Surfers founded the Surfrider Foundation, but we are not just surfers.

The Surfrider Foundation is a grassroots, non-profit environmental organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world's oceans, waves, and beaches for all people, through conservation, activism, research, and education.

In 1984, a handful of members of the surfing community concerned with the condition of beaches and water quality came together to form the Surfrider Foundation. Today, the Surfrider Foundation is represented by over 60,000 members and 80 chapters in the U.S., Australia, Japan, Europe, and Brazil. And while surfers founded the Surfrider Foundation, we are not just surfers. Skateboarders, snowboarders, kayakers, rock climbers, hikers, sky divers, mountain bikers...are all members of the diverse population that is the Surfrider Foundation.


For every reason why we love the beach, there is cause to protect it!

The Washington, DC Chapter represents residents from the greater Washington, DC, area, including western Maryland and Virginia. It naturally draws coastal transplants who have found themselves landlocked, as well as river-, bay-, and snow-oriented natives. Most importantly, we realize that despite physically being hours from the nearest beach, our actions locally can significantly affect the health of the coast, the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers, the Chesapeake Bay, and the rest of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed!

The DC Chapter strives to affect coastal water quality through upstream improvements, achieved through hands-on projects, education programs, and advocacy campaigns. Our long-term guiding goal is to make the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers swimmable.


Your DC Chapter Officers (as of Oct 09):

Chapter Chair: Julie Lawson
Vice Chair: John 'JD' Krohn
Secretary: Jason Rubin
Treasurer: Michael Childs
Membership Coordinator: Beth Gunter
Education Coordinator: Megan Kelley
River Coordinator: Cheryl Norcross

You can contact us by e-mailing: dcchapter@surfrider.org

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For media inquires, contact Julie Lawson at julie@com-vis.com.

Surfrider does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, sex, or national origin for any reason. Surfrider promotes the healthy enjoyment of the coastal environment for all people.