How Koala Eco’s support of Critter Scholars is helping inspire our next-gen conservationists

Making waves in the Bay 

The expression on these kids’ faces says it all. Pride. Confidence. Joy. 

They’re out on a boat in the middle of the Bay Area, looking for whales and dolphins, and learning about the marine environment with the help of experienced naturalists, thanks to the Oceanic Society’s Critter Scholars program. 

The program targets students from low income and marginalised communities, and for two years Koala Eco’s support has been paying for the kids to experience the transformative power of ocean encounters. 

During 2024 Koala Eco and Critter Scholars took 200 students and 36 teachers from five schools on voyages around the Bay Area. Out of these students

•    80% experienced the ocean on a boat for the first time
•    94% said they’d learned something new about the ocean 
•    88% wanted to learn more about marine life and marine science
•    92% improved their understanding of how to take care of the environment in their daily life
•    100% made individual pledges to support environmental conservation in their communities  

Significantly, 77% of the students showed increased interest in environmental career paths and living a more environmentally friendly lifestyle as a result of their experience. 

To date, Koala Eco’s partnership with Critter Scholars has enabled 326 kids to go out on nine trips. We hope our support is helping to create passionate new champions for the environment, though most of the credit for this has to go to the whales and the dolphins!