Another successful estuary celebration

Each year during the third week of September, we celebrate our estuaries, bays, and coasts during National Estuaries Week. From September 14-21, organizations across the country highlighted the importance of our estuaries through social media, clean-up events, and educational opportunities! Estuaries Week is a chance for everyone to get involved and to discover the estuary in their backyard!

#EstuariesWeek took over social media, creating a conversation about our estuaries stretching from Seattle to Cape Cod, San Francisco to Houston, and everywhere in between. On Twitter we saw nearly 2,000 mentions of #EstuariesWeek alone. Some of the highlights include:

Events were held across the country by organizations both big and small. On our events map, 62 events held throughout the week brought in more than 8,000 volunteers. The Partnership for the Delaware Estuary had volunteers bag oyster shells to for their return to the water! In Sarasota County, Florida, a volunteer paddle cleanup collected plastics and other debris from the Phillippi Creek.

In Washington, DC, RAE and its partners, the Association of National Estuary Programs (ANEP) and the National Estuarine Research Reserve Association (NERRA), hosted the annual National Estuaries Week Hill Expo. Congressman Bill Posey (FL), co-chair of the Congressional Estuary Caucus, kicked-off the event with opening remarks. Staffers from coastal constituencies were able to mingle with agency representatives from NOAA, USFWS Coastal Program, USDA NRCS, and EPA.

Nothing quite showcases our estuaries better than pictures, and Estuaries Week 2019 did not disappoint! Beautiful photos and stories were shared across Instagram as well throughout the week. In fact, our community shared more than 200 posts showcasing their Estuaries Week activities! The slider below shows just a few of the highlights.