What is your current role with the Surfrider Foundation?
As of April 2023, I am the Beach Clean Up (BCU) Manager of Surfrider Seattle.
When and why did you choose to get involved?
I first started volunteering with Surfrider Seattle in Fall 2022. I connected with the chapter chair, Drew, for a story I wrote as a student at the University of Washington about surfing and environmental activism in the state. Outside of the story, I was looking for social groups and volunteering opportunities related to surfing, water safety, and conservation work.
How has the increase in single-use plastics on the beach changed in your lifetime?
Through the BCUs, I’ve seen the impact of plastic pollution and trash at our beaches, parks, and waterfronts, especially during high-use months in the spring and summer. Sorting through discarded waste has shown me the importance of public education and initiatives for preventing pollution and overconsumption of things like plastic that will remain on the planet forever.
What Surfrider projects have you been involved with? How have these projects impacted your community?
I have worked on private BCUs for local businesses and corporations like Microsoft and Alaska Airlines. Additionally, I work with our other executive committee members to lead community cleanups during the spring and summer. These projects have connected our chapter with Seattle companies looking to give back to their communities through an active participation in the Surfrider mission. Not only that, but the community cleanups have expanded our reach as a chapter, letting more people know who we are and what our goals are. We’re able to co-host cleanups with local partners who serve the community through environmental activism and education, such as Puget Soundkeeper Alliance.
Do you have any personal experiences or campaigns/issues where the social justice and environmental movements have intersected?
Not yet. But in 2025, one of my goals is to connect my full-time job with the Seattle Clemency Project to our chapter for a series of BCUs that connect formerly incarcerated people and criminal justice organizations/reentry groups with environmental work.
I’m also hoping to branch out of the Seattle area and host cleanups at parks and waterfronts in neighborhoods we haven’t previously connected with. I think it’s important that we expand the BCUs to areas without immediate coastal access who still care about ocean conservation and Surfrider's mission.
What can Surfrider do to foster an inclusive and welcoming environment?
Host meetings and free events in non-urban or less populated areas. Even if it’s outside the Seattle area, we could collaborate with other Washington and Pacific Northwest Surfrider chapters to expand access to environmental education and activism/engagement opportunities at the individual level.
What has been the highlight of your Surfrider experience?
The 2023 Earth Day Community BCU — we had the most volunteers of any event I’ve been a part of. It was a beautiful, sunny day and so many people came out to support our chapter and connect with our executive committee team for future events and volunteering.
What is the most important thing you tell others about Surfrider?
It is a fun and supportive environment that teaches you how to be an activist and outdoor enthusiast. It connects our interests with our impact! Surfrider is a community you can join from anywhere and at any level of knowledge or experience.
Thanks so much Brooke! Is there anything else you would like to add?
I’m also a volunteer with Warm Current, which hosts free summer surf camps for Native youth on the Washington coast. Volunteering with WC and Surfrider Seattle have been pivotal parts of my post-grad life and have truly made it feel like home up here.
Also, I finally learned to surf through these groups — something I never did despite growing up in San Diego! I’m so appreciative of the opportunity to lead BCUs in Seattle and to learn from the other executive committee members. I hope to be with this group for a long time in whatever capacity is most helpful!
