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

dkmcdonald@southernspearssurf.com

Vice Chair- Jeff Seinsheimer

indonesia3@aol.com

Secretary- Josh Carter

Carterj.galvestonsurfrider@gmail.com

Treasurer- Cody Wright

Galvestonsr.treasurer@gmail.com

At-Large, Brian Kuhn

bmkuhn@gmail.com

Education/Outreach-Courtney Lee

Educate.galvsr@gmail.com

Volunteer Cord.- Ashley Sanders

Sandersa.galvestonsurfrider@gmail.com

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-

surfers@gmail.com.

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 sandersa.galvestonsurfrider@gmail.com

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.