Surfrider Ventura County needs your help supporting our programs. Want to learn valuable skills while helping keep our oceans, waves, and beaches healthy and clean? Read on for our 2026 Core Volunteer Roles.
Blue Water Task Force
Autoclaver | Ongoing | 2 hours per week
Description: This volunteer will wash and sterilize all glass lab equipment through operating our autoclave, as well as provide maintenance to the autoclave. This skill is transferable to lab job settings. This will include a half-hour training.
Summer Water Samplers | mid-June through late-August | 1.5 hours per week
Description: This volunteer will follow protocols to grab ocean water (in water) samples and deliver them to our lab. Volunteers need to be local, have their own transportation, and be physically fit and comfortable in the ocean at cold temperatures and strong waves.
Summer/Fall Cyanobacteria Data Collection Program | June through November & November through March | 1.5 hours per week
Description: This volunteer will follow protocols to make observations and gather data in water and from shoreline from the Ventura River to be delivered to the BWTF Coordinator. This will include 1 hour of training at the office & 1 hour of training at the beach.
Lab Technicians | November through March | 2 hours on Thursday and 1 hour on Friday every other week
Description: This volunteer will prepare ocean water samples for incubation and results reading.
Pick up Your Dog Poop Educational Outreach | Ongoing | 2.5 hours per event
Description: This volunteer will table at various outreach events for our Pick Up Your Dog Poop Educational Outreach subprogram. This will include a half-hour training.
To inquire about any of these volunteer roles, please email Joy Downing Riley at BWTF@ventura.surfrider.org.
Ormond Beach Program
Trash Assessment Volunteer | Ongoing | 4-6 hours over 1-2 days, quarterly
Description: This volunteer will accompany the Ormond Lead to various locations to document trash using ArcGIS Field Maps. This role requires walking 2+ miles in sand and brush.
To inquire about this volunteer role, please email Joan Tharp at JTharp@ventura.surfrider.org.
Port Hueneme Beach Park Dune Restoration
Port Hueneme Dune Restoration Core Volunteer | Ongoing | 8 - 11:30 AM first Saturday of the month
Description: This volunteer will pick up and return supplies, facilitate check-in and distribution of supplies at events, and guide volunteers in restoration tasks such as the removal of non-native plant species, seed planting, and fence maintenance. Knowledge of dune ecology is a plus, but not necessary.
To inquire about the following volunteer role, please email Joan Tharp at JTharp@ventura.surfrider.org.