Get Inspired

To inspire stewardship and curiosity for the natural world through the exploration of science. 

Get Inspired was started in 2009 in an effort to restore the kelp forests of Orange County.  This project, like all our projects, involves the community and students from elementary through community college age. More than 15,000 students have grown animals and kelp in their classrooms and 250 volunteer scuba divers have been involved in our varied projects to restore our coastal species.  We successfully restored the kelp and we are now focused on restoring green abalone, white seabass, and now we have just become the first to raise pismo clams.  Students help rear the abalone and seabass in specially designed classroom nurseries where they make their own seawater and daily test and adjust the water chemistry to maintain the perfect environment for our organisms.  An intensive hands on STEM program, there is no other program like in the country.  Several of our students have published their own scientific research papers with the Academy of Sciences and many have been "Inspired" to study marine sciences in college and have even come back to volunteer as professionals!   In addition to hands on classroom STEM curriculum, we also have taken thousands of students to Yosemite, Channel islands, and Joshua Tree National Parks to study ecology and geology.  These AP Environmental Science students participated in our "Science Expedition" trips to learn field research techniques and also conducted field research projects for their classes. With STEM as our continued focus, we offer Aquaponics programs in schools to give kids a hands on science and experiential learning opportunity.  Students build and  operate a system designed to grow fish and food crops all in one tank system.  The kids learn biology, engineering, chemistry, and ecology applicable for every grade level AND learn how to grow their own food (we believe this is an essential life skill) .  The fish and food crops are harvested and eaten throughout the school year.

We have taught over 15,000 students in Orange County to grow kelp, abalone, seabass and food in their classrooms.This school year, we are educating 1200 students directly in their classrooms through our Ocean Restoration Projects and our Sustainability Projects.  Sixth through twelfth grade students and college students at OCC rare raising green abalone and white sea bass in classroom nurseries which are used to restock coastal kelp forests.  We restored these kelp forests over the last 15 years. Students care for the animals in custom built growing systems while learning all about their ecology and biology.  Our sustainability project allows students to learn to grow their own food using Aquaponics.  In this program, students grow crops and food fish together in the same fish tank.  The fish waste fertilizes the plants.  It is a great hands on science learning tool and introduces students to healthy eating and growing your own food.  This type of farming uses 90% less water than traditional methods.  We also started "KelpFest" in Laguna Beach to educate the public,  with 20 educational and interactive booths and a mission to "foster an appreciation for the kelp forests", each year we had over 2000 in attendance. Get Inspired also conducts  research expeditions to Yosemite, Joshua Tree National Parks, and 5 locations in Orange County, as well as underwater research expeditions to the Channel Islands.  Through these programs students learn to do REAL research.  We have had over 2000 kids participate. Some have gone on to actually publish their research.  Our annual "whale hugging" expedition to Baja California continues to introduce families to the majesty of the gray whale and the ecology of Baja. We have been leading these trips for 8 years. 
We currently have more than 5,000 baby abalone (1cm up to 3" is size) growing in our partner facilities which will be restocked in the ocean along Orange County when they are big enough. The next species we will begin to work on is the Pismo clam. We hope to learn as much as we can about this once plentiful shellfish to also restore along the Orange County coast.

$10,000 for for a Pismo clam Hatchery. $90,000 to support our school programs.

Orange County, CA
We have worked in 52 different schools in Orange County. and have been surveying and restoring the entire 42 mile Orange County Coast since 2009.

Get Inspired's programs have personal meaning to our staff and volunteers and make a direct positive impact on the environment and our communities.  We aim to give people an opportunity to solve problems not just be aware of them. It has been my distinct pleasure to directly teach almost 15,000 students and train so many volunteers. I have seen students go through our programs and become marine biologists themselves. Like Elizabeth who just received her master's degree in phycology ( the study of algae). Now she is trying to get a job in Northern California where they desperately need kelp forest restoration. We started that project because no one else had the expertise. We are do-ers and we are changing the world.

As the President of the board of directors for Get Inspired, I am proud to put my name behind our organization and to be the change I wish to see in the world. We are an organization of do-ers. It has been my pleasure to see kids restoring our coastline, to be the driving force behind the kelp restoration programs of Northern California, to see our baby abalone growing up , soon to be outplanted on our coast, and to see so many people around the world inspired by our little organization and what we can do. Scotland, Australia, Tasmania, Ireland, and New Zealand all have looked to our efforts to help their kelp forests and abalone too!