Surfrider Foundation Looks Out for Folly

Conservation. Activism. Research. Education.

Those are the core principles for the Surfrider Foundation, an organization “dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world’s oceans, waves, and beaches for all people.” The Charleston Chapter is active on Folly Beach and works to make the sand, waterways, and marshes beautiful, accessible, and thriving. It’s an important goal.

But what exactly does the Surfrider Foundation do? Plenty.

• Every other Tuesday evening, a group meets to clean the trash from the two busiest parts of Folly—the beach under the pier and at the Washout. The group picks up trash and debris in the sand and dunes during their beach sweeps.
• They assist the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources to recycle monofilament fishing line by emptying and maintaining the recycling stations at the Folly Beach boat landing and the Sol Legare boat landing. Fishing line is collected and sent to DNR who is able to recycle it into plastic fishing lures.
• Surfrider works with local schools to do marsh sweeps during the fall (or as they are needed) in order to pick up trash that makes it was from the roadways into the marshes.
• The group installed more than 20 “Butt Cannons” at beach access points to provide a place for smokers to put their cigarette butts when they leave the beach.
• More than 25 “Mutt Mitts” have been installed and maintained on Folly Beach, which means pet owners can clean up after their pets when they’re on the beach.
• The local chapter also supports and participates in national and global Surfrider programs, which supports beaches world wide. 

If you want to get involved with Surfrider to help keep Folly Beach pristine and beautiful, visit Charleston.Surfrider.org.