The Inland Ocean Coalition

Want to know more about the Inland Ocean Coalition?

We’re here to toot their horn and highlight some of the important work they are doing.

The Inland Ocean Coalition is based in Boulder, CO (our hometown). It was founded in 2011 out of a desire to foster inland ocean focus. Vicki Nichols Goldstein, the founder, saw value in inspiring and empowering Colorado citizens to promote the health of our ocean through education and community involvement, despite distance from it.

Since being founded, IOC has held three major regional conferences on ocean protection and has sponsored a monthly Blue Drinks event to highlight both the problems we are facing and some solutions to combat them. They have consistently opened new chapters across the country to inspire this awareness nationwide regardless of vicinity to the ocean.

Why does this matter?

The health of our ocean is in crisis. Since these problems are human-caused, we as humans have the answers and knowledge to make a positive change. There are many threats that our oceans face like climate change, overfishing, pollution, offshore oil development, the weakening of healthy fisheries, and more.

IOC works on federal policy and legislation to build relationships with policymakers so they can impact change on a larger scale. You can make a difference regardless of where you live. Even if you don’t live by the ocean, you may live by a watershed. A watershed is an area of land containing streams and rivers that all drain into a single body of water, like a lake or the ocean. Since watersheds can often lead into the ocean, the state of those watersheds is not only important for the individuals living near it but also for the water sources that it eventually touches.

We are seeing an increase in pollutants in these watersheds that are then finding their way into the ocean. Microplastics is increasingly becoming a problem, so taking some time to be mindful of how the items we use may end up in unwanted places can make a huge impact. You can make a difference by opting into more zero waste options, by choosing plastic alternatives, and by removing trash in your community through creek and river cleanups.

Want to help us support IOC?

We host a weekly Emu-Bob (or our version of a creek cleanup). You can join us near or far, and take some time to clean up your watershed.

You can also buy either our 32 oz or 48 oz Phil Lewis | IOC Bottles, and all the proceeds from the bottle will be donated to IOC. Bonus, you’ll be opting out of single use plastic water bottles, which are one of the biggest pollutants found on our beaches!

And of course, you can donate directly to IOC here. There are many ways you can make a difference, and it all starts with having awareness.

As someone once told me, “We don’t just need one person making a huge change, we need a lot of people making little changes.” Because, it adds up!

So thank you for your support and for your awareness. We are able to make a difference with your support, and we greatly appreciate it!