Surfside Cares: Celebrating Earth Month
Surfside has long been known for its beautiful environment, namely its pristine beach and the Loggerhead Sea Turtles who love to nest here. Four years ago, in an effort to protect the abundant marine life and surrounding community, a progressive resolution was passed to prohibit the sale or use of plastic straws in any commercial or Town establishment, urging visitors and residents to #SkipTheStraw.
According to Strawless Ocean, Americans use more than 500 million straws every day and most end up in the ocean, polluting the water and harming marine life. Straws are one of the top 10 pieces of garbage affecting the ocean. In fact, a turtle was once found with over 1,000 pieces of plastic in its stomach. By 2050, scientists predict there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish. By limiting your use of plastic straws, and plastic in general, you can help keep oceans clean and marine life safe.
Doing our part to minimize the use of harmful products and keeping them off our ecosystem is important and a real challenge. Maintaining the beach litter-free is the goal behind the five Fill A Bag (FAB) Beach Cleanup stations installed at multiple locations to mitigate litter. Keeping our beach clean is a responsibility that all Surfside residents and visitors must share.
If you happen to visit us during Earth Day towards the end of the month, make sure to stop by the Park and Recreation Department's Earth Day Resource Fair, an annual tradition celebrating sustainability, the environment and nature photography.
To reinforce our commitment to a cleaner, greener future, the Town has taken on proactive measures like bans on Styrofoam, plastic straws and called for the elimination of all single-use plastics at Town-sponsored events. Over the past decade, Surfside has passed several environmentally-friendly ordinances and became one of the first municipalities to develop a comprehensive Climate Crisis Report and Action Plan to outline the destination's vulnerabilities and measures needed to respond.
One Community, One Goal
Having community partners that share our vision for a more sustainable future is integral to reinforcing our message to visitors and residents. In 2019, the Four Seasons Hotel and Residences at The Surf Club achieved the internationally recognized Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, (LEED) Silver Certification. Additional environmental initiatives at the property include a partnership with Clean the World, a hospitality soap recycling organization that repurposes unused soap and liquid amenities for distribution in countries of need, and the use of the Orca, a special machine that processes food waste into water.
Surfside's own residents take preservation very seriously, but why not have a bit of fun with it? Resident Rodrigo Buitori, known by many as the @plasticfisherman, started his Plastic Fisherman initiative just a few years ago right here in Surfside.
The idea is to promote environmental awareness and to pick up pieces of plastic along the beach to form unique temporary art pieces in the shapes of fish or other marine life.
Here's how to join the movement!
1. Pick up five or more pieces of plastic polluting your beach or community.
2. Use them to make a little 🐟
3. Snap a photo of your catch 📸.
4. Share it on using #plasticfishing
5. Clean it all up and put it in the 🗑️.
Learn more at PlasticFisherman.com.
Connecting with Nature
They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder and most Surfsiders appreciate our shoreline’s natural beauty, a stark departure from the more manicured look found in other areas. Our coastal ecosystems contain vegetation like American Beach Grass (Ammophila Brevligulata) which helps stabilize sand while providing a habitat for coastal flora and fauna.
Seagrape plants (Coccoloba Uvifera) are also popular throughout the beach. This highly resilient, native, salt-tolerant species of plant is found along many of Florida’s beaches. Plants may appear as low-spreading bushes or tall-continuous hedges along the sand dunes. This plant can be identified by its grape-like clusters of fruit and thick-circular leaves. This fruit is food for several native birds and mammals while the protective canopy provides habitat for animals like songbirds, lizards, gopher tortoises and beach mice. A simple stroll through the beach or down Surfside’s tranquil walking path is a great way to take in the ecosystem.
If you are an early riser, an oceanside meditation session at sunrise is just what the doctor ordered. Top it off with an invigorating swim or surf session in our southern Atlantic waters and you'll feel connected to the real essence of our small Town's natural wonders.
Where we vacation matters, so when planning your next beach adventure, remember that Surfside cares.
To book your Surfside trip and learn more about our accommodation options, please visit our hotels page.