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SAN FRANCISCO – The Boating Clean & Green Campaign will train volunteers Saturday, May 31 to become “Dockwalkers,” individuals who promote environmentally-sound boating throughout California’s marina communities. The training will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Humboldt Yacht Club in Eureka.

Dockwalkers will be trained to engage members of the public and the boating community in adopting clean boating practices. Once training is complete, these volunteers don their official “Dockwalker” hats and conduct face-to-face boater education while visiting marinas, boat launch ramps, boat shows and special events.

Training is free and Dockwalking is fantastic way to interact with boaters to help keep California’s marinas, waterways, and ocean clean and healthy. The training provides an overview of environmentally-sound boating practices, information about how to conduct Dockwalking, educational materials that Dockwalkers will distribute including boater kits, a video about clean boating in California and baseball caps. In the last five years, more than 500 Dockwalkers have distributed over 60,000 boater kits statewide. Hours spent training or educating the public qualify as community service.

The Boating Clean & Green Campaign is an education and outreach program conducted through the California Department of Boating and Waterways and California Coastal Commission. The program promotes environmentally-sound boating practices to marine business and boaters. Other partners in the Eureka Dockwalker training include the Department of Fish and Game, the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and the Humboldt Baykeeper.

For more information about the Dockwalker program, and to register for training, please visit www.coast4u.org (Click on Boating Clean and Green), or contact Vivian Matuk at (415) 904-6905 or vmatuk@coastal.ca.gov.

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