We couldn’t be more proud of people in our community doing good to make a difference. That’s exactly why we have partnered with Surfrider Foundation as our seasonal charity for our new membership program. As a seasonal charity, you can use your reward to donate towards the work Surfrider is doing to protect our coasts, shores and oceans. So why Surfrider?

Protecting our coasts + waters

From the waves we all love to surf to the marine life we like to feast on, we love living on an island. It’s also crystal clear why we need to make sure our coasts and waters stay protected, in all aspects.

beach Access

We enjoy spending time on the beach all year round – it is a place of peace, play, and even work for some. As a gateway to our ocean, it’s important that we make sure our beaches are accessible to everyone. The Surfrider Foundation works directly with decision-making bodies to work on beach access issues. Beach access issues include access point regulations and properly identifying beaches on public lands.

Clean water

Coastal water quality is being threatened every day – from runoff, spills and general waste that ends up pouring into our oceans. For the last 30 years, Surfrider has made it a top priority to work to have clean water at the beach. “Pollution at recreational beaches costs the U.S. economy more than $2.2 billion and results in 20,000 health advisories annually” (Surfrider, 2019). They work on a multi-level approach to test for toxins in water, reduce pollution, and raise awareness on the issue through educational information.

Coastal preservation

Our beaches, just like the ocean, shift with ebbs and flows of sea level changes. However, with our climate changing at an increasingly quick rate, our beaches are in need of assistance. Surfrider works on the ground with volunteers to build shoreline armor like sea walls and sand dune filling projects. They also connect with decision makers on the policy level to have informed and responsible coastal development.

ocean protection

Oceans across the world are full of wonder and biodiversity. That’s why Surfrider works to protect the ocean and its marine life in a variety of ways. They establish and maintain Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), run campaigns to end offshore drilling, develop policies to work towards renewable ocean energy, and collaborate with the public to conduct Marine Spatial Planning (MSP). These efforts raise awareness, provide grassroots efforts to conserve marine life, and urge the government to make policies that will protect our oceans now and in the future.

plastic pollution

Plastics can be found in almost everything we do, every day. But single-use plastics have become a major pollution issue for our coasts and oceans. The issue here is that single-use plastic materials will typically NEVER fully decompose. Meaning, they will likely be around forever. Surfrider uses a grassroots approach with its volunteers to tackle this issue through beach clean ups and educational messaging. To date:

618,840

POUNDS OF TRASH REMOVED

93,654

VOLUNTEERS

(Surfrider, 2019)

In addition, they also have programs like Ocean Friendly Restaurants and Rise Above Plastics to raise awareness and fight plastic pollution on our beaches and in our waters.

Get Involved

This summer season, we are excited to be teaming up with Surfrider to give back to the beaches and oceans we all love! One way to get involved is to use your reward as a donation to Surfrider’s Central Long Island Chapter. This local chapter works to protect our shores and waterways, create positive policy relating to our oceans, and reduce pollution through clean ups.

Attend an event with Surfrider! Volunteer at a beach clean up, see an educational movie, or learn more about their work at a tap takeover. Each event shows how important our beaches and oceans are and why we need to stand up and protect them.

Upcoming events

If you’re looking to directly make an impact with Surfrider, join them at 5PM this Sunday at Island Park for a beach clean up! It’s a great way to meet awesome people while helping to protect our beautiful ocean and shores.

Also be on the lookout for a fall clean up at Robert Moses – more details coming soon!