Activist Spotlight: Eric Leach With the San Diego Chapter

What is your current role with the Surfrider Foundation?

I am a core volunteer with the San Diego Chapter and site captain for the Carlsbad beach cleanup.

When and why did you choose to get involved?

We moved from the Bay Area to San Diego and were looking for our community. My wife and I started joining beach cleanups in the spring of 2023, and started up the Carlsbad beach cleanup in October 2023.

I believe that often it’s the little actions that make the biggest impacts. Climate change is bigger than any one person can solve, and it’s easy to get frustrated or angry when you see trash and plastic on your local beaches. Rather than get upset, I decided it would be easier to just take as much trash off the beach as possible.

The beach and ocean are my happy place and a huge part of how I maintain my mental health. I want the beach to be a safe and healthy environment for everyone to enjoy. My personal philosophy and values are so well matched with Surfrider’s mission that it was a natural fit to contribute to their activist network.

What are some local environmental issues that you have witnessed?

The two biggest issues I’ve come across are microplastics and degraded foam on our beaches as well as coastal erosion.

Over the last two years, we’ve collected thousands of pieces of microplastics and foam and taken hundreds of pounds of trash from Carlsbad’s beaches. There is an amazing community of folks of all ages who come out every month to put a little dent in this huge problem.

My grandparents lived in North San Diego County, and some of the beaches I used to visit as a kid are just gone. The same is true in San Francisco, where I grew up.

Of course, the water quality crisis at the U.S./Mexico border in the Tijuana River Valley is a constant threat to our coastal ecosystems up and down the county.

Photo: Romi Rossel Media

What Surfrider projects have you been involved with? How have these projects impacted your community?

My most active involvement has been with beach cleanups. I think of beach cleanups as “twofers” because we get to pick up trash and make an immediate impact, but also use the data we gather for city, county, state, and federal policy-making, which extends the impact of each cleanup participant far beyond that one day.

I’ve also participated in Surfrider’s annual Hill Day to advocate on behalf of our community with local politicians.

Do you have any personal experiences or campaigns/issues where the social justice and environmental movements have intersected?

I believe they are fundamentally intertwined, particularly because of how climate change disproportionately affects different communities. It’s hard to fight for your rights when you are fighting for your survival. 

Protecting our environment strengthens our communities, and stronger communities have the physical, mental, and emotional resources to fight for justice, diversity, equality, and inclusion. Given the attacks on our communities under the current administration, it’s important to fight this battle on all fronts.

What can Surfrider do to foster an inclusive and welcoming environment?

One of the mantras of our family is to put kindness in your head, in your heart, and in your voice. Public-facing events, such as beach cleanups, are an expression of kindness to ourselves, our communities, and our ecosystem. Before I send volunteers out, I like to remind them that the most important thing about the day is to have fun. If other community members or beach visitors see participants enjoying themselves and enacting kindness, perhaps it will motivate them to participate.

What is the most important thing you tell others about Surfrider?

Surfrider’s community is made up of some of the most amazing people you’ll meet. They are inspiring, selfless, and genuine. No one is participating for personal gain, they are motivated by the desire to help others, and they go out of their way to help you make an impact. Surfrider embodies what is means to have purpose.

What has been the highlight of your Surfrider experience?

There have been several, but watching the Carlsbad beach cleanup gain momentum and seeing the impact we’ve made has been so gratifying. I look forward to the fourth Saturday — it’s become my favorite day of the month.

Of course, meeting all the amazing people in the chapter, forming friendships, and feeling like a part of a meaningful community has been a highlight. I love going to our hangouts and meetups and just spending time with so many cool people.

Thanks so much Eric! Is there anything else you would like to add?

Just a lot of gratitude for Surfrider as an organization and the community that makes it up! Also, feel free to check out my writing on Substack.