Surfrider Rincon's Big Day Out

Click here to see a pdf. of the story from the Live Ripcurl.com site!  Click here to see the actual link to the site. 

Chapter Event Summary;  Rip Curl Pro Search 2010 at Playa Middles, Isabela


Over the past month, our chapter worked with the Rip Curl Planet Foundation and other local partners including, the Puerto Rico's Department of Natural Resources, Vida Marina at UPRA, Rescate Playas Isabela, Plastic Free Ocean, Coors Light, and ADS (Solid Waste Authority) to implement 4 eco-initiatives in conjunction with the Rip Curl Pro Search 2010, at Playa Middles in Isabela.  The following is a summary of the results from these initiatives.

1.  Coastal and Dune Reforestation -

In total, we planted 462 plants and trees including 60 coconut palm trees, 225 sea grape, 75 emajaguilla, 75 tropical almond trees, and 27 ipomeoa.  These plants and trees were planted at 3 different sites:  Wilderness, Surfers and Middles.  At Wilderness we planted 115 plants and trees, at Surfers we planted 45, and at Middles the primary event site for the Rip Curl Pro we planted 302 plants and trees.  Why were we doing this?  This eco-initiative was done restore the coastal and dune environment by stabilizing the sand, preventing coastal erosion, decreasing sedimentation, and off-setting carbon emissions.

Click here to read more about coastal and dune reforestation.  

2.  Dune Protection

In order to reduce the impact of foot traffic on the sensitive dune environment at Playa Middles, our chapter worked with Vida Marina to build 100' of walkways and install 300' of protective fencing.  This sound a lot more easy than it was.  These features were constructed over a three week time-frame leading up to the event and installed just before the event window began.  Talk about down to the wire!  Just as anticipated, the were a huge success! 

Click here to read more about dune protection.

3.  Recycling

Working on-site with the Rip Curl Planet Foundation, Autoridad de Desperdicios Solidos (the Solid Waste Authority) and Coors Light our chapter helped maintain a clean event site by doing periodic site cleanups, helping to separate and recycle plastic, cans, and cardboard, and transporting the refuse to the proper pickup locations.  Looking back on the effort ways to improve this eco-initiative is to instill an Impact Reduction Strategy by supplying water via a hydration station complete with reusable cups and nalgene bottles.  The cups would need to be provided to all the vendors to be given out as a marketing item and all single-use plastic items would need to be eliminated.  We hope to achieve this at a future event.    

4.  Outreach and Education

The last eco-initiative, and certainly one of the most important was the outreach and education component.  Each of the aforementioned initiatives were done with the help of students, volunteers, stakeholders, the general public, and organizations like Plastic Free Ocean.  For example, the coastal and dune reforestation program included the help of 2 schools from the area:  the Friedrich Froebel Bilingual School in Aguadilla and Escuela Ecológica Niños Uniendo al Mundo from Caguas, PR.  In addition, our chapter had an information booth where we handed out brochures about ways individuals can help to reduce their impact on the planet, ways to help make a positive impact in their communities, about the Tres Palmas Marine Reserve, and chapter driven projects including reef and watershed restoration.  Lastly, the Rip Curl Planet Foundation supplied us with some informative signs that were placed around the event site to raise awareness about why coastal and dune forestation and restoration is important and relayed the same messages via commentary during the event.  In total, between our information booth, the outreach and education events, the signs, and the commentary all of the event partners effectively reached at least a 1000 people with positive eco-messages.  The underlying theme of these message sums up SF's mission; the protection and enjoyment of the world's oceans, waves, and beaches for all people through conservation, activism, research, and education.

Click here to read more about the outreach and education events.

Below is an image of the coastal and dune reforestation at Playa Middles.  All 302 plants and trees are indicated by an icon.  Note; this satellite image is outdated.  

Outreach and Education as part of the Rip Curl Pro; event day 3

Wow!  What a day for outreach and education at the Rip Curl Pro Search happening at Playa Middles, in Isabela yesterday.  Our chapter together with Plastic Free Ocean, Vida Marina, and the Rip Curl Planet Foundation educated over 40 students from 2 different schools about the importance of coastal reforestation, dune protection and restoration, and environmental stewardship.  The two schools that came to visit were the Friedrich Froebel Bilingual School in Aguadilla in the morning and the Escuela Ecologica Ninos Uniedo al Mundo from Caguas, PR, in the afternoon.  As Ernie Alvarez, a representative of Plastic Free Ocean and local surfing charger says to the students, (paraphrasing) "...you are all environmental superheros that can make a difference!  So, lets work together to save la Isla del Encanto!"  Check out the slideshow and group photos from yesterdays outreach and education effort!  Exito! 

The chapter would like to thank all the participating entities and partners for making the outreach and education component of this event truly special.  This includes the Rip Curl Planet Foundation, ESPN Brazil, Dr. Robert Mayer, Tamara Trinidad, and Santos Muniz from Vida Marina, Ernie and Camille Alvarez from Plastic Free Ocean, all of the SF Rincon event crew including Jim Crotty, Justin and Angela Haynie, Shannon Lyons (and her friend Ally), James Sethward, Roger Wagner, Roger Galloza, and everyone else that has helped throughout the past 3 weeks leading up to this event.  Thanks!!!

Eco preparation for Rip Curl Pro Day 1; Surfrider Foundation and Vida Marina de UPR Aquadilla

This past weekend, Wessley Merten and Roger Galloza, representatives of the Surfrider Foundation Rincon chapter helped Vida Marina of UPR Aquadilla and a host of student volunteers build wooden walkways and discuss an action plan for minimizing the impacts 1000s of fans watching the Rip Curl Pro Surfing competition, scheduled to take place at the end of this month at Middles, impose on the sensitive coastal and dune habitat.  Check the photos below of the volunteers that are making this happen.  The chapter is planning on working with Vida Marina to install all of these walkways by next weekend including some protective fencing to guard sensitive areas in highly trafficked areas.  If you would like to help in this effort contact our chapter at salvatrespalmas@surfrider.org.

Dr. Robert Mayer, Director of the Caribbean Center for the Reduction of Aquatic Debris at the Department of Natural Sciences at UPR Aguadilla discusses the work plan with some student volunteers.

Wess Merten cutting 2x4's and 2x6's to be used to build the wooden walkways.

Roger Galloza and Santos Muniz, a doctoral student in the Department of Marine Sciences, take a break from building the walkways to smile for the camera.  

This is just the tip of the iceburg of the resources the chapter will be mobilizing with Vida Marina to protect the dunes from potentially catastrophic pedestrian damage.