- Steve Benjamin

In celebration of Earth Day, the World Surf League announces the first four recipients of the WSL PURE grant program, which has been awarded to organizations in key WSL regions whose work is in support of We Are One Ocean, WSL's campaign to protect and conserve the global ocean. Each of the Grantees has been chosen in different regions around the world, including Hawaii, Brazil, South Africa, and California.

SOS Mata Atlântica | Brazil

SOS Mata Atlântica is a leading environmental non-governmental organization (NGO) working to inspire society to protect Brazil's ​most threatened coastal forest. The grant will be used to fund an awareness campaign to engage local governments and communities to take action to protect ​important coastal ecosystems, including mangroves, dunes and coral reefs, along the Brazilian ​Atlantic Forest.

Learn more about SOS Mata Atlântica.

SOS Mata Atlântica
We Are One Ocean Grantee SOS Mata Atlantica is a leading conservation organization that supported the creation or strengthening of +500 protected areas and 2 million hectare of sea and coastal protected areas. - SOS Mata Atlântica

WILDCOAST | California

WILDCOAST is an international non-profit dedicated to the conservation of coastal and marine ecosystems and addressing climate change through natural solutions. Their grant-funded project will provide conservation and education experiences around ocean conservation stewardship for youth from Kumeyaay, Chumash, Yurok, and other California Tribes and underserved park-poor communities.

Learn more about WILDCOAST.

Wildcoast is dedicated to providing conservation and education experiences to indigenous youth. Wildcoast is dedicated to providing conservation and education experiences to indigenous youth. - WILDCOAST

Mālama Pūpūkea-Waimea | HI

Malama Pūpūkea-Waimea a community non-profit based on the North Shore of Oahu working to replenish and sustain the natural and cultural resources of Pūpūkea and Waimea for present and future generations through active community stewardship, education, and partnerships. The grant will be used to address key threats to the Pūpūkea Marine Life Conservation District through outreach, education, native planting and the implementation of a community-engaged management plan.

Learn more about Malama Pūpūkea-Waimea.

Grant 4 | Mālama Pūpūkea-Waimea | HI Based on the North Shore of Oahu, Mālama Pūpūkea-Waimea works to replenish and sustain the natural and cultural resources. - Mālama Pūpūkea-Waimea

WILDOCEANS | South Africa

WILDOCEANS is an organization working to create opportunities to empower and restore socio-ecological resilience and the balance between humankind and nature, for a just and healthy planet. WILDOCEANS in partnership with the Youth4MPAs, an active youth movement, with the vision of generating youth voices that create awareness about ocean protection, plan to run a virtual African Ocean Youth Summit to engage African youth change-makers in the field of marine protection, discuss innovative solutions to current ocean related challenges, and the importance of protecting and conserving the ocean around Africa.

Learn more about WILDOCEANS.

WILDOCEANS Grantee The WILDOCEANS program is set to protect and restore marine biodiversity, and build resilience for coastal communities. - WILDOCEANS

This Earth Day, and throughout this season, the WSL is striving to preserve the future of our sport with the We Are One Ocean petition. The WSL, WSL PURE and a coalition of over 80 Non-Governmental Organizations and businesses from across the world, are calling on world leaders at the 2021 UN Convention on Biological Diversity to protect and conserve at least 30% of the global ocean by 2030, including international waters, which are largely unregulated. We urge world leaders to be led by science and an inclusive process that embraces all stakeholder communities and considers the ocean's value to the peoples of every nation.

The WSL encourages surfers and ocean lovers around the world to celebrate Earth Day by learning more and signing the petition at WeAreOneOcean.org.

World Surf League
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