The following programs are supported by Surfrider Foundation headquarters. If you want to become involved or head up a committee, email Rob at .

Plastic is all around us. It’s in our homes, offices, vehicles, yards, and playgrounds. While plastics have many useful applications, they also pose a significant threat to our planet. Rise Above Plastics is designed to eliminate the impacts of plastics in the marine environment by raising awareness about the dangers of plastic pollution and advocating for a reduction of single-use plastics and the recycling of all plastics. Read more about our

As a response to increased plastic pollution in the coastal zone and ocean gyres, Surfrider Foundation, Virginia Beach Chapter is implementing an Ocean Friendly Restaurants program in Coastal Virginia. A main goal is eliminating EPS foam foodware (aka Styrofoam) and excessive plastic straw distribution, because they are top items found at our beach cleanups. There are other types of pollution and issues that restaurants can help with so we added criteria such as conserving water and serving responsible food. .

Surfrider Foundation promotes the right of low-impact, free and open access to the world’s waves and beaches for all people. The right of beach access is constantly being challenged by private property owners, developers and even sea level rise. We are actively fighting for beach access in places where access has been cut off or is being threatened.

Blue Water Task Force (BWTF) is our volunteer-run, water testing, education and advocacy program. We use this program to alert citizens and officials in our communities about water quality problems and to work toward solutions. BWTF has demonstrated success by identifying problems with beach and coastal water pollution, raising public awareness and working with local stakeholders to implement solutions. For more info about our local BWTF and water testing results, .

The QUAD youth service program is designed for young students that wish to become more involved in Surfrider Foundation’s activities on their campuses and communities. The program has grown to a wide range of activities, including organizing a club and initiatives based on project-based learning. These range from beach clean-ups to eliminating single use plastics on-campus and “greening” your campus.

Know Your H2O is our program that promotes education and action regarding the interconnections between water supply, urban runoff and waste water treatment. By rethinking our water management approach we can conserve water, save energy and reduce pollution in our oceans. The program is based on the simple mantra: reduce, reuse and recycle.

Urban runoff is often the primary source of ocean pollution. Ocean Friendly Gardens (OFG) educates and assists people in creating landscapes that utilize native plants, permeable groundcovers and water retention features to prevent urban runoff, create wildlife habitats and design beautiful spaces. Vegetable gardens can be OFGs too, as long as they apply CPR: Conservation, Permeability and Retention. For more information about our local Ocean Friendly Gardens, .