Last weekend Savannah Green Source had the pleasure of working with the Surfrider Foundation Coastal Ga Low Country Chapter at International Surfing Day.  What a fun day!  We were able to share some of our wonderful friends with folks we met and gave away gift certificates to Thrive Café and Savannah Hydroponics & Organics. We also gave away a membership the Surfrider Foundation!  The best part was seeing the little kids participate in the "push and surf "contest.  These are the future caretakers of our coastal eco-system.

The push and surf contest was sponsored by the Eastern Surfing Association Ga District, a wonderful family oriented organization that promotes a healthy, active lifestyle and (unofficially) serves as a feeder organization for the Surfrider Foundation.   

When I moved to Tybee in '97 a "middle aged" friend who had grown up on Tybee told me that surfing made him feel connected to the universe.  There aren't many surfers who don't care about the environment.  The Surfrider Foundation is a non-profit environmental organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world's oceans, waves and beaches for all people, through conservation, activism, research and education.  They have earned a four-star rating from Charity Navigator (their highest rating).

The Coastal Georgia/Low Country Chapter formed during the summer of 2007 to promote the mission of the Surfrider Foundation throughout the coastal Georgia and Low Country region. Active members in this chapter include not only surfers, but people of all ages involved in skim boarding, body boarding, sea kayaking, kite boarding, wind surfing, and other beach sports or simply those concerned about the coastal eco-system. The chapter is currently involved in a variety of projects including beach clean ups, Adopt A Highway program on a section of US Highway 80 across an extensive salt marsh leading to Tybee Island, providing service during ESA Georgia District Surfing Contests, hosting guest speakers for presentations regarding coastal environmental issues, and promoting the Surfrider Foundation at large coastal public events. 

For over thirty years the ESA has been dedicated to the sport of amateur surfing, to the operation of a program of amateur competition for surfers of all ages and abilities, and to the establishment and preservation of free access to a clean shoreline and ocean environment. ESA is a part of the member Association of the USSF (United States Surfing Federation) with over 10,000 members.  Check out the pictures from the Push and Surf contest!

Click here to check out the Surfrider Oil on the Beach blog

For more info about the local Surfrider Chapter you can contact Joey Wilson at  wilsonjg@aol.com

The ESA GA district is run by Jeff and Tara Mosley.  To contact them through the district facebook page click here