The Surfrider Ventura June Chapter Meeting was held on June 2nd at the EP Foster Library in downtown Ventura. The focus was on water quality issues highlighting our Blue Water Task Force and Ocean Friendly Gardens programs.
Through Surfrider’s Clean Water Initiative, we strive to protect water quality and
reduce pollution, so it is safe for you and your family to surf, swim, and play
in our ocean and coastal waterways.
To meet this goal this month, BWTF Chapter volunteers helped build awareness
of our Ventura County water pollution problems and featured Surfrider’s nature-
based solution to protect clean water and healthy coastal ecosystems through
our Ocean Friendly Gardens program.
Ocean Friendly Gardens promotes using native plants which do not need
pesticides or insecticides, reducing chemical pollutants that wash into our local
coastal watershed.
We had a blast hearing from David Laak from the Ventura County Stormwater
Division and Susan Birch from Ventura Water. David featured what is in our
stormwater runoff. Paul Jenkin, Ventura Campaign Coordinator, explained the
principles of Ocean Friendly Gardens and how we can reduce our use of
insecticides and pesticides that wash into the ocean where we recreate, and
marine life habitats thrive. Susan explained the multiple resources Ventura Water has for homeowners to learn gardening practices as well provides free gardening tools for your yard.
Read more about how Blue Water Task Force and Ocean Friendly Gardens work
together to keep pollutants from our watershed at a behind-the-scenes blog at
https://ventura.surfrider.org/news/ocean-friendly-gardening. You can read more
about the benefits that Ocean Friendly Gardens brings to our ocean environment
and to homeowners alike.
For questions, email bwtf@ventura.surfrider.org
