Stoked to protect Washington's ocean, waves, and beaches, for all people!
Happy Plastic Free July!
We hope you've all been able to get outside and enjoy an incredible (and blissfully smoke-free so far) Pacific Northwest summer. Chapters have been busy with tons of cleanups, paddles, fundraisers, and more. So grab a reusable mug, fill it with a refreshing beverage, and read on to learn about our big July 5th cleanup, reports back from International Surfing Day, and updates to our Olympic Coast Marine Sanctuary, as well as a story about using art to communicate climate change.
~ Liz Schotman, Washington Regional Manager
Pete Steelquist, Washington Policy Manager
The Morning After the Mess
While 'success' doesn't feel like quite the right word to describe our July 5th cleanup given the obscene amount of smoldering garbage left behind on our beaches, it's still inspiring to see thousands of people show up on the morning after the mess to remove toxic trash before it's washed out to sea! While we don't have the totals yet for the amount of trash we collected, it's likely to be well over 40,000 lbs. Shout out to all the volunteers, organizations, groups, State Parks staff, cities, counties, and tribes that pitched in to keep our beaches looking beautiful. To read more about this effort, check out our recent blog post.
International Surfing Day (ISD) was established by Surfrider in 2005 to raise awareness and support for our coastal environments through a collective love of surfing. Now in its 19th year, ISD has grown into the largest global activation for Surfrider each year, with more than 200 events taking place worldwide in 2022. Here in Washington, our chapters have been busy with cleanups, fundraisers, paddle-outs, and more! The OPC hosted a wildly successful fundraiser at In Bloom Lavender Farms, raising over $11,000 that will directly fund Sanicans at popular beach access sites, student scholarships, cleanups, and more. The event featured local music, fantastic food trucks, a beer garden, family fun, and an auction featuring lib tech and Bauer surfboards, wetsuits, and dozens of other prizes. The Northwest Straits Chapter celebrated ISD by cleaning up Marine Park, then heading to K2 for a screening of Camel Finds Water - shout out to Kulshan Brewing and Wildcat Cove Paddle for sponsoring this great event. The Seattle Chapter hosted their third Clean & Cruise at Green Lake, rounding out the morning with some relaxing yoga. The Olympia and South Sound Chapters have also been killing it this summer, tabling at local events, like Olympia's Pride Fest and Tacoma's Ocean Fest, and hosting butt pickups and educational beach walks.
There’s beauty in everything. Even climate change. That was one of the main takeaways from my recent participation in the Port Angeles Fine Arts Center’s public engagement on their recent installation “Terminus: Paying Tribute to Olympic’s Melting Glaciers Through Art and Education.” The exhibit is full of stunning art that depicts the terrifying loss of our glaciers in a beautiful and inspiring way. I had the honor of serving on a panel alongside legendary scientists Bill Baccus and Ian Miller. They presented the latest research on the connection between our melting glaciers and the health and resilience of our coasts. To see some of the amazing art installations, and learn more, check out our blog post below.
Surfrider Washington has been actively working to strengthen the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary (OCNMS) during their 10-year review and update. Earlier this year, NOAA released its decadal Condition Report and invited input from the public. The Surfrider Foundation submitted a letter with our recommendations for the updated management plan that emphasized the need for science-based protections for sanctuary species, habitats, and ecological functions, and encouraging sustainable human uses. The OCNMS is home to some of the Pacific Northwest’s most productive waters. The updated plan must address the threats of climate change, harmful resource extraction, invasive species, hazardous vessel traffic, and water, plastic, and noise pollution. As a member of the OCNMS Sanctuary Advisory Council, Surfrider has an important seat at the table to advocate for our members and their priorities. We will continue to support efforts to strengthen the Sanctuary program and its mission at the local and federal levels, including advocating for federal funding to support our Sanctuaries and their staff.
New OASeS website launch
The Ocean Acidification Sentinel Site (OASeS) on the Olympic Coast focuses on acidification-related science, with the goal of informing resource managers and coastal communities about trends in water chemistry and hypoxia, as well as the impacts these changes will have on Washington's marine resources, coastal cultures, communities, and economies. Last year I had the privilege of presenting at the OASeS Ocean Acidification Symposium, where researchers presented the latest science on ocean acidification off our coasts, and tribal leaders shared stories of the changes they've seen and the impacts these changes are having. Building on this collaborative effort, we're stoked to see OASeS launch its new website, providing information on changing ocean conditions on the Olympic Coast. The activities of the sentinel site are guided by the OASeS Steering Committee, which is composed of 20 members, including the Coastal Treaty Tribes, federal and state agencies, and non-governmental organizations. OASeS is recruiting two Community-at-large seats to serve for a two-year term on the OASeS Steering Committee to support these efforts. Applications are due by August 25, 2023. More information on how to apply can be found in this announcement.