Getting the Community Stoked on Civics

Surfrider O'ahu Chapter hosted a 'Stoked on Civics' event on February 20, 2025 to get community members informed, engaged, and stoked on civics. Nearly 40 people came out to learn and explore all the different ways they can engage in civics and make a difference here in Hawaiʻi. We were joined by guest speakers Dolan Eversole of University of Hawai'i Seagrant, Friends of Kewalos, and Stuart Coleman with Wastewater Alternatives and Innovations to discuss some of our priority bills this session. We also had special guest, Senator Chris Lee give us a behind the scenes look at what can sometimes seem, an intimidating legislative process.

With the onslaught of federal attacks to environmental protections and increasing climate related disasters, its easy to lose hope and shut down. However, this is exactly the time where we need to lean in, exactly when we need to rise to the occasion and  lead by example and remain involved in the decision making process. 

We have a saying at Surfrider which rings true as a beacon in these difficult times and that is ʻconstant pressure endlessly applied'

Read more for key takeaways from 'Stoked on Civics' and the power and importance of civic engagement. 

O'ahu Chapter Policy Coordinator volunteer Kate Tracy, providing an overview of the Hawai'i State Legislature.

Long time Surfrider Foundation O'ahu Chapter ally, Dolan Eversole with University of Hawai'i Seagrant provides a run down on beach restoration related 2025 bills 

Senator Chris Lee giving a behind the scenes look at Hawai'i State Legislature and how to cultivate the most impactful civic engagement.  

Wastewater Alternatives and Innovations Executive Director, Stuart Coleman gets the community up to speed on bills that reduce cesspool related water pollution.  

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What is civics and how do we make the most impact?

Civics can be defined as individual and collective actions designed to identify and address issues of public concern. That means that you as an individual are doing your civic duty when you remove trash from the beach, bring your own mug to a coffee shop, to going to the capitol and providing testimony on bills important to you to going to a community meeting. 

This all begs the question, we all have limited time, so how do we make the most impact? One voice on itʻs own is powerful and certainly can shift the tide, but when that voice is joined with others with their own unique voices, it forms a wave thats is harder to ignore. So getting involved on the issues and finding groups whoʻs mission aligns with yours, or even being brave and joining groups that have different values and finding common ground is a powerful way to make impact

Surfrider Foundation Runs on Civics 

Surfrider Foundationʻs network of over 250 clubs and chapters depend on organized civic engagement. Each chapter and club is volunteer run with leadership committees and core volunteers, each their own self-governing appendage of the same body. The fact that we have only 90 staff is a testament to the passion and dedication of our volunteers. 

You might wonder, why volunteer? Why do these people spend their free time taking on more responsibilities and deciding to go to more meetings? I canʻt answer for all volunteers but it comes down to a few things:

1. We exemplify the work hard play hard motto- The Surfrider family truly is a welcoming and fun community that is food for the soul. 
2. Our track record of success gives brand recognition and credibility which means you donʻt have to re-invent the wheel when coming in and you can ride the existing momentum to make a difference on the issues that matter to you. 
3. You can really make it what you want it to be. There are so many different areas to plug in with countless resources and support to help elevate your unique voice. 

Civics Spectrum

We have a spectrum of civic engagement at Surfrider which allows us to employ holistic solutions to complex issues. From our day to day programs to fighting bad projects, to our campaigns- with constant pressure, we are able to drive real change.

When taking on the big issues like plastic pollution, coast and climate protection, water quality issues, ocean protection, and fighting for beach access we need to have a bottom up and top down approach to be successful. There is no silver bullet here, just like one piece of legislation wonʻt solve sea level rise related impacts, dune restoration alone canʻt save our beaches. But when both work in tandem, we can start to make a tangible difference. 

Itʻs also important to remember that no action is more important than other- you may be really focused on plastic pollution and want to go down to capitol and give testimony while someone else might prefer to clean up the beaches. We need both. 

Hawaiʻi Legislature

Over 3,000 bills are introduced each year at the state level and only 10% make it through. These bills govern everything from how taxpayer money is spent to laws that help protect our ocean, waves, and beaches throughout Hawaiʻi. In addition to state-wide legislation, each of the four counties in Hawaiʻi (Kauaʻi, Maui, Hawaiʻi Island, and the City and County of Honolulu/Oʻahu) pass laws that govern action at the County level. Our local chapters on each island lead and prioritize county-level legislation, while state level legislation is a combined effort led by the Hawaiʻi Regional Manager. 

Click the image below to view our 2025 Legislative Priorities

Link to Stoked on Civics Presentation