The 2010 San Francisco Ocean Film Festival - Pier 39, Fisherman's Wharf - 2/5 & 2/7/2010

by Nicole Parisi-Smith, San Francisco Chapter MOP Coordinator

Several amazing San Francisco Chapter volunteers volunteered to help out at this year's all volunteer-run San Francisco Ocean Film Festival.


photo: volunteer in the bright yellow vest! Guests checking in at the SF OFF box office at Pier 39. Courtesy of SF OFF Facebook page.

Most of our Chapter volunteers helped out on Friday night, February 5th, for the inaugural SF OFF "Surfing" program. One of the films shown during "Surfing" was "Surfbus."



I was unable to make it on Friday night, so I helped out on Sunday afternoon, February 7th. One of the films I caught during my program was "Free Swim." Watch the trailer here.


photo: Packed House for the "Surfing" program. Courtesy of SF OFF Facebook page.

A big thanks to our San Francisco Chapter Volunteers who helped out at SF OFF - Christy O'Connell, Dan Robinson, Sam Diamond and Brooke Tessman!!


photo: Dan Robinson on the right. Courtesy of the SF OFF Facebook page.

Thanks to Frank Firmat and Chris Connors who coordinated the SF OFF volunteers, including the Surfrider crew.

Thanks, too, to SF OFF for listing us as a "Community Partner" in the SF OFF program that everyone received when entering the event.

Here are some shots of the program.

photo: front of program


photo: community partners page

Thanks to SF OFF, too, for listing us on the "welcome" board on display right inside the event lobby! (Sorry, I didn't get a photo of the board.)

Thanks, too to SF OFF for listing us on the SF OFF website! Here's a screen shot.


photo: SF OFF website

Looking forward to SF OFF 2011!

Colbie Caillat - 9:30 Club - 10/17/2009

photo: Julie Lawson & I

by Megan Kelley, Education Coordinator - DC Surfrider Chapter

DC Surfrider was out tabling at the Colbie Caillat concert on Saturday October 17th in Washington, DC. Julie Lawson (DC Surfrider Chapter Chair), Chris Woods (DC Surfrider Music Outreach Program Coordinator) and I helped educate and gain support for local campaigns in Maryland, Virginia and the District.


photo: Chris Woods and his brother Timmy.

We gathered signatures, linked concert goers up with Surfrider, and enjoyed a great show. We even met a surfer from Hawaii - go figure! Thanks to Colbie and the staff at the 9:30 club for supporting the Surfrider Foundation!


photo: Our view from the DC Surfrider table of the main floor of the 9:30 Club - before it became full of Colbie fans!

Wild & Scenic Film Festival - Delancey Street Foundation Theater - 10/21/2009

review written by San Francisco Surfrider Member Christy O'Connell

I attended the Wild & Scenic Film Festival on Wednesday night, held at the Delancey Center Foundation screening room on the Embarcadero in San Francisco. The film festival was started by the South Yuba River Citizens League, SYRCL, a watershed advocacy group based in the Sierra foothills. The event was hosted by two Bay Area non-profits - International Rivers and the Women's Environmental Network. This film festival is the largest of it's kind in the United States. The festival travels from city to city so that a lot of people can see the films and hear their messages.

The Wednesday night San Francisco event was emceed by Michelle Chan, host of KPFA's radio program "Terra Verde." "Terra Verde" is a live public affairs program that investigates and analyzes environmental issues from a global perspective. The festival screened 11 films which varied from animation shorts to documentary style flicks.

The turnout was a variety of WEN members and pro-environment, Bay area folks. The Surfrider Foundation was one of five organizations co-sponsoring the event. (Our San Francisco Chapter's logo appeared in the film festival program.) Our table was shared with The Greywater Alliance.

I has the opportunity to learn more about greywater systems and how they can benefit homeowners. However, the purpose of the festival was to bring awareness to many topics covered by each film.

A few examples of flicks ranged from a clever animation about animals in the zoo, to how coal is ruining the Appalachian region of West Virginia's residents, pollution infecting the largest wetlands ecosystem in Puerto Rico, to one man's dutiful efforts to save the endangered Lora sea turtles from extinction.

This particular film, "Papa Tortuga" was extremely heart-warming. It followed Fernado from Tecolutla, Vera Cruz, Mexico on his daily chores of saving Lora sea turtle eggs from poachers and relocating them to safe nests til they are ready to hatch. He has a team of volunteers and has promoted his efforts through education. He invites local and distant school children to be a part of the annual release of 30, 000 baby sea turtles into the great big ocean.


photo: Children releasing the turtles

Check out the "Papa Tortuga" trailer --



It is quite remarkable to witness how one man's efforts have dramatically affected the life span of this ancient species of turtles.


photo: Papa Tortuga

It just goes to show you, that one person really can make a difference. Personally, I am going to follow-up on the mission and progress these films are promoting. They certainly have opened my eyes to environmental crises that are existing in a variety of national and international locations due to human consumerism.

Thanks to Karolo Aparicio of International Rivers who coordinated our Chapter's participation in the festival!