Greetings Oceanside Beach Restoration Advocates,

Wishing you all Happy Holidays from the Save Oceanside Sand Team. As we close out 2024, we want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to all of you who have supported Save Oceanside Sand this year. It truly takes a community to affect change and SOS is so lucky to have support from you all. From your generous donations of time and resources, to attending community meetings, your commitment fuels our efforts to continue advocacy for restoring and protecting Oceanside’s beaches. Together, we’re making strides in building a more resilient coastline.

This year has been filled with challenges and significant milestones in our journey towards restoring our beaches. A few updates follow this note.   

Stay with us on this journey as your unwavering support has made it all possible. Whether you’ve volunteered at our events, participated in community science initiatives, or simply shared our mission with friends and family, you continue to make an impact. Thank you for being an integral part of our journey to safeguard Oceanside’s beautiful shoreline for generations to come. We look forward to achieving even greater milestones together in 2025

Sending you all wishes for a healthy and happy New Year!

Yours in community,

Bob Ashton

President SOS

~ ~ SAVE OCEANSIDE SAND NEWS ~ ~

SOS Community Updates: Building Momentum for Coastal Resilience

Our October 22nd community meeting at "The Vault" in Oceanside highlighted key achievements and progress:

• Student Intern Program: In August, we concluded our second SOS Student Intern Program, mentoring six more students from Oceanside and El Camino High Schools in coastal science and community engagement.

• Community Engagement: September marked successful outreach at the SuperGirl Surf Pro and a memorable dinner fundraiser at St. Malo, led by Marne Velasquez and Linda Dean Meyerson, raising over $8,000.

• US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) San Diego County (Oceanside) Mitigation Study: Study was briefed in September, study is in final phases. Learn more about the San Diego County (Oceanside) Mitigation Study.

• Grant Awarded: SOS received a $12,000 County Supervisor community services grant.  This grant funded a second set of advanced data collection gear to expand our community science initiatives.   

• Re:Beach Analysis Progress: The siting analysis neared completion, with recommendations presented to the Oceanside City Council in November.

• Guest Speaker: Chris Webb provided an insightful overview of SANDBAG’s shoreline retention strategies. These updates reinforce our commitment to advancing evidence-based solutions for our coastline.

Stay tuned for the announcement of our next community meeting in the New Year at "The Vault," where we’ll continue the conversation on protecting Oceanside’s coastline.

(ABOVE: Coastal Scientist, Chris Web, presenting an informative overview of SANDAG shoreline restoration strategies along with some history of our shoreline conditions)

Oceanside City Council Approves Re:Beach Pilot Project

On November 20, the Oceanside City Council unanimously approved the location for the Re:Beach pilot project. This initiative is a significant step toward addressing sand erosion and enhancing the city’s coastal resilience. The pilot project will focus on restoring and retaining sand along Oceanside’s beaches using innovative reef-based strategies.

This decision reflects years of community advocacy and expert analysis. With the pilot project moving forward, Oceanside is leading the charge for other coastal cities, developing solutions to our coastal restoration challenges.  SOS is proud to support this transformative effort and looks forward to contributing to its success.

Learn more via RE:BEACH Website.

Engaging the Community: SOS at the Chamber of Commerce Senior Expo - Expanding Education and Outreach

On October 10, SOS participated in the Chamber of Commerce Senior Expo at the El Corazon Senior Center. Our volunteers connected with residents eager to learn about our mission and the Re:Beach project. Key conversations with Mayor Esther Sanchez, Council Members Eric Joyce and Rick Robinson, and State Assembly Representative Lori Davies highlighted the importance of collaboration in tackling Oceanside’s sand issues. Thank you to everyone who visited our booth and shared in our vision for a sustainable coastline!

(BELOW: Board member Steve Maschue & SOS Pop up Chairman Dirk Ackema)

Quick Recap of 2024 Accomplishments:

• Student Intern Program: Six students gained hands-on experience in coastal science and advocacy.  2nd year of this ongoing 

• Student Intern Program: Six students gained hands-on experience in coastal science and advocacy.  2nd year of this ongoing 

• City Budget success: City established a continuous budget item for beach preservation

• Expanded Community Science program: Obtained a county grant to fund a second data collection system

• Outreach Events: Weekly summer Pop-ups, SuperGirl Surf Pro, Pride by the Beach and the Chamber of Commerce Senior Expo

• Re:Beach Progress: Achieved two major milestones with City Council unanimous approval of the winning design and pilot project location

• Measure X:  Added beach and habitat restoration as items that can be included funding from measure X funds

Your Support Makes a Difference

As we look toward 2025, your generosity is more vital than ever. SOS relies on donations to continue advocating for effective, evidence-based solutions to protect our beaches. Please consider making a year-end contribution to support our mission. Every dollar helps us move closer to a sustainable future for Oceanside’s coastline.   

We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to all of our donors who have made our progress possible this year. Your financial contributions have allowed us to expand our citizen science initiatives, secure critical grant funding, and support groundbreaking projects like Re:Beach. You are the backbone of our mission, and we couldn’t do this without you.

Your donation supports:

• Recurring operational costs as well as a small but growing staff to increase capacity and SOS effectiveness

• Community outreach and education programs - student intern program

• Expanding Community Science project

• Advocacy for sustainable, nature-based solutions to coastal erosion at the city, county and state levels

• The continued fight to preserve Oceanside’s beaches for future generations

Please join us in making an impact by contributing today. Every dollar makes a difference in the fight to protect our coastline.

Donate or Join us today to learn more about how you can get involved.

Thank you for standing with us in the journey to save Oceanside’s sand. Here’s to a prosperous and resilient 2025.