This week’s Spotlight Profile features the San Mateo chapter of Surfrider. These guys are very active in their area, and Reid kindly took the time to answer our questions.
How long has the San Mateo chapter of Surfrider been around, and can you tell us a bit about what you guys do?
Surfrider was established in 1984...since then the organization has spread to 10 regions in the US, with 81 Chapters and numerous youth clubs and over 50,000 members. Surfrider has also expanded globally with operations in 20 countries. Our mission is protection and enjoyment of the world's ocean, waves and beaches through a powerful grassroots activist network. Locally, the San Mateo Surfrider Chapter has recharged and revamped its programs in the last several years, with significant focus on water quality monitoring of outfalls and beaches near Pillar Point Harbor, beach cleanups on the coastside and bay side and beach access and protection campaigns, including establishing access at Martin's Beach south of Half Moon Bay.
What is the Blue Water Task Force and how can someone get involved?
The Blue Water Task Force is a weekly water quality monitoring program led by a few hardy members of our team in the Pillar Point area. Volunteers are invited to collect samples of stormwater and ocean water to assess bacteria loading, especially after storms when leaking sewer lines or bacteria from pet waste and even wild animal waste can get into the stormwater system which flows into the ocean. Bacteria contamination in tidal waters is a high risk for beachgoers of all walks as well as local wildlife. Folks that are interested in joining this important effort can email Ed Lorenas at surfdoggie@gmail.com.
TruBeach is based in Vancouver, B.C. where we think the waters are pristine but actually there is quite a bit of plastic pollution, especially on remote beaches. What have you found in San Mateo County?
Yes! Plastics of all shapes and sizes are a big, big deal - everywhere... We see a majority of our beach cleanup volunteers toting in buckets and bags of plastic waste. Much of the plastic we see comes from beachgoers leaving bottles and food packaging behind, but a significant portion appears to be coming off the ocean directly. We see lots of individual polystyrene foam balls, which may have spent months or longer on the seas before landing on the beach. We also see lots of small fragments mingled with the seaweed and wood in the high tide line. I think this is VERY common, and yes, once you get down on hands and knees and start looking, you get a feel for how much of this stuff is already floating around in the water. Recent studies in the Bay Area are also showing bad news for microplastics in the form of polyethylene fibers from fleece clothing and importantly major contributions of tire wear in stormwater. These are growing concerns, and it's not clear what the management approach should be, especially once the plastics are in the environment. On the upstream side, of course, source controls, like single use plastic bans, polystyrene bans, etc., as well as efforts to get people out of single occupancy vehicles is a huge focus now.
Ocean conservancy groups are increasingly working together rather than in silos to combat the issues that face our oceans. Do you guys have many partnerships and how are they useful?
Yes, we love partnerships and are continuing to seek new ones! We've had great success working with companies like Patagonia, who has provided us with a mini-grant to fund our beach cleanups and other efforts. Patagonia has also kicked in with employee volunteer days - there staff come help with our events and get paid as though they were in the store. It's amazing! We've also worked with local restaurants to adopt our Ocean Friendly Restaurants guidelines for sustainable business, and to host events and fundraisers. We're grateful to all our program and event partners and hope to grow these relationships. We also have a corporate cleanup program, where businesses sponsor beach cleanups as private teambuilders and give back financially and in volunteer support.
What would you say to someone who wants to make a difference but isn’t sure how to begin?
My best advice is to make connections and just show up. In everything I've done professionally or in pursuit of personal goals and interests, I've really benefited from just wanting to participate. I have found that this outlook paired with a true fascination and/or passion for the work accounts for about 80% of the "work" in making a change.