August was hot for Surfrider in California! From beach cleanups to climate action to a bike tour to a ban on butts and much more, Surfrider Chapters were busy protecting the coast.
Surfrider is part of the Don’t Enable Sable coalition of organizations working to stop the restart of the oil pipeline in Santa Barbara County that spilled in 2015. Check out the latest update with info on how you can help by calling Gov. Newsom and the CA State Parks Director.
Surfrider launched a Climate Action Program in 2024 and the Ventura County Chapter was one of the first in the nation to participate by planning a dune restoration project in Port Hueneme. You can read all about it in this Ventura Climate Action Spotlight.
Capitola votes to Ban The Butt! On August 28, Capitola City Council unanimously voted to ban the retail sales of tobacco products with a plastic tip or filter. A second vote in September to confirm the ordinance is expected to pass, also. This is expected to be the third jurisdiction in Santa Cruz County to pass the same ordinance in an effort to essentially have a countywide ordinance for consistency and maximum litter reduction. The Santa Cruz Chapter has been in the coalition of groups working on this campaign for 5+ years.
The Santa Cruz Chapter Blue Water Task Force is back in action! After being dormant for a couple of years, a group of new volunteers worked together over six months to restart the water quality testing program. Click here to read about it.
The San Francisco Chapter hosted a Westside Sewer Bike Tour with Sierra Club, led by coastal experts Greg Braswell, Bob Battalio, and Chase Davenport. Led by coastal experts, this ride explored San Francisco’s westside sewer system and its impact on our beaches, waterways, and communities. They covered critical challenges like stormwater management, coastal erosion, and sea level rise and solutions for a healthier urban environment and ocean. (Group photo at top.)
Surfrider’s annual Chapter Membership Drive ran in July and August. It’s a friendly competition between chapters for bragging rights while we aim to sign up more supporters to help protect the coast. Some highlights included a Monterey beach bonfire, and hanging out with the North OC Chapter at the US Open. Stay tuned for the final results!
Tis the season… for seed collecting! The North OC chapter hosted a special Ocean Friendly Gardening workshop where volunteers were taught how to collect native seeds before tending to the thriving garden at Irby Park in Huntington Beach.
The San Diego County chapter hosted a policy-focused open house. The chapter’s policy coordinator gave a “Beaches 101” presentation that broke down what a beach really is, how we protect them, the local threats they face, and most importantly, how you play a role in preserving access for all.
Environmentalism and art collided at the Patagonia Film Fest, all proceeds of which were donated to the Los Angeles Chapter. The event hosted 300 community members and showed 14 amazing short films centered around water.
August was a busy month for beach cleanups as the weather finally warmed up at the coast and people flocked to the sand. Here are a few highlights: Ventura 8/9 and 8/23, Santa Cruz 8/1 and 8/9, while San Mateo continued their monthly beach cleanups, and San Francisco hosted a Cleanup with Every Man Jack
Quick hits across the state:
A Surfrider Santa Barbara Executive Committee member participated at the Green California Advocacy Day in Sacramento.
The Surfrider Santa Cruz Chapter organized a recycling center tour.
The Humboldt Chapter removed invasive species during a dune restoration event at Lanphere Dunes.
The Sonoma Coast Chapter kept plastic off of our beaches and out of the ocean with the Hold Onto Your Butts program.
The San Francisco Chapter had their Monthly Chapter Meeting hosted by City Surf Project.
The San Mateo Chapter tabled and held a beach clean up at the World Dog Surf Championships in Pacifica. They also gave a presentation to 200+ mothers and daughters at the National Charity League Orchard Valley Chapter kickoff meeting.