PNW Annual Surfrider Conference: August 15-17th

We’re excited to announce that the PNW Conference Event Page and Registration is up and running with details on topics, speakers and the weekend’s events. Deadline for registration is August 1, but we encourage you to register as soon as possible if you plan to attend! This year’s event is at the Adobe Resort in Yachats, Oregon, a spectacular and special place and a great place to gather and share some Surfrider stoke! The event will feature topics and speakers from British Columbia to our headquarters in San Clemente, lots of great folks are joining us this year!

Location

Lodging and conference will take place at the Adobe Resort in Yachats, Oregon. We expect this year to be an awesome event, given a pretty spectacular location! Located just around the corner from the Cape Perpetua Marine Reserve, Yachats offers plenty of nearby surfing opportunities, marine gardens to explore and one of the most beautiful old growth forest hikes on the planet. It’s truly a special place.

Cost

Surfrider Foundation will cover the cost of chapter rooms and meals for Friday night BBQ, Saturday and Sunday breakfasts and Saturday’s lunch! Some field trips may require a small fee, depending on how many individuals sign up and those are optional (more info. on registration page). Rooms will be shared and a limited number of rooms are available for each chapter. For questions regarding rooming, contact cplybon@surfrider.org.

Register

The deadline for registering is August 1, 2014. REGISTER NOW - *Note - You must be a Chapternet user to officially register for conference, please check in with your closest local chapter if you're not a user or do not know what Chapternet is.

Topics / Speakers

• Volunteer Recruitment and Retention | Sarah Adams, San Diego Chapter and Volunteer Manager of Voices for Children, Beth Hawkyard, Newport Chapter and Volunteer Manager for the Oregon Coast Aquarium
• What Invasive Species Have to Do With Beach Cleanups | Dr. John Chapman, Dept. of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University
• Chapter Advisory Council | Tara Brock, PNW Regional Council Representative, Ed Mazzarella, Director of Chapters
• Blue Water Task Force |Eleanor Hines, Northwest Straits Chapter, Charlie Plybon, Oregon Field Manager
• Membership and Fundraising Elements | Nancy Eiring - Surfrider Director of Membership,
• Running Effective Chapters: Meetings & Structure | Tara Brock - Portland Chapter, Vancouver Chapter
• Chapter Fundraising: Events & Partnerships | Vancouver Island Chapter, Portland Chapter
• Oregon Marine Reserves | Gus Gates - Oregon Policy Manager
• Washington Marine Spatial Planning | Casey Dennehy, Washington Coast Program Manager
• A Rising Tide: Climate Change Issues & Surfrider | Various Environmental Staff
• Executive Resources and Challenges - Training and Group Discussion | Brice Boland Washington Field Manager, Charlie Plybon Oregon Field Manager

Activities / Field Trips

• Friday 3-6pm - Marine Reserve Field Trip | Paul Englemeyer, Audubon Society and Gus Gates, Surfrider will lead this awesome adventure from coastal rainforest down to the Cape Perpetua Marine Reserve (free)
• Friday 7pm - BBQ and Social - Adobe Resort | Sponsored by Ninkasi (free)
• Sunday Time TBA - Optional Marine Garden Tidepooling Field Trip; a fee for this trip applies.

About/Who Should Attend

Chapter Conferences are annual gatherings of Surfriders, held to offer networking, training, sharing, learning, and merry-making opportunities. Invitations are extended from HQ to Chapter leaders each year, and chapter members coordinate through their Executive Committee’s which volunteers should attend. Leaders and new volunteers to Surfrider alike are highly encouraged, so please do check in with your local chapter if you're unsure. The hope is that attending activists will bring back new skills & fresh ideas to their Chapters. Many chapters will actually be presenting at the conference, sharing their ideas and organizational best practices.