to New Year’s, we are highlighting each of the organizations featured in the Jersey Give-Back Guide, an online giving gadget that takes the guesswork out of year-end giving. First up: American Littoral Society!
The American Littoral Society
Connect:
- Website: littoralsociety.org
- Twitter: @littoralsociety
- Facebook: Facebook.com/American-Littoral-Society
- Instagram: Instagram.com/Littoralsociety
What they do:
Protecting marine life and its habitat is our starting point and most fundamental mission. We advocate forgood planning, strong protective policies, and sustainable practices for the coast and ocean. We undertake and promote good science that guides balanced, nondestructive use by those who live, work and play around the ocean, its bays, and the estuaries that feed them. We believe that understanding interaction between living things and the complicated physical environment of the ocean and coast is crucial, because an ocean isn’t just saltwater populated with plants and animals. Those briny waters are the lungs of our planet. The oxygen in two of every three breaths we take is generated by the ocean, and that capacity requires harmony among every component.
Maintaining that harmony requires a commitment not just to science, but also to understanding how different uses will impact the environment and its inhabitants, in conjunction with careful planning of how to balance some human demands while still protecting this essential resource.
Communities served:
All of New Jersey and the East Coast of the United States
What makes them great:
We not only provide a voice for the coast, but also give concerned citizens the knowledge and tools they need to raise their voices with us. When we restore habitat, our objective is not only to restore a dune or rebuild an oyster reef, but also to motivate people to invest “sweat equity” into a piece of the coast, take ownership and become committed stewards. When we educate, we don’t merely provide books, CDs, or handouts. We lead students young and old into the water to get their feet wet and their hands muddy. Sitting at a computer or reading a book, people may develop an interest in the coast; standing knee deep in sea foam with sand between their toes, they develop a passion for the coast.
How your donation will make an impact:
Your donation will allow us to build more oyster reefs, protect more horseshoe crabs, create more dunes, educate more people, advocate more policy and keep beaches clean, accessible and beautiful.
How to get even more involved:
The American Littoral Society has been doing this work since 1961 and our work has greatly expanded over the years. We need you to join us. Donate. Become a member. Volunteer. And spread the word.
– Laurie Bratone, Director of Development for the American Littoral Society
>>Get Generous for American Littoral Society
Learn more about the Jersey Give Back Guide at jerseygivebackguide.org.