Dock Walking

Clean Boating hits the docks!

Mitchell O’Brien, our Clean Marine BC Assistant, dock walks with a Clean Boater Kit at False Creek Fishermen’s Wharf. Photo: Michelle Young.

We’re very excited to have staff and volunteers connecting with boaters where ever they gather. So watch for us walking the docks, at boat shows, boat launches, yacht clubs, and other boating clubs during the boating season.

We’ll be handing out our Clean Boater Kit full of spill supplies, and great clean boater information including our Guide to Clean Boating, and more. We will also be asking boaters about their awareness of important topics like current Southern Resident Killer Whale protection measures affecting boaters, how to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species, and how to report a spill if one happens.

Is this something you’d like to get involved with?

We’re currently looking for volunteers to help! Do you have an interest in boating, and want to help boaters minimize their impact on the waters we all love? Then we have an opportunity for you to become one of GSA’s dock walkers!

Sign up to be a dock walker>

What's a dock walker?

It’s just what it sounds like – you’ll be walking where boaters hang out, including along docks and at marina facilities, sharing our Clean Boater Kits filled with spill supplies and clean boating informational tools. The materials will cover a wide range of clean boating topics, such as the 2023 Southern Resident killer whale protection measures for boaters, preventing and reporting oil spills, where to pump out a boat’s holding tank, how to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species, and much more. By joining us you will be doing some very important work!

Prior to receiving the Clean Boater Kit we have boaters complete our Clean Boating Survey, which helps us gauge boaters’ knowledge and awareness of key best practices to further establish a baseline against which to measure improvements. Last year’s Clean Boater Survey results from June 2022 – March 2023, saw nearly 200 surveys completed which we aim to further increase for this year!

Never done this before? We have you covered as we’re offering supportive training to get you going.

Dock walker training will give you all the information you need: the 101 on clean boating, where and how to connect with boaters, and an introduction to our Clean Boater Kit that you’ll be handing out. We’ll even connect you with a marina, boat launch, boating club or event so you don’t even have to worry about where to go. But if you have some ideas of your own, we welcome them!

Dock walker training sessions will be held online on the evenings of June 21st and June 25th. Sign up today!

Other ways to get involved:

Contact us if you’d like more information, or are interested in having Clean Boater Kits distributed at your club or marina.
Fill out our Clean Boater Survey to get your free Clean Boater Kit mailed to you!
Donate, and your contribution will go towards the cost of our Clean Boater Kits so that we can continue to distribute them to boaters like you.

See you down at the docks!

Our Dock Walking program has been adapted from California State Parks and California Coastal Commission’s Boating Clean and Green Program, and The Bay Foundation.