In 2019, SOS created and continues to conduct beachside informational pop-ups to provide education and outreach on Saturdays all summer long, and at selected events.  We share updates and information on projects that are happening to restore our beaches, as well as education on how we got here and what can be done.

SOS advocacy led to the City hiring of GHD and the completion in 2021 of Oceanside’s Beach Sand Replenishment and Retention Device Project feasibility study, which identified hybrid sand retention and nourishment solutions.

The SOS Community Science program was established in October 2021, and the monthly collection of scientific data has been ongoing since then. Working with the SCRIPPS Institution of Oceanography, SOS Community Science volunteers conduct monthly beach sand data measurements along our entire Oceanside and North Carlsbad shoreline.   This data is made available to other institutions, coastal engineering firms and the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to better understand the Oceanside shoreline behavior and assist in engineering a solution.

Following advocacy by SOS, the City of Oceanside created a new position in May 2022 and hired its first Coastal Zone Administrator, Jayme Timberlake.

Every summer since June 2022, 6 students are selected to participate in the SOS High School Intern program.  The interns participate in the SOS Beachside Popups and the Community Science program, plus they  learn about coastal processes as they relate to the Oceanside coastal situation. They also have fun representing SOS and marching in the Oceanside Independence Day Parade.

SOS helped message and get the word out to its members and the community to get involved and participate in the community workshops that provided feedback to the design teams in the 2023 RE:BEACH International Design Competition.  Additionally, SOS CEO/President, Bob Ashton, was selected and served as a member of the jury that selected the winning design.

SOS advocacy contributed to the Oceanside City Council’s unanimous approval of the winning RE:BEACH design in January 2024 and its proposed project site in November 2024.

For Oceanside’s FY 2024–25 budget, SOS advocated and worked with the City to establish 3 independent budget line items in the city budget.  In the first year, nearly $900,000 was allocated by the City for beach restoration, including a commitment to recurring funding.

Public outreach efforts by SOS contributed to the passage of the Measure X extension (10 years)  (by Oceanside voters in November 2024.  Additionally,  the measure now includes beach and habitat restoration support and classifies the beach as critical infrastructure.

SANDAG’s Shoreline Preservation Working Group (SPWG) approved RE:BEACH as the region’s sand retention pilot project in June 2025.  While RE:BEACH remains a City of Oceanside project, its selection as the regional pilot secures SANDAG’s support for and advocacy on behalf of RE:BEACH implementation.  Consistent advocacy by SOS, as well as our education and outreach efforts, helped to bring this about.