“Stella,” Baby Gray Whale Statuettes Set to Flood Orange County in Celebration of Earth Month

Fountain Valley, CA (February 28, 2022) – This April, a wave of 40 illustrated, eight-foot-long baby gray whale statuettes will spill across Orange County in celebration of Earth Month. As part of a larger, inaugural “Streams of Hope” public awareness and action campaign, statuettes, affectionately known as “Stella,” will be decorated by local Orange County artists to raise awareness about pollution prevention and good water stewardship. The first Stella statuette will be unveiled at the Dana Point Festival of Whales on March 5, at 11:30 a.m.

The campaign is an innovative plan conceived by Orange County’s non-profit, the Wyland Foundation, and is in partnership with the Municipal Water District of Orange County (MWDOC), Orange County Conservation Corps, and the County of Orange. The campaign is supported and sponsored by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the Orange County Department of Education’s Inside the Outdoors, KCAL9/CBS2, and participating water providers throughout the county.

“Water pollution affects us all,” says MWDOC General Manager Rob Hunter. “Every piece of trash or harmful chemical that ends up in our waterways encroaches on the fragile ecosystems that support healthy communities. This campaign serves as a reminder that we can all do our part to protect and preserve our natural resources through education, good environmental stewardship, and an action plan.”

In addition to the public art display, the campaign includes community cleanup events throughout the month of April, leading up to Earth Day on April 22. The campaign website, www.mystreamsofhope.com, is under construction and hosts a wealth of information and hands-on activities, where visitors can learn more about getting started and taking action. The website will include a calendar of cleanup events as they are scheduled, and a gallery of completed Stella statuettes with a map of where to find them.

The landmark Streams of Hope campaign is a month-long event that runs from April 1-30 and is the perfect companion to local Earth Day celebrations across the county.

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The Municipal Water District of Orange County (MWDOC) is a wholesale water provider and resource planning agency whose efforts focus on sound planning and appropriate investments in water supply development, water use efficiency, public information, legislative advocacy, water education, and emergency preparedness.