What did you accomplish with your host organization? What was the impact of your work?

            While working with Save the Waves Coalition, I was able to lay the foundation for a legislative bill proposal form (Leg Form) for a network of protected surf reserves, which we submitted to California State Senator, John Laird. This is essentially the very early stage of bill creation. I helped to compile resources and fill out the form that we submitted. We were able to set up a meeting with the Senator, in which the form outlined the bill that we proposed. The meeting with the Senator was informative, and based on the status of the proposal we submitted, it was concluded that the bill proposal be delayed for one year in order to garner more support for the proposal.

Hi all! This summer I am remotely interning as the administrative assistant to the director for the Save the Waves Coalition (STW). STW is an international non-profit based out of Santa Cruz, that works in coalition with a broad range of organizations dedicated to protecting and preserving surf ecosystems. A surf ecosystem is more than just the wave, it also includes geophysical components, the plants and animals, and the human interactions that make the place special. Protection of surf ecosystems in turn safeguards marine habitats, the integrity of the wave and local livelihoods. STW focuses its efforts on locations where iconic surfing waves overlap with biodiversity hotspots that are of critical importance for marine conservation efforts. As a surfer myself, I am very excited to be working with STW to help protect surfing.