SUNCOAST CHAPTER
SURFRIDER FOUNDATION
Suncoast Chapter Surfrider Foundation
P. O. Box 22974
St. Petersburg, FL 33742
suncoast
Volunteer Opportunities
Suncoast Chapter proudly upholds Surfriders mission "for the protection and enjoyment of the worlds beaches, waves and oceans."
Surfrider is a grassroots organization, and it takes active volunteers to make a difference. Many hands make light work and volunteers like you make it a sucess! Be active for the good of our very special piece of Florida. Bring your brain, your ideas, your stoke! Water lovers of all ages welcome!
What volunteers have accomplished so far:
You kicked off the year with a fashion show & party, cleaned 5 beaches, tabled 4 events and attended 6 chapter meetings.
Granted permission by the city of Madiera Beach, you began to restore the dunes.
On ISD you paddled out for clean water and mowed on grilled food.
The chapter actively supports the multi-county fertilization ordiance and Surfrider's Rise Above Plastics campaign.
Upham Committe held 5 meetings, and attended events hosted by the county.
And the national Barefoot Wine Rescue the Beach Project awarded the Suncoast Chapter with a tour stop as well as assisted in acheiving the proclamation fo rthe City of St Pete Beach - July 11th is Bare Foot Friendly! To round out the year Suncoast Chapter attended Bullibrigade for the 2nd year in a row as the only food vendor for the event. About 800 VW busses came in from all over the country for this event as part of their southeastern US tour.
Contact your chapter anytime! Just click here
Do what you can: Love what you do!
Keep our coasts clean!
Suncoast Chapter proudly participates in the Adopt-A-Shore Program in Manatee County. As part of the program, the chapter is responsible for cleaning up our adopted section at least three times a year.
In addition to that special beach in Bradenton we aim to touch all our Gulf coast beaches and shorelines with various clean up activities.
Here are some of the beaches in our region we intend to clean up this year.
Upham Beach
Sand Key
Sunset Beach
Madiera Beach St. Pete Beach
Treasure Island Drum Circle
Clearwater Beach
Bradenton Beach
&
Citrus County locations
If you see litter on the beach~pick it up!
If its too much for you to handle~contact Surfrider!
To Volunteer for the beach cleanup committee please click here
Check the forecast & calendar page for cleanup dates and locations.
Plastics Pledge:Rise Above Plastics Campaign
News from Tallahassee! Click here to read the full article.
Gov Crist might support a ban on plastic bags. Being as this is an important issue for Surfrider I propose that we send an email out immediately to all our members asking them to contact Gov Crist and let him know they support a ban on plastic bags.
The Orlando Sentinel is reporting that the Crist Administration is considering a ban on disposable plastic bags. As we all know disposable plastic bags end up in the ocean, rivers, and lakes and harm fish, birds and other wildlife. Please take a moment to email: Gov. Charlie Crist (Charlie.Crist@MyFlorida.com) and let him know you support a ban on plastic bags in the state of Florida.
Read below for a sample letter:
Dear Gov. Crist,
As a water loving surfer I implore you to support a ban on disposable plastic bags in the state of Florida. Please make FL the first state to ban the environmentally damaging bags.
Regards,San Diego Surfrider Rise Above Plastics Video
Is it a lobster? Or is it a balloon?
Photo taken on Daytona Beach, Florida, summer 2008.
All over the globe, people feel the effects of plastic in our ecosystem.
Click on the links below to see two of the many plastics videos available on the web.
Youtube video Plastics, just say no!
Ocean Of Plastic Youtube video on the effects of plastic
There is a section of the Pacific Ocean twice the size of the continental United States called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Within it, 100 million tons of plastic swirl in a vortex of currents. There is so much plastic in the water that it outnumbers zooplankton by six to one!
This plastic ends up in the stomachs of marine birds and animals. In fact, one million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals die globally each year due to ingestion of or entanglement in plastics.
Plastic is forever, with virtually every piece of petroleum based plastic ever made still in existence. That's why it's so critical to our oceans and beaches that we dramatically reduce our use of plastics, especially single-use plastics, starting today.
You can make a difference for our world's oceans, waves and beaches -- pledge to rise above plastics today.
THE PLEDGE
I commit to do my part to rise above plastics and protect the world's oceans, waves and beaches from plastic pollution. I will do this by:
- Using reusable bottles for my water and other drinks. By using just one reusable bottle, I will keep 167 single-use plastic bottles from entering the environment.
- Using cloth bags for groceries and other purchases. For each reusable bag I use, I will save approximately 400 plastics from being used.
- Recycling the plastic bags and bottles I already have. For every thirteen plastic bags I don't use, I will save enough petroleum to drive a car one mile.
What Suncoast is doing
- Reviewing a printed copy of the Plastics Campaign Activitst Tool Kit.
- Developing a simple campaign plan to be presented to the board outlining goals, targets, tactics and persons in charge.
- Forming a plastics campaign committee. To get involved in this new committee please send email to the chapter at suncoast@surfrider.org
Suncoast Surfrider LocalS Campaign
The Suncoast Surfrider Foundation has developed a project called the Surfrider LocalS Campaign. The project aims to promote safer surfing on Gulf Coast beaches, fostering a culture of respect and responsibility and a reduction in the incidence of surf rage. Get educated and stay informed through your local surf shops and local Suncoast Surfrider Foundation.
If you have any comments on beach etiquette and behavior or you want to help join the cause, please forward your comments to suncoast@surfrider.org or contact Thomas at TPaterek@ut.edu.
Suncoast Surfrider asks that all surfers be aware that the waves are for all to share and that a small amount of consideration will go a long way in making our beaches enjoyable for all.
&
If this campaign makes you want to go on a lo cal diet, thats great too.
Blue Water Task Force
Quote from Surfrider National Web Page
Defining Blue Water Task Force
"The Blue Water Task Force (BWTF) is the Surfrider Foundation’s water quality monitoring, education and advocacy program. It is utilized by our Chapters and members to alert citizens and officials in their communities about water quality problems and to work toward solutions. BWTF has demonstrated success by raising public awareness of coastal water pollution levels and precipitating the establishment of state and local government water quality monitoring programs in many communities where the program has been implemented.
BWTF was established with the following objectives:
- to provide concerned citizens with the opportunity for hands-on involvement with an environmental problem solving effort;
- to gather coastal water samples on a regular basis to determine pollution patterns in the near shore environment;
- to raise public awareness regarding the extent and severity of coastal water pollution;
- to use the data collected to bring polluters into compliance; and
- to develop a model program that could influence national legislation and enforcement."
Suncoast Chapter takes its first steps towards Blue Water Task Force
With the talents and ideas of all chapter members we can get this program up and running.
After reading this column, send an email to
suncoast@surfrider.org and be a part
of BWTF!
How everyone can help:
Monitor the Florida Healthy Beaches website for water quality ratings in your area. If a poor rating is present, check that area. Is there a sign stating poor water quality on the identified location? There should be - if after searching the location you don't see one, please take a picture and send it to suncoast@surfrider.org.
Create a Blue Water task force: A committee of folks to steer the program using proven National guidelines. It's all brand new to the chapter so you'll work as a team to secure testing kits and lab space, delegate areas to be tested on the map and folks to collect the samples. Summarize the test results and present them to the chapter. This will help us to educate the public, media or city and county officials. Blue Water Task Force can be formed in any part of the Suncoast territory provided local support of the program exists.
So can you....
- work well with others interested in the same things you are...clean water + healthy beaches?
- donate lab space?
- purchase test kits using available chapter funds?
- collect and transport water samples?
- learn how to test water samples?
- document and report test results?
- talk to others about the results?
- bring your stoke and great ideas?
Then BWTF is right for you!
Suncoast Chapter Surfrider Foundation
P. O. Box 22974
St. Petersburg, FL 33742
suncoast
