Last month, the Town of Orleans, Massachusetts's Select Board unanimously voted to adopt a Resolution, officially committing the town to becoming the first “Ocean Friendly Community.” It's an exciting milestone, but even more exciting is what it represents: years of local partnerships, volunteer leadership, and a community that's ready to take the next step in protecting the places we all love.
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
One of the coolest parts of this campaign has been seeing so many different groups come together. The Surfrider Cape and Islands Chapter worked alongside CARE for the Cape & Islands and their “Use Less Plastic Coalition” to help local restaurants reduce single-use plastics through Surfrider's Ocean Friendly Restaurants program. Restaurants like The Barley Neck and The Rail have already made the switch to more sustainable alternatives, and more businesses are joining the effort every month.
At the same time, Surfrider has been working with town staff and local leaders to build support for a bigger vision—one that includes Ocean Friendly Restaurants, Ocean Friendly Gardens, community education, local policies, and more.
Because becoming an Ocean Friendly Community isn't about checking a box. It's about creating a culture where protecting clean water and healthy beaches becomes part of everyday life.
What it Means to Be an Ocean Friendly Community
This initiative will be a multi-year effort and will be rolled out in 3 phases:
Phase 1 Highlights:
- Certify 60% of eligible local food service establishments to become Ocean Friendly Restaurants
- Certify 60% of eligible accommodations to become Ocean Friendly Hotels
- Integrate Ocean Friendly Garden standards into their existing Pond Pledge, Pollinator Pathway, and At Home with Nature Programming
- Launch the first publicly accessible Ocean Friendly Garden in New England
Phase 2 Highlights:
- Certify 75% of eligible local food service establishments to become Ocean Friendly Restaurants
- Certify 75% of eligible accommodations to become Ocean Friendly Hotels
- Increase Ocean Friendly Garden participation
- Track reductions in single-use plastics and marine debris trends from cleanups, and litter item categories
Phase 3 Highlights:
- Expand Ocean Friendly Community participation to additional Cape Cod towns
- Develop a formal Ocean Friendly Communities Toolkit
- Launch a regional partnership framework
- Track multi-year trends
What's Next?
Over the coming months, Surfrider will keep working with partners to grow the Ocean Friendly Restaurants program, support new Ocean Friendly initiatives, engage more community members, and help Orleans officially earn its Ocean Friendly Community designation. For more information on how to get involved, visit https://capeandislands.surfrider.org/.
The larger Surfrider grows its network of Ocean Friendly business leaders, the more mainstream the concept of single-use plastic-free becomes.
Isabella joined as the Northeast Regional Manager to lead and grow the chapter network in Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine. She has a bachelor's degree in Communications, Women and Gender Studies, and Journalism from the University of Delaware.
As Ocean Friendly Programs Manager, CJ brings a wealth of experience reducing plastic not just in the environment, but also within the dining and hospitality industries. She has a master’s degree in Development Practice from Emory University with a focus on Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) and Environmental Conservation.