In 1972, when awareness of threats to the San Francisco Bay ecosystem began to grow, a group of women concerned about preserving estuary for future generations created a small, hands-on program for local children , including a field trip to the Bay so they could experience it, know it, enjoy it, and grow to take care of it. This was the birth of the Environmental Volunteers. Since then, more than 300,000 children and adults have explored ecosystems with the Environmental Volunteers.