Hello everyone, and welcome back to the festivalPass Stories podcast. We have a jam-packed episode for you this week as Pat interviews two special guests. It’s our pleasure to introduce the Communications Director and Development Coordinator (respectively), Caine O’Rear and Cece Pless of Mobile Baykeeper.

Mobile Baykeeper is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to protecting clean water, air, and keeping the community and environment of Mobile Bay Watershed and Coastal Alabama safe and healthy. Acknowledged as “North America’s Amazon,” The Mobile-Tensaw Delta in Alabama is known for its diversity in it’s ecosystems; also stretching to parts of Georgia, Tennessee, and Mississippi. Formed in 1997 (then West Bay Watch), Mobile Baykeeper is not just about their in-house team doing great work for the environment, but it’s also about the efforts of thousands of volunteers and citizens over the years.

Our guests can certainly speak to the good deeds of the Baykeeper’s members. Caine is a native of Mobile and a bit of an outdoorsman himself. As a former editor-in-chief of American Songwriter Magazine, Caine is instrumental in being the bridge between the members of Mobile Baykeeper, and the public. Born in Birmingham, Alabama, Cece started as an intern at Mobile Baykeeper after studying “the sustainability of international fisheries. Now, she helps the cause by recruiting sponsors and leading volunteering and fundraising events.

Speaking of festivities, Mobile Baykeeper is recognized for its entertainment, as well as being hands-on in helping the environment. This is Festival Pass after all, and Baykeeper knows how to throw a lively event. Some of their annual events include Bay Bites (a food truck festival), Bay Inspiration (a showcase of the Baykeeper mission), and Bay Bash (a gala for their biggest sponsors and supporters). The pandemic has turned these events virtual, but we look forward to them returning live in the future.

Caine and Cece explain how we all can individually do our part to help the environment, and the Mobile Baykeeper website includes an abundance of educational tools for those watching who want to get more involved in helping the planet. Make sure to purchase tickets for their upcoming events while they’re still available, and assist the organization through donations.

“We’re helping these businesses but they’re making the switch to more eco-friendly material from single-use plastic. What we’re trying to do is offset some of that cost by giving them a lot of P.R…and generate some passive-aggressive peer pressure for other businesses in downtown Mobile to also make the switch.” - Caine O’Rear (Mobile Baykeeper)

Catch the interview on Festival Pass Stories! https://festivalpass.com/stories

You can find Caine and Cece on:

Mobile Baykeeper’s Website- https://www.mobilebaykeeper.org

LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/company/mobile-baykeeper/

Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/mobilebaykeeper/

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/MobileBaykeeper/

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