Currently a senior at UCSC studying marine biology, Meg DeCoite is thrilled to come onboard as CWC’s After-School Educator leading the Watershed Rangers programs at Westlake and DeLaveaga elementary schools. This environmental education program connects, inspires and empowers Santa Cruz County youth to explore and protect our local watersheds. Meg and her after-school participants will engage in hands-on exploration of the San Lorenzo River and take direct action to support the health of the river and the broader Santa Cruz community.
Meg shares,” Childhood is a pivotal time in life when it is imperative to foster a relationship with the earth. For myself, these childhood connections to nature grew into my deep passion for the ocean and all ecosystems.”
Meg’s interests include education, environmental justice, and all things aquatic. She grew up on a farm along the Sonoma Coast and frequently visited her family in Hawaii. The combination of these two cultural influences sparked her deep love and commitment for the ocean and eventually led to a role as an education intern for O’Neill Sea Odyssey.
Meg’s previous education experience also includes teaching youth in Chile, Mexico and Northern California about important environmental topics such as the reduction of plastic pollution and the impact humans have on the marine environment. She aims to use the experiences and perspectives she has gained from these places to connect and create community through the environment. She is excited to learn and grow with CWC through her contracted role until May, and then we cannot wait to see what she’ll take on next! Meg is just beginning a fruitful and long career in environmental education, and she hopes to motivate and inspire many future scientists along the way. Get to know Meg and send her an email to mdecoite@coastal-watershed.org