The Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation is currently enjoying the benefits of positive momentum. As continued awareness is raised about our mission and role in lagoon stewardship, we are getting more support from various components of the community.

Celebrity Fishing Event: On May 17 the AHLF held the first known celebrity fishing event in southern California. This unique event provided an unprecedented level of media coverage and exposure for the lagoon. With Caulerpa taxifolia cleared from our lagoon, the fishing event was our way of celebrating a healthy lagoon while also engaging a new group of stakeholders with AHLF: fishermen. When it comes to understanding the lagoon as a marine ecosystem, the local and regional fishermen who benefit from a healthy lagoon cannot be overlooked. The pure joy and energy of the fishermen (and fisher-women and children) was very contagious and evident. Many people expressed amazement at how an event like this had never been staged before and in fact we got input from far and wide (including New York!) expressing full support for our fishing day. The other aspect of this event was the celebrities who came to enjoy Carlsbad. Rounded up by David Mirisch of David Mirisch Productions, we had over a dozen fun-loving celebrities who very much enjoyed their day on our lagoon. It was quite an eye-opener for most as they have driven by the lagoon but never got to experience or enjoy it. Another aspect of the day was to communicate the global precedent we have experienced via our conquest of Caulerpa. These celebrities are very intelligent and aware personalities: they understood very quickly the gravity of this situation and our corresponding success. At the end of the day, all involved felt that the positive momentum affecting our lagoon took a significant step upward and forward.

2nd Annual Lagoon Day: we continue to partner with the City of Carlsbad and our friends at Batiquitos and Buena Vista Lagoons to further the momentum initiated last year to promote community-wide stewardship of our lagoons. This year marks the second anniversary of the formal eradication of Caulerpa taxifolia; when other coastlines in the world have experienced continued Caulerpa growth over the past year with related prohibitions on fishing, swimming and boating, we can not lose sight on how fragile our healthy lagoon is.

Thanks for your continued support of AHLF –

ERIC MUNOZ

President - AHLF

3 July 2008