Celebrate Mother Nature in April – Part I

Surfrider’s Ohana Day – April 13

Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel hold the exclusive rights to the following copyrighted material. For permission to reprint or excerpt it and/or link it to another website, contact them at  

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The month of April’s name comes from the Romans and means “to open.” It refers to the season when trees and flowers begin to open and bloom.

SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel think that this makes April the perfect month to celebrate Mother Nature. And, fortunately, there are two special days to do it – Surfrider’s Ohana Day in Seal Beach, on April 13, and Earth Day, April 22.

Ohana Day celebrates the spirit of ohana, which originated in Polynesia. It was ohana – the belief that “we are all connected to each other and to the earth itself” – that emboldened the early Polynesian seafarers to make their long, migratory journey in outrigger canoes to the Hawaiian Islands in 200 A.D.

Likening themselves to the shoots of the taro plant, which come from a common bulb (oha), the Polynesians felt that we are all one family (ohana) and must work together, taking care of each other, and honoring the land that nurtures us all. 

“Ohana is all about the kids and showing them how to respect others and the environment,” said Tony Soriano, Chairperson of the Surfrider Foundation Huntington Beach/Seal Beach Chapter.

Surfrider is hosting its annual Ohana Day celebration Sunday, April 13, from 9 am – 1 pm, at the Seal Beach Pier. SurfWriter Girls love this fun-filled beach day that brings friends and families together to relax and learn about our earth – especially the ocean.

Volunteers from event sponsor Kohl’s will be out in full force joining Surfrider and the community in a beach cleanup. 

There will be lots of time for fun and environmental education activities, too…free surf lessons from Michael Pless Sr. and the M&M Surf School team, 

a marine biology class provided by Science to U., 

and a body boarding clinic put on by Alternative Surf.
 

Plus lifeguard try-outs to watch, music, and a raffle with prizes from local businesses.

Surfrider is eager to share information about its many environmental programs, which include:

Blue Water Task Force water quality testing,

Rise Above Plastics to get rid of plastic in the ocean, 

Ocean Friendly Gardens sustainable, non-polluting gardens,

Butts Out to get cigarette butts off the beach, and more.

There will be lots to do on Ohana Day. So wax your surfboard, slather on some sun screen, and join the party at Seal Beach! 

To be continued – Join SurfWriter Girls Sunny and Patti to find out ways to celebrate Earth Day on April 22.

www.surfwritergirls.blogspot.com

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