Make a Difference

Dig in along the shoreline at a restoration program, or join us for our annual Bay Day celebration. Discover how you can get involved. 

Every year, Save The Bay grows and plants around 35,000 to 100,000 native plants. But this is only possible, thanks to volunteers like you! Join us for a day along the shoreline at one of our restoration sites around San Francisco Bay and help our wetlands grow. 

All restoration volunteer programs include:

  • At least one Project Leader from the Habitat Restoration Team, certified in Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED
  • Introduction to Save The Bay and San Francisco Bay history and ecology
  • Gloves, tools, and all necessary equipment
  • Restoration project direction and tool safety instruction
  • Sunscreen and water

Youth under 18 need to be signed in by their parent/guardian. Youth under 13 need to be signed in and accompanied by their parent/guardian.

BIPOC Native Plant Nursery Event (Oakland)

This volunteer program is an affinity space for folks that identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and/or People of Color) and is led by staff that identify as BIPOC. Our Native […]

Queer Native Plant Nursery Event (Oakland)

This volunteer program is an affinity space for folks that identify as LGBTQ+ and is led by staff that identify as Queer. Our Native Plant Nursery at the Martin Luther […]

Earth Day Cleanup at the MLK Shoreline

Earth Day approaches! Save The Bay will be hosting a cleanup at Damon Slough, a heavily impacted estuary at the end of the Lion Creek and Arroyo Viejo Creek watersheds. […]

BIPOC Native Plant Nursery Event (Palo Alto)

This volunteer program is an affinity space for folks that identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and/or People of Color) and is led by staff that identify as BIPOC. Save the […]

Native Plant Nursery Event (Oakland)

Our Native Plant Nursery at the Martin Luther King Regional Shoreline grows up to 20,000 plants per year that will eventually be planted out to one of our several restoration […]

Queer Native Plant Nursery Event (Palo Alto)

This volunteer program is an affinity space for folks that identify as LGBTQ+ and is led by staff that identify as Queer. Save the Bay is a Bay Area environmental […]

Habitat Restoration at Eden Landing (Hayward)

Come join us at Eden Landing Ecological Reserve to help restore former industrial salt ponds into healthy salt marsh habitat! We will be pulling invasive plants using hand picks and […]

BIPOC Native Plant Nursery Event (Oakland)

This volunteer program is an affinity space for folks that identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and/or People of Color) and is led by staff that identify as BIPOC. Our Native […]

Native Plant Nursery Event (Palo Alto)

Save the Bay is a Bay Area environmental non-profit working to protect and restore the San Francisco Bay for people and wildlife. One of the ways we strive to meet […]

Queer Native Plant Nursery Event (Oakland)

This volunteer program is an affinity space for folks that identify as LGBTQ+ and is led by staff that identify as Queer. Our Native Plant Nursery at the Martin Luther […]

Frequently Asked Questions

Our restoration sites do not have street addresses, and meeting location is determined based on site needs. If you are participating in any of our volunteer programs, you will receive directions to the meeting location 1-2 weeks prior to the event. We provide specific GPS points that can be plugged into any mapping app or site to get you to the correct location. Because our sites are often not recognized by most mapping programs, we ask that you do not use any other source of directions besides the GPS points provided by Save The Bay.

Absolutely! Our restoration programs can be a great learning experience for the whole family, and we often have toddlers in our programs. All that is required is a little extra attention and guidance from the parent/guardian. Many of the activities can be modified with your supervision for an enriching day, and we encourage exploration of the shoreline by your little ones!

Be prepared to be outdoors for three hours. We recommend that you do not bring any valuables or leave valuables in your car. The following should be on your packing list:

  • Sturdy, closed-toe shoes are required
  • Dress in layers; long pants are recommended
  • Sun protection such as a hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen
  • Full reusable water bottle

Unfortunately the majority of our sites are not accessible by public transportation. Out Oakland restoration site along the MLK shoreline is the can be reached with a short walk from the bus stop. We recommend you look into transportation options for each site individually. 

We will still run programs in a light rain and will provide ponchos for volunteers. High winds or thunderstorms may force us to cancel a program. During wildfire season, we cancel programs if the air quality index is over 101 AQI or deemed unhealthy for sensitive groups. If your program is canceled, you will be contacted on the phone number provided during online registration.

Yes, our volunteer programs count toward community service hours, whether school or court mandated. Each program counts for three hours, and field staff can provide and/or sign forms on the day of the event at the end of the program. There is also an option to volunteer with us virtually. Contact Education Program & Content Manager, Charlie Onorati at gonorati@savesfbay.org.

Our habitat restoration team is committed to making our work accesible to anyone that wants to help. Contact us in advance of your program at bayevents@savesfbay.org and we will work with you to ensure accessibility needs are met.