by Rane Stempson

The volunteer leadership team for Newport-Bend’s Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation is excited to kick off 2021! The team continues to be dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world’s ocean, waves, and beaches for all people through our powerful activist network. We want to thank all our members for their continuing dedication to protecting our oceans and costal preserves, increasing beach access, monitoring water quality, and reducing plastic pollution during these difficult pandemic times. In the first half of 2021, we will continue to have virtual events and we are cautiously optimistic that by the second half of the year, we can begin having in-person activities again!

This year the team is focused on the following priorities:

  1. Protecting our oceans through inclusive civic engagement, increasing conservation knowledge, and advocating for better water quality
  2. Reducing plastic pollution through programs (beach cleanups and single-plastic use at restaurants and markets)
  3. Creating more inclusive communications and engagement with youth and diverse groups of people
  4. Building our capacity to better serve the coastal community
  5. Being responsibly social, having fun, learning, and protecting our Oregon coastal environment and community

For example, in the first half of the year we will be virtually screening the film Public Trust and having a powerful panel discuss it. We will hear from local science teachers about how the community can better support virtual science education for our youth and how Surfrider members can help our next generation of scientists. We will continue to have ocean trivia, research talks, film series, and until we can have in-person beach cleanups again, we will continue to have supply pickups and solo/household beach cleanups. We will continue to grow our Rise Above Plastics, Ocean Friendly Restaurants, and garden programs. We also hope to start scholarship programs for students, teachers, and professors. Please consider a donation today, renew your annual membership, and get a friend to join Surfrider Foundation if you haven’t already.

We are looking to fill several open volunteer positions. We could use your help in growing our capacity to support coastal conservation. We are in need of the following if you have some free time to commit:

Media Coordinator
Update the current list of local media contacts

Take current Press Release information and knowledge and adapt it to any special requirements of local media contacts

Work with specific event coordinator to develop Press Release package of less than one page and distribute to media contacts

Work with social media coordinator to create weekly social media and blog posts

Hold on to Your Butt Coordinator
Be the advocate to educate, raise awareness, and reduce cigarette butt litter before it finds its way into the ocean

Proactively work with local businesses and other property owners with placing cigarette butt canisters in heavy (smoking) use pedestrian areas

Answer any questions and point businesses and property owners to where they can purchase and install cigarette butt canisters

Social Media Coordinator
Write feature articles, posts, or images to increase interest in and appreciation for the work Surfrider does to protect our ocean, waves, and beaches and to increase volunteerism

Post articles and notifications of upcoming activities on Newport Surfrider website and on Facebook and submit them to newspapers for publication

Coordinate responses to people who leave Facebook messages for Newport Surfrider

Beach Cleanup Coordinator
Schedule beach cleanups (may be in response to a request from a group or a State Parks Ranger)

Staff the cleanup site. Hand out cleanup supplies, collect waiver forms, give safety instructions, and make sure collected debris is secured for planned disposal

Input cleanup results to cleanups.surfrider.org and send to the Social Media Coordinator within 48 hours of each event

Ocean Friendly Restaurant Coordinator
Reach out to restaurants and introduce the campaign (email, phone, or in person)

Deliver materials and handle appropriate documentation

Collaborate with Surfrider executives to see the certification process through

Plastics Coordinator
Be an advocate to help reduce plastic pollution on the Central Oregon Coast

Work with the Oregon Policy Manager and Field Manager on campaigns to reduce plastic pollution and how to activate community to reduce plastic usage

Work with the social media and media coordinators to increase awareness on plastic reduction opportunities for the community

Treasurer
Keep the Newport chapter’s financial books up to date

Report chapter finances to the national Surfrider office

Distribute checks for payment of chapter expenditures

Deposit funds from chapter events, donations, and memberships into chapter bank account

Attend one monthly executive meeting and chapter meeting

Report chapter financial transactions at monthly meetings

(Note: The Treasurer must be a Surfrider member. In addition, a background check is required, which Surfrider will perform and pay for.)

If you are interested in any of the above positions, please contact our Volunteer Coordinator, Stephanie Fields, at volunteercoordinator@newport.or.surfrider.org for more information.