Having good friend and environmental advocate Mark Massara over in Portugal, during the process of World Surfing Reserves'(WSR) recognition of Ericeira as a WSR was a really amazing experience. Not only was Ericeira's waves and beautiful coastline honored by the international community, locally everyone was also very honored with the recognition. Even Portugal's President, officially endorsed and supported Ericeira's campaign and success to be recognized as a WSR!! Salvem o Surf (SOS) a local surf-environmental non-profit, also put together a great cycle of conferences for Mark Massara and myself to promote the learning of Portuguese coastal advocates with California's experience. From Mark's hallmark legal victories and community-building for the coast to the explanation of the WSR mission and the mechanics for it to be a useful tool for coastal preservation and protection, these conferences were a great forum to talk and ideally inspire activism all along the Portuguese coast.
I felt especially happy, despite my gnarly injury in Galicia taking me out of the water, to be able to at least share with friends, family and the public in general of Portugal alot of the environmental work I had been developing in California.
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