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Plastics – the Rise
above Plastics (RAP)
Program will con-
tinue in 2012 to ad-
vocate for a cleaner
community through
recycling and plastic
bag initiatives;
3. Beach Access/
Recreational Uses –
the Beach Access/
Recreational Uses
Program will provide
a voice for important
coastal issues that
affect not only us, as
surfers, but the
wider Galveston and
Texas commu-
nity. This Program
will focus on issues
such as the Open
Beaches Act, Galves-
ton ordinances which
impact surfing, Gal-
As we enter the sec-
ond
year since the forma-
tion of the Galveston
Chapter of the Sur-
frider Foundation,
we would like to
thank everyone who
contributed to the
success of 2011. It
was an amazing in-
augural year for the
Galveston Chapter,
with a lot of solid
groundwork made for
the organization to
fulfill its mission of
being a highly effec-
tive grassroots envi-
ronmental organiza-
tion.
2012 brings with it
numerous challenges
and opportunities for
the Galveston Chap-
ter. We have five
core programs insti-
tuted within the
Chapter that will
provide a framework
for the Chapter to
reflect the needs of
the coastline and the
community it repre-
sents.
1. Education –
the Education Pro-
gram, through activi-
ties such as Surf n’
Turf and surf camps,
will be focused on
teaching people, es-
pecially children,
about conservation,
research, education
and grassroots advo-
cacy of the coastal
environment (and, of
course, surfing);
2. Rise Above
Surfrider– The Year Ahead
SURFRIDER– THE YEAR AHEAD
1-2
MEET YOUR EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
2-4
FORMER EC BIDS FARE-WELL
5
SURF & TURF 6
MARDI GRAS A SUC-CESS
7-8
OCEAN ART 9
CALENDER OF EVENTS 10
Inside this issue:
March 2012 Volume 1, Issue 1
On Island Times...
The Newsletter for Galveston Surfrider Foundation
2
veston’s Beach Access
Plan and Erosion Re-
sponse Plan, and the
Seawall Parking
Plan;
4. Clean
Beaches – at the core
of Surfrider is the
mission to monitor
and protect the coast-
line. The Clean
Beaches Program will
continue the hard
work from 2011 with
the Adopt a Beach
Program and Mono-
filament Recycling
Program, and will
also promote water
quality monitoring
and identify any is-
sues associated with
coastal development;
5. Fundraising –
fundraising is an im-
portant element of
any privately-funded,
non-profit
group. 2012 will see
the Galveston Chap-
ter continue its fund-
raising efforts and
promote our achieve-
ments to the commu-
nity by developing
strong media rela-
tions. This new Gal-
veston Chapter news-
letter will be a great
resource in voicing
our mission and ac-
complishments to the
community and to
broaden our reach
within the Galveston
community.
As a reminder, the
Galveston Chapter
meetings are held on
the first Thursday of
every month. It will
be an exciting year
for the Galveston
Chapter, and we en-
courage all of you to
get involved. If you
would like to get
more involved with
any of the abovemen-
tioned programs,
please contact a
member of the Execu-
tive Committee
For our oceans,
waves and beaches,
Damien McDonald
and Jeff Seinsheimer
The Year ahead cont. from page 1
On Island Times...
GALVESTON
SURFRIDER
CHAPTER
MEETINGS ARE
HELD THE FIRST
THURSDAY OF
EVERY MONTH.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Chair- Damien McDonald
Vice Chair- Jeff Seinsheimer
Secretary- Josh Carter
Treasurer- Cody Wright
At-Large, Brian Kuhn
Education/Outreach-Courtney Lee
Volunteer Cord.- Ashley Sanders
3
Meet Your Executive Committee
Surfrider’s Galveston
Chapter Executive
Committee comes
from a broad range of
places and back-
grounds.
Each one is dedicated
to the Surfrider mis-
sion statement that
promotes the protec-
tion and enjoyment of
oceans, waves and
beaches through a
powerful activist net-
work.
Each Executive Com-
mittee member is go-
ing above and beyond
with subcommittees.
They all love the
ocean and Galveston
Island. They are com-
mitted to making it
Spears surf shop on
the Galveston Sea-
wall.
Damien received a
J.D. from Bond Uni-
versity in Australia,
which included
spending a semester
at Northwestern
School of Law.
He also holds a
Bachelor of Busi-
Chair– Damien McDonald
Volume 1, Issue 1
Damien McDonald,
Chair, is originally
from Burleigh Heads,
Australia and has
been living in Califor-
nia for the past 5
years.
Damien recently
moved to Galveston,
his wife’s home town,
with his twin 1-year-
old boys. Damien
owns Southern
the best place that it
can be to enjoy the
marine landscape.
Your Executive Com-
mittee is excited to
serve you for the year
2012. They have lots
of ways for you to get
involved and are
planning some excit-
ing events.
ness/Arts in Finance
and Economics from
the University of
Queensland in Aus-
tralia.
Damien has been in-
volved with Surfrider
for about 15 years,
both in Australia and
in California.
4
buckets of spray. He
is dedicated to main-
taining the Texas
Open Beaches Act
and concerned with
keeping local surf
breaks open to surf-
ers.
In 2012 he looks for-
Brian Kuhn is an ac-
tive outdoorsman and
surfer here in Galves-
ton.
His favorite breaks
are the Flagship and
37th St, where he
loves throwing huge
gaffs and chunking
ward to some big Sur-
frider social events to
create awareness
about the issues we
are dealing with and
to boost membership
from the local com-
munity.
At Large– Brian Kuhn
say that she’s IBC for
almost a year now!
Cody has a Bachelor’s
Degree in Accounting
from Idaho State, and
worked for five years
as an auditor for a
public accounting
firm.
She now works as the
Controller for her
Cody Wright, has
been the Treasurer
for the Galveston
Chapter for the past
year.
She’s originally from
the San Francisco
Bay Area, but has
lived in the Houston
area for over 15
years, and is proud to
friend’s electrical con-
tracting company in
Houston. In her free
time, you can find
Cody near the 37th
Street jetty flying a
kite, walking her
dogs, or trying to
catch a few easy peel-
ers. She’s really look-
ing forward to this
year with Surfrider
The Treasurer– Cody Wright
because we started
the year off with a
bang in fundraising,.
Cody knows that we
can build upon that
and help sponsor our
current programs as
well as introduce
some new ones to the
Chapter and the
community.
Volume 1, Issue 1
Vice Chair– Jeff Seinsheimer
Jeff Seinsheimer
served as At– Large-
for the inaugural
year of the Galveston
Surfrider chapter.
This year, he is ex-
cited to serve as Vice-
Chair. Jeff is a 4th
generation BOI, and
has been surfing for
over 35 years. He is
retired from the in-
surance industry and
currently trains dogs
and teaches surf les-
sons. Jeff heads the
Beach Clearing
committee and
serves on the
fundraising com-
mittee as well.
5
for a Masters of Sci-
ence in Marine Biol-
ogy. Her love for the
ocean came as a
young girl enjoying
the waves at Goose
Island.
Court’s stewardship
to protect the ocean
followed after and
has grown stronger
as she has lived in
the coastal environ-
ment for the last 6
years.
She is dedicated to
educating the citi-
zens of Galveston, es-
pecially younger gen-
erations, so that they
develop an apprecia-
tion for the beach and
waves as well.
Education and Outreach Coordinator– Courtney Lee
Volunteer Coordinator– Ashley Sanders
tical archeology. Ash-
ley loves surfing, div-
ing, and almost any
water activity.
She has been a part
of many chapters of
Surfrider for a long
time, and is excited
that Galveston finally
has a chapter. When
she graduates this
May, she hopes to be
able to continue to
pursue working in
the field of marine
conservation. In the
meantime, as volun-
teer coordinator, she
hopes to help execute
many exciting Sur-
frider events and to
see you on the waves.
The only thing that
has stayed consistent
for her entire life is
her passion for the
ocean. She is cur-
rently attending TA-
MUG, studying mari-
time studies with
concentrations in ma-
rine biology and nau-
On Island Times...
Your Secretary– Josh Carter
self employed in the field
of ocean conservation
science and education.
Having earned a culi-
nary arts degree, Josh
frequently finds himself
in the kitchen during his
spare time. His remain-
ing time is spent work-
ing at the TAMUG Com-
munications Depart-
ment. He also volunteers
at the TAMUG Sea Life
Facility and Moody Gar-
dens Aquarium, and
never misses the chance
to listen to music.
Born and raised in Dal-
las, Josh is currently
pursues degrees in both
Marine Biology and Ma-
rine Fisheries at Texas
A&M at Galveston. Once
attained it is his hope to
attend graduate school
and eventually find him-
Courtney Lee serves
as Surfrider Galveston
Education and Out-
reach Coordinator. She
was raised in Lockhart
TX. Graduated from
Texas A&M University
-Corpus Christi with a
Bachelors of Science.
Court attends TAMUG
Ashley Sanders grew
up moving around
quite a bit, so she is
very used to change.
6
Former Executive Committee Members Say Farewell
Volume 1, Issue 1
Well, I’ve had a blast serving on the Execu-
tive Committee (EC) for the past year! Al-
though I cherish my time with Surfrider
members, I am currently working on a the-
sis due in the coming month. My education
focus has shifted my time towards finishing
this thesis, and I felt I couldn’t give the Gal-
veston Chapter the effort it deserves. I will
miss the coordination of awesome events,
socials, and community activism, but hope
to continue to participate as a member.
I leave knowing Ashley Sanders, your new
Volunteer Coordinator is in good hands.
She has a strong EC and some of the most
amazing chapter members I’ve ever known.
Let me just simply say that your volunteer
time, hard work, dedication, and enduring
spirits have helped this community and our
beaches. I understand that no one who vol-
unteers for Surfrider needs to hear it, but
let me say it again: Thank you!
I hope to see you all out on the water
soon….as soon as I finish my research and
get some needed sleep. 2011 was an excel-
lent inaugural year for the Galveston Chap-
ter of Surfrider, but I’m convinced with the
expertise, energy, and commitment of our
new EC members, 2012 is going to be even
better. So, come and join one of our many
events and say goodbye to your retired vol-
unteer coordinator, if you have a moment.
May the clean and open waves bring you
good luck in 2012!
Sincerely,
Lisa Jeane Reznicek
Well, what can I say, what a year! It has been great serving as the first Chair of the Galveston Surfrider Chapter. However, the time has come for me to move on to another adventure and relin-quish my position as Chair of this organization. I feel that this Chapter came at the perfect time for Galveston and that it will only grow with the new (and remaining) members of the Execu-tive Committee and Chapter membership. I feel very fortunate to have had the chance to serve this community through Surfrider and to meet all the great people who supported this Chapter over the past year. Over the years as a Galveston resident, surfer, and ocean enthusiast, I was surprised to see that there was not a Surfrider Chapter in Galveston. I feel that I was not alone in that thought, as many people have come out throughout this year to express similar feelings and ensure that this Chapter remains strong. In only one year we have managed to get our name out around the community in a very positive way and will continue to do so for years to come. I look forward to the future of this organi-zation and the impact it will have on Galveston as a sustainable
coastal community.
Thanks,
Nicole Ekstrom
I will keep this short and sweet. It has been a great honor and privilege for me to serve as the vice chair of the Galves-ton Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation. In the last year be-ing involved with Surfrider has been a complete joy for me, I have met so many great people and work on many worth-while projects. Galveston really does have one of the best chapters in the organization and that comes both from the fantastic executive committee and an amazing passionate group of members. I have full confidence that what we have accomplished in our first year as a chapter is only the beginning, I look forward to seeing the chapter grow and rack up many more victories in keeping our beaches open and clean. Thank you very much for the opportunity to be apart of something so great. Cody (Beard) Hales
Lisa Nicole
Cody
7
Written by : Courtney Lee
Looking for activism, out-
reach, and surfing all in
one? The Surfrider Foun-
dation Galveston Chapter
might be the organization
for you. Galveston’s
chapter is comprised of
community members, lo-
cal business owners, and
our own Sea Aggie stu-
dents and staff. Within its
first year, they have be-
come very active in the
Galveston community
influencing rising above
plastic, proper beach
maintenance, and open
beach access issues. Re-
cently, Galveston Sur-
frider has branched into
educational outreach
through Galveston Inde-
pendence School Dis-
trict’s 21st Century ACE
after school program. Sur-
frider Galveston has
helped GISD set up an
afterschool club, “Surf
and Turf”, where students
learn about Ocean
Friendly Gardens and
surfing techniques.
To kick off the program,
the organizations joined
forces to clean ten blocks
of beach and then made
ornaments out of the
collected trash. They
learned about the
dangers of plastics
and debris on marine
life and beach visi-
tors. Most impor-
tantly the students
were able to reuse
the material to make
beautiful decorations to
share with their family
during the holiday season.
Thirty students and par-
ents of Galveston came
out on a windy, brisk De-
cember morning to clean
the beach and take a little
back with them.
In January, the organiza-
tions and families of Gal-
veston came back to-
gether to build two garden
beds and a greenhouse at
Weis Middle School. Two
truckloads of dirt, a load
of mulch, lumber, and
twenty students later, the
students will be able to
grow organic vegetables
to cook with and Texas
native plants to attract
butterflies. While prepar-
ing the beds, the students
be-
came
famil-
iar
with
or-
ganic
proc-
esses,
proper
soil
care, watering techniques,
and how to feed chickens
grubs. The students will
utilize a compost system
to fertilize the gardens,
germinate seeds in the
greenhouse, and plant col-
orful plants and tasty
vegetables throughout the
growing season. This ac-
tivity highlighted the im-
portance of sustainable
and ocean friendly gar-
dening to foster the envi-
ronment. Other schools in
Galveston will also incor-
Sand and Surf, Worms and Turf: A New Spin on Surfing and
On Island Times...
porate gardens and sus-
tainable techniques into
their afterschool pro-
grams.
Building relationships
with other schools in
GISD, Surfrider Galves-
ton will continue to influ-
ence students and in-
crease family bonding
through dune restoration,
gardening events, beach
clean ups, and even surf-
ing events. Students from
Texas A&M University
at Galveston are encour-
aged to get involved with
programs like this that
cater to the community
and the beach through
political, educational, and
engaging activities that
Surfrider Galveston pro-
vides. For more informa-
tion contact galveston-
Surf and Protect,
Courtney Taylor Lee is
the Education and Out-
reach Coordinator .
8
Written by: Ashley
Sanders
February 10-21, 2012
At Mardi Gras! Galves-
ton, the extravagance
found in Texas’ largest
Mardi Gras celebration
and the third largest in
the nation, starts with the
beads! More than 3 mil-
lion beads were thrown
at Mardi Gras! Galves-
ton and that’s just the
beginning of the elabo-
rate parades, headliner
perform-
ances, fam-
ily events,
feasting
and other
festivities
that came with hosting
Mardi Gras island style.
Carnival parades kicked
into high gear soon leav-
ing millions of beads be-
hind. With all that plas-
tic, Mardi Gras is not
exactly an eco-friendly
event. Galveston Sur-
frider Foundation is one
group that's trying to
make a dent in the multi-
colored debris!
They accepted donations
of Mardi Gras beads be-
fore, during and after
Mardi Gras, that are go-
ing to be recycled or re-
used in one way or an-
other.
For the first year, the
Galveston Chapter of
Surfrider is participated
in a parade. Their float
was a sculpture made
entirely of recycled plas-
tics that is in the form of
a giant wave. It is one
effort to support Sur-
frider's campaign to
"Rise above Plastics" .
Simple local actions can
help make an impact to
solve this global issue,
and besides having the
float for
Mardi
Gras
made of
recy-
cled
plastic materials, every
bead thrown by Galves-
ton Surfrider, was recy-
cled.
Donation boxes for
beads were placed all
around town and Sur-
frider Galveston ac-
cepted beads through
March 1, so there was
somewhere to put them
besides the trash once
Mardi Gras was over.
Galveston Surfrider Co-
chair of the Mardi Gras
Committee, Cody
Wright elaborated, “We
Mardi Gras! A Success
Volume 1, Issue 1
had bead recycle bins at
libraries including the
Jack Williams Library at
TAMUG, at Mod Coffee
House on 21st and Post
office ,
Oasis
Juice
Bar on
25th
Street ,
Starbucks on Harborside
and 22nd, Southern Spears
Surf shop 61st and Sea-
wall, and other businesses
along the way, and people
could just drop them off".
Wright continues, "even
though we're trying to re-
cycle tons of beads, it's
really just a small fraction
of what's out there".
Each year 2,000,000
pounds of beads are sent
to New Orleans from
China, and that's just New
Orleans. There's no accu-
rate data on how much is
sent yearly to other places
9
like Galveston and I
think it's an important
issue. We're doing our
best to keep the beads
out of landfills", says
other Galveston Sur-
frider Mari Gras Com-
mittee Co-Chair, Janese
Maricelli.
In recent years, green
consciousness has grown
more mainstream, and
the notion of endless
wasted throws brings a
pang to the eco-
conscious even as they
scream and shout for
more beads. Maricelli
hopes that the bead recy-
cling, "will catch on and
prevent some of the mil-
lions of them that are
just discarded from be-
coming part of a much
larger issue. Maybe
eventually, every bead
will make it
at least two
or three car-
nivals before
it winds up in
the trash".
“People are
finding out about us
more and more and
they're becoming con-
scious of the need for
recycling at Mardi
Gras,” says Wright.
Galveston Surfrider col-
lected over 7,000 beads
that were either used in
this year's float or will be
used in next year's event.
It was a successful event
and as Mardi Gras
Committee member
Lisa Jeane
Reznicek states
“"Many thanks to
you all for your
time, dedication,
good spirits, and
amazing work! When we
shouted at the crowd
that, "Galveston Sur-
frider loves our beaches,
oceans, and waves!" it
made my heart glow. We
Mardi Gras cont. from page 7
On Island Times...
had a great event and I
am positive that the
momentum you've
generated will con-
tinue in our group for
a long time. Again, I
had a blast, even
though the parade
seemed to go by so
quickly. It was you
who made this possi-
ble, and I for one am
so proud to be have
been on that float.
Thank you all again".
10
Wave’ography
Volume 1, Issue 1
This page is dedicated to our Surfrider artists. It’s going to be poetry, photos, paintings, or whatever medium conveys your
love of the ocean and dedication to its preservation.
Abel A. daCorte , a poet from Rhode Island has generously allowed On Island Times…. to print a selection of his works.
The ocean connects us all, no matter where we’re from and it is an universal theme that intricately binds us all together.
All in a Day’s Work
The horizon alarm sounds.
Slowly rising she dons a landlady’s
wig,
casts the red comb on the vanity,
anchors false eyelashes in place
She begins the morning chores.
ironing out the footprints,
hanging the shore on the line to dry
and sponging the floors.
Dusting out the whelks,
placing the good porcelain on a shelf
and making the marsh beds
The guests have arrived.
She polishes the fork weed
and lays out the pink plates.
Whips up a briny foam,
tosses cucumbers and shrimp
with salt and pepper dulse,
while bouncing a glacier on her hip.
Nighttime falls and guests depart.
She wipes sand off the cheeks
of the rocks, braids mermaid hair,
and fluffs the sea petals
Sways the gulls into sleep
To dreams of dancing
sugar kelp and fireflies
Massaging sore muscles
She tucks in the marsh beds
for another night’s rest
in peaceful salinity
Sandcastles and Ice Cream
Ice cream was meant to be messy
Cone, cup, or hand as long as it was chocolate
Baloney sandwiches were gourmet,
With or without beach crunch
Coffee milk or grape Kool-Aid
Sneakers were optional anytime
Your sandcastle had to be the biggest
Remember the taste of ice cream?
Spend thirty bucks on lunch,
But miss that sandy baloney
Coffee with milk on the way to work
Kool-Aid without vodka or rum?
Kitchen floors became cold
Your house isn’t the biggest
Remember barefoot and sand castles
Baloney sandwiches and chocolate ice cream
Memory
All of our live we’re drawn, one way or another
As a child chasing crabs or discovering treasure
We grow up and away, but the ocean remembers
Time passes on, days become fuller
Years make us wise but she is much older
We sit and we listen, still the ocean remembers
She calls to us now, so many years later
Entranced by the waves, as swells become greater
We forget about childhood, it’s us she remembers
Serene and majestic in her reverent power
Our lives are a blink; she’s been here forever
We live and we die and the ocean remembers
11
We’re on the web!
http://galveston.surfrider.org/
On Island Times…. Is published once a month for the Galveston Chapter of Surfrider Foundation.
All Submissions are due by the third Wednesday of every month by 5 PM
EDITOR:
Ashley Sanders
Direct all correspondence to On Island Times… to [email protected]
Submissions become the property of the newsletter. On Island Times…. Reserves the right to edit or
reject submissions. Publication of a submission doesn’t necessarily reflect the views nor the opinions
of Surfrider Foundation.
Dedicated to the Protection and enjoyment of the World’s Oceans, waves and beaches for all people through conservation, Activism, Research and Education
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1 Chapter
Meeting– 7 PM
2 3 Artist Boat
Dune restore
4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11 12 13 14 15 16 17
18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Bolivar
Beach Cleanup
25 mono-
filament mania
26 27 28 29 30 31
March 2012
Calendar of Events
Additions to the Calendar will
be up-dated on our website,
and Facebook page. If you
would like to add an event to
the calendar please contact:
any member of the Executive
Committee.