California Coastal Commission

QUESTION: How many people have participated in Whale Tail funded programs since the launch of the original plate in 1988?

ANSWER: 2.1 million!

Read below about one example of some children who were able to learn about coastal ecosystems first-hand thanks to California drivers who purchased WHALE TAIL^® license plates. For more examples of projects funded by the WHALE TAIL^® Grants Program, please visit the website.

Children's Nature Institute Whale Tail Summer Camp

This past August, Children's Nature Institute in Los Angeles hosted a "Whale Tail Summer Camp" providing urban children and their families with five days of ocean-themed, hands-on activities. They toured the Ecosystems exhibit at the California Science Center, where they also talked with a scientist and viewed a kelp forest dive show; learned about habitats, food webs, watersheds, and ocean pollution; studied tides, salt water, and tidepool adaptations; mapped a local storm drain; and visited Malibu Lagoon State Beach.

This program offered science education, experiences in nature, and the concept of ocean stewardship to at-risk children and parents, primarily from Spanish-speaking families. For more information about Children's Nature Institute, please visit www.cni-kids.org.