volunteer training presentation 2009

What We’ll Cover

Surfrider Background

Water Quality 101

How to Get Involved with the Chapter

GrassrootsEnvironmental

Non-ProfitVolunteer

Surfers, Beach Enthusiasts

FUN!!!

Who is Surfrider?

How it All Began

V I S I O N A R I E S I N M A L I B U

G L O B A L A C T I V I S T S

50,000 members, 80 chapters

What do we do?

Dedicated to protection and enjoyment of the world’s oceans, waves and beaches through….

Conservation

Activism

Research

Education

C.A.R.E

Clean Water

Beach Access

Beach Preservation

Protecting Special Places

At our CORE

150 Coastal Victories by 2010

25 Years of Surfing Activism

• Surfrider Foundation is completely volunteer-run at local chapter level -

renew your membership and get involved today!

What We’ll Cover

Surfrider Background

Water Quality 101

How to Get Involved with the Chapter

• Beach Closures• TMDL – Total Maximum Daily Load• Heal the Bay Report Card

Watershed

Stormdrains

Urban runoff is the number one source of pollution in the Santa Monica Bay and contributes to more than 80% of ocean pollution

Sewage vs. Runoff

SMURRF

SMURRF – Santa Monica Urban Runoff Recycling Facility Treats and recylces runoff for landscaping Operates during the dry season (April – October) Captures runoff from Pier and Pico-Kenter Stormdarins 500,000 gallons per day (4% of city’s water use)

Eastern Sierra Nevada, 50%

Eastern Sierra Nevada, 35%

Eastern Sierra Nevada, 15%

Water Conservation

• 1/3 of energy used in CA is used to move water around the state• Approx. 30% of our water is flushed down the toilet• Average Californian uses 100 gallons/day (compared to 5 gallons

per person/day in developing countries)• Water required to produce 1 lb of

– Lettuce: 23 gallons– Wheat: 25 gallons– Beef : 5,214 gallons

DID YOU KNOW? 1 lb of beef = the same amount of water for one person’s showers for a year

What Can You Do?RUNOFF PREVENTION• Don’t litter and pick up the litter that you see (One a Day)• Fix fluid leaks on your cars • Don’t use weed killers • Pick up pet waste! • Put your cigarette butts where they belong

CONSERVATION• PENCIL- Use as little water as possible. • Take shorter showers and capture water as you wait for it to warm up • Install water saving devices – low flow toilet, aerators, high efficiency washer (WaterSense)• TURN OFF THE TAP when doing dishes, brushing teeth, etc! • Gardening

– Make sure your sprinklers aren’t watering the pavement – Water in the early morning to prevent waste due to evaporation and wind – Don’t overwater the lawn (in fact, get rid of your lawn and plant drought tolerant/native)

• Don’t wash your own car. Try to use commercial car washes because they contain and recycle their water (most of the time) If you must wash your car, use a bucket and wash it on non paved areas (grass or gravel) or use a waterless car wash EcoTouch, LuckyEarth)

• Use a broom instead of a hose to clean the sidewalks – Did you know it is illegal to hose sidewalks and driveways in LA?

Tell your family, friends and neighbors

What We’ll Cover

Surfrider Background

Water Quality 101

How to Get Involved with the Chapter

West LA/Malibu Chapter

• Represent approximately 31 miles of coastal environment from the Los Angeles and Ventura County Line to Ballona Creek, including all inland cities.

Chapter Goals & Programs

The West Los Angeles / Malibu Chapter is focused on achieving a cleaner ocean in

2009.

• Our programs include:o Education Committee / Teach & Testo Task Forces (Legacy Park, Santa Monica…)

o Rise Above Plasticso Beach Cleanup / Clean Your Spaceo Ocean Friendly Gardens

l e a r n

s a m p l e

t e s t e d u c a t e

a c t i v a t e

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJuDVN0XvPU

a c t i v a t e & e d u c a t e

More than 93 billion plastic water containers are thrown away each year

in the US.

That’s enough to reach to the moon and back 38 times. 

National Geographic

All of this (more than a half-pound of plastic) was removed from the stomach of

an albatross, a large sea bird

Less than 1% of plastic bags are recycled. Instead, they end up in the ocean, where animals mistake them for food or become

trapped in them.

• http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/capt_charles_moore_on_the_seas_of_plastic.html

What Can We Do?• Bring your own…

– Bag (grocery, mall, farmers market)– Water bottle– Cups (coffee, parties)

• Think twice (and ask others, nicely) to join– Ask the waiter to wrap in foil instead of styrofoam– Encourage your favorite restaurant to carry

paper instead of styro– Ask your grocer not to wrap things in plastic

• Throw a beach/neighborhood clean up party (organize a street clean up)– Or just pick up three pieces of trash each time you are out

• Share what you’ve learned – Tell your friends and family, city council, government officials

• Support Surfrider efforts to ban the plastic bag through out Los Angeles

REDUCE ● REUSE ● RECYCLE ● REFUSE ● RETHINK

In 2008, our beach cleanup committee mobilized 1200 Volunteers at 19 beach cleanups to remove a total of 550 FULL bags of trashfrom our beaches.

Beach Cleanups

Beach Cleanups

Surfrider Foundation West Los Angeles / Malibu Chapter 2009

Beach Cleanups

Surfrider Foundation West Los Angeles / Malibu Chapter 2009

Beach Cleanups

Surfrider Foundation West Los Angeles / Malibu Chapter 2009

Street Cleanups

 • Expanding upon the beach cleanup concept, our

first chapter “street” cleanup was organized in Silverlake on December 6, 2008. The simple message to all:

Street Cleanups

West Los Angeles/MalibuTask Forces

Task Force Director: Vanessa Meier

What is a Task Force?  Groups that investigate chronic water quality issues at area beaches. These small groups focus in on specific problems, allowing them to act effectively and to make lasting improvements at their beach.

Current Task Forces• Topanga Task Force• Santa Monica Pier Task Force• Malibu Legacy Park Task Force

1127Ballona Creek

30Windward Ave

30Brooks Ave

20922Rose Ave

31196Ashland Ave

1416658Pico-Kenter

1924484Santa Monica Pier

179587Wilshire Blvd

2344625Montana Ave

91299Santa Monica Canyon

20072006(Acres)

ViolationsViolationsWatershedSite Name

Why the Santa Monica Pier?

“Ponding”

Images from Heal the Bay

Santa Monica Pier Storm Drain

Malibu Legacy ParkTask Force

• More than 80% of Malibu is on septic tanks.

• Effluents can leak out of tanks and pass through to the groundwater

• Washes to ocean.

Malibu Legacy Park

Interested?

• Join a current Task Force• Start a new Task Force• Tell us about problems at your beach• Join us at City Council meetings

Ocean Friendly Gardens