Surfrider Foundation in their own words:
Our mission is the protection and enjoyment of oceans, waves and beaches through a powerful activist network.
You can think about that as three concepts:
“Protection and enjoyment”, we don’t want to put a velvet rope around a beach and tell people to keep off. We’re surfers, we’re beach goers, we’re watermen… we enjoy the coasts. We’re a user group.
Next up is “oceans, waves and beaches.” Think coastlines, we’re engaged with environmental issues that affect our coastlines.
Finally, our “powerful activist network” speaks to how we go about this mission. The Surfrider Foundation operates through a network of grassroots chapters who volunteer members take action to protect our ocean, waves and beaches through campaign, program and educational initiatives in their communities.
The core activities and campaigns that the Surfrider Foundation uses today to protect our oceans, waves and beaches fall into the categories of Clean Water, Beach Access, Beach Preservation, Protecting Special Places, and Eliminating the Use of Single Use Plastics.
Today, there are 73 Surfrider chapters in the United States. Surfrider Foundation is also pursuing its mission in about 15 countries around the world.
In the past 6 years, chapter leaders and volunteers have achieved 175 individual victories in their campaigns:
Clean Water: 41 Campaigns
Beach Access: 34 Campaigns
Coastal Preservation: 51 Campaigns
Ocean Ecosystems: 17 Campaigns
Rise Above Plastics: 29 Campaigns
Know your H2O: 3 Campaigns
Total: 175 Campaigns
Bravo and thank you to the Surfrider Foundation chapter leaders and volunteers for bringing the strength of your convictions to your efforts to protect what we all love — our oceans, waves and beaches. Your actions to improve life for all members of your communities — your efforts on behalf of the common good — are quintessential citizen leadership!