Q: How and when did your Student Club form?
Surfrider at the University of Miami began in 2014, long before I arrived as a student. I first joined my freshman year, in 2021, as a member and absolutely loved the atmosphere and mission of the club. I became President of the club for my sophomore and junior years, and recently stepped down to become a supporting executive board member for my senior year.
Q: What drew you to UM's Surfrider Student Club?
I initially joined the Surfrider Student Club at UM to meet others who shared my affinity for enjoying and protecting the ocean. As someone who grew up around the ocean and is now studying Oceanography, it was important to me to find a group of people who shared my desire to protect our beaches and ocean in my new environment at college. I joined hoping to learn to surf, explore Miami, and give back to my community in a way that felt true to me. I could not be happier by how it worked out!
Q: What are some environmental issues that are affecting your local community?
A few of the main environmental issues affecting the Miami area are plastic pollution and water quality. The Surfrider club at UM hosts regular beach cleanups to combat pollution, and the Miami Surfrider chapter conducts water quality testing to combat issues arising from the poor plumbing infrastructure in South Florida.
Awareness is also a huge issue in Miami. For a city so connected to the ocean, not many students at UM, or Miami residents in general, have even heard of Surfrider. My club works to collaborate with other student and community organizations to host events across the city to raise awareness and, in true Surfrider spirit, to cultivate a love for the ocean.
On a larger scale, coral health and sea level rise are some of the city’s bigger concerns. I hope that the efforts of Surfrider and other organizations help to mitigate some of the stressors to these effects of climate change.
Q: What Surfrider projects has your club worked on?
Besides engaging in regular beach cleanups, surf trips, and special events, my club has also participated in a variety of Surfrider-sponsored projects including the 'No Solo' campaign and Hill Day.
Last semester, Surfrider sent us a shipment of metal cups to replace plastic cups, which we have been using at all our club events and encouraging fraternities and sororities on campus to do the same. For last year’s Hill Day, one of the club’s Vice Presidents and I had the opportunity to speak to Florida representatives on key issues of pollution, beach access, and more. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that made both of us feel that we were making a large-scale contribution to Surfrider’s national efforts.
In the future, we are looking to possibly create an Ocean Friendly Garden or help start an Ocean Friendly Restaurant on campus or in the surrounding area, and we hope to have members of the club participate in Hill Day again.
Q: Are there any specific projects that your club has worked on which benefited your community?
Last spring, UM Surfrider hosted a large-scale beach/park cleanup event in honor of Earth Day. We collaborated with multiple student organizations as well as the Miami Park System to target parks that are frequently overlooked by beach cleanup organizations. These, coincidentally, are also the areas that need the most help.
Across two sites and in just two hours, we removed 330 pounds of trash out of a large area of mangrove trees, which are an integral part of the South Florida ecosystem. The park system expressed a lot of gratitude for our efforts, and we plan to make the event an annual occurrence.
Q: What has been the highlight of your Surfrider experience?
Watching and contributing to the club's growth over the past three years as a member, President, and executive board member. The club went from being relatively unknown to a thriving campus community in the Surfrider club and chapter network.
We started hosting trips for environmental education, movie nights for awareness, and regular surf trips and beach cleanups. Additionally, we have joined Surfrider-sponsored events like Hill Day, the No Solo campaign, FL/Puerto Rico Chapter Conferences, and are looking forward to the 40th Anniversary Conference in Long Beach, CA, this month.
It has been an honor helping to cultivate this community and being a part of Surfrider for my entire college career. The people who ran the club before me helped me to fall in love with it, and I hope to pass on the same passion for our ocean and Surfrider to the next set of club leaders.
Q: Do you have any personal experiences or campaigns/issues where the social justice and environmental movements have intersected?
Last fall, UM Surfrider hosted a movie showing of the film Havana Libre at our on-campus theater in collaboration with the Federation of Cuban Students (FEC). The movie highlights the Cuban surfing community and their struggles to get surfing recognized as a legal sport and recreational activity amidst Cuba’s chaotic and strict political environment.
We held a vendor village before the showing of the movie where Surfrider, FEC, and other eco-clubs and local organizations (ECO Agency and DebrisFreeOceans) could speak to students about surfing, the Cuban community, and environmental awareness.
The movie itself brought more awareness for the Cuban surfing community to UM students and Miami residents, most of whom had not heard of the issues happening there. In an area of the US so connected to Cuban culture, we hope that our event made a positive contribution to their fight for freedom and equality in sports and the ocean.
Q: What is the most important thing you tell others about Surfrider?
When I tell others about Surfrider, I focus on how close-knit the community is and how much you feel like you are really making a difference when you participate in events. In many organizations, both at university and in the larger world, it can be easy to get lost in the fray.
Surfrider is unique in how open and inclusive HQ staff, the chapters, and the other clubs are. It is a collaborative, family-like environment where anyone who is passionate about Surfrider’s mission can get as involved as they want and really make an impact.
With its grassroots approach, every event or campaign provides a tangible result. Whether you are participating in a beach cleanup or a restoration event, helping set up an Ocean Friendly Restaurant, or talking to representatives at Hill Day, you are accomplishing something real and getting a win for ocean conservation. It’s the best feeling!
Q: Why is being a part of the Surfrider ocean conservation community important to your club?
Our involvement allows us to collaborate with other chapters, gain advice and ideas, and expand our reach for a greater overall impact in protecting our ocean, waves, and beaches. Starting or running any kind of club or organization can be a daunting venture, but Surfrider has a strong, tight-knit network that supports you and offers a lot of unique and interesting opportunities. I find that our club has a better structure than a lot of other clubs at UM for that reason.
Q: Thanks so much Alexandra! Is there anything else you would like to add?
I am so glad that I joined Surfrider my freshman year and had the opportunity to lead my club for two years. I have met so many incredible people through the Surfrider network and participated in a variety of interesting, fun, and impactful events. My passion for the ocean and ocean conservation has increased so much. Even though I am graduating this coming spring, I can’t imagine my life without Surfrider. Once you join, you join for life! I am looking forward to finding new ways to get involved and continuing my relationship with this incredible organization
