Swim California x Dana Point

Meet Catherine and hear from the Orange County Marine Protected Area Council (OCMPAC) and the Ocean Institute!

What to expect:
Swim California joins the Orange County MPA Council for a special community gathering on October 12th, Indigenous People’s Day, at the Ocean Institute to celebrate the region’s marine protected areas and the people who care for them.

Orange County’s MPAs protect kelp forests, rocky reefs, and tidepools that sustain marine life and coastal communities alike. They are also among the best tools we have to help the ocean withstand warming waters and a changing climate.

The event brings together scientists, ocean users, educators, community leaders, and Indigenous voices, including representatives of the Gabrielino-Shoshone Nation of Southern California, whose relationship with these waters stretches back thousands of years.

Speakers will share how traditional knowledge, science, and local stewardship together shape a healthier ocean, and why protecting these places depends on including everyone who lives, works, and plays along the coast.