Surfers' Point: Surfrider videos

The Surfrider Foundation has produced several videos describing the Surfers' Point Managed Shoreline Retreat project.

Feb 25, 2025

Sep 19, 2025:

March 27, 2026: A Historic Win: Surfrider’s 1,000th Victory at Surfers’ Point

Podcast: EP.05 Fighting Climate Change with Nature-Based Solutions: Surfrider's Climate Action Program; interview with Paul Jenkin starts at 25 min

More at Surfrider.org; 

Surfrider Wins 1,000 Campaigns: A Major Milestone for our Coasts and Ocean

What Does It Take To Save Surfers' Point?

Surfers' Point: Surfrider and Coastal Resilience

State of the Beach report, evaluating coastal health and risks for communities nationwide. It also identifies key strategies for success.

Surfers' Point Nature Based Solutions video

"Fighting Climate Change with Nature," a video produced by the Surfrider Foundation featuring the Surfers' Point Managed Shoreline Retreat project:

Short version (60 sec): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fpbvWNfW3k

 

More at https://www.surfrider.org/fighting-climate-change-with-nature

Matilija Dam Student video

This spring, Buena High School students created a video on the removal of Matilija Dam.  These students are participants in the ECCOA Program of the MERITO Foundation.  

EECCOA empowers students to address climate change and ocean acidification by providing them the tools to research, design and innovate Energy Efficiency or other sustainability models their schools can adopt, or develop Ocean Acidification (OA) awareness campaigns that inform their communities.

To bring awareness of the Matilija Dam and its removal, Breanna and Ixzel interviewed Paul Jenkin from the Surfrider Foundation at the Matilija Dam to get insight into why the dam should be removed and its history.  Their video production won first place in the annual ECCOA Award program.

 

Ojai Film Festival 2016

Ojai Valley Green Coalition - FOCUS EARTH

On Sunday Nov 6th, the Ojai Valley Green Coalition sponsored a water-themed afternoon of films and discussion.  The Surfrider Foundation "Cycle of Insanity" short film and a new film titled "Beyond the Mirage: The Future of Water in the West," set the stage for a panel discussion.  The sold-out audience was primarily Ojai residents, eager to learn more about water management during this ongoing drought.

"Beyond the Mirage" explains the tenuous nature of the Colorado River and California State Water projects under the uncertainty of climate change.  It explained how this huge plumbing system has been overallocated, and why decreased snowpack could lead to the failure of a system which has provided for the growth of megacities in the desert southwest, including those in California.

A timely discussion, given the push right now to hook the Ventura River up to state water...


Ojai Valley Green Coalition: The Future of Water Panel Discussion 11.6.16 720 from Ojai Valley Green Coalition on Vimeo.




More info:

Ojai Valley Green Coalition - FOCUS EARTH

Cycle of Insanity

http://beyondthemirage.org/

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KCET - CA Coastal Trail

KCET, the nation's largest independent public television station, is producing a series on the California Coastal Trail.  Starting at the Mexican border this past winter, they are making their way north to highlight communities along the 1000 mile trail.

In this episode they visit Surfers Point in Ventura: 
 

Restoring Surfer's Point at Seaside Park:  "I think if you look back in history, we've made a lot of mistakes in how we've treated the California coast," explains Paul Jenkin, member of the Surfrider Foundation of Ventura County.

See https://www.facebook.com/surfrider/videos/10153152910368305

In other episodes, 

Ventura's mayor gives an overview of the city;
Ventura: Channel Island Views and Laid-Back Shores


and Surfrider's Chad Nelsen is featured in the episode on his hometown;
Laguna Beach: Where Art and Nature Thrive

Visit KCET for the entire series on the California Coastal Trail

Ventura River Cleanup short film

The "Big Ventura River Cleanup" was featured at this weekend's fourth annual Wild and Scenic Film Festival sponsored by the Ventura Hillsides Conservancy.  The film was produced by CAPS community television and is currently showing on CAPS cable TV in Ventura.

The locally produced 'Watershed Revolution' film was featured in this film festival in 2009.  (And was aired nationwide in 2010 on PBS http://www.naturalheroestv.org/season5/watershedrevolution.html)

The Big Ventura River Cleanup is evidence that our local Watershed Revolution is underway!

More River Cleanups

During the week of September 17, the County of Ventura did a major cleanup of the Ventura River starting at the upper end of the levee at Stanley Rd, working their way down to the Main Street bridge.  Officials estimated 100 tons of trash and debris were removed. This effort was planned and coordinated with the City of Ventura and other responsible parties in the Trash TMDL, as well the social services organizations working to help relocate those who called the riverbottom home.

The Ventura Hillsides Conservancy held two volunteer work days in September, with more being planned in October and November.  The video below was filmed for CAPS cable TV in Ventura:

The Ventura Hillsides Conservancy work days have filled three large dumpsters, with many more to go.  The photo below shows trash piled up along the bank of the river.  September sees the lowest flows of the year, and when the rains come all this debris will be flushed out of the rivermouth into the ocean and onto the beaches!  

The next work day is scheduled for October 27, and VHC hopes to remove these piles (this is just one) before the rains come.  See below for more info.

Graffiti under Main St bridge

As this image suggests, there is more to this issue than cleaning up the mess.  The riverbottom has been home for many people, with the population increasing dramatically over the past decade.  The Ventura River has become a destination, both for those seeking refuge, as well as other cities seeking a place to send their homeless.  EVICTION DAY is a film that focuses on the environmental issue surrounding the habitation by homeless in the mouth of the Ventura River.  The film will be showing at the Ojai Film Festival on Saturday Oct 27, as part of the afternoon Focus Earth -OCEANS and WATER.  Paul Jenkin of The Surfrider Foundation and Ben Pitterle of Santa Barbara Channelkeeper will head up the panel discussion related to ocean and watershed environmental issues. 

Volunteer Event:

River Clean -Up - VHC Willoughby Property - Saturday, October 27 9AM-Noon.  This event is part of the Points of Light Institute's "Make a Difference" Day of Service. We've cut the grass, now it's time to take out the trash. Yes, we have quite a schedule of chores ahead of us on the Willoughby Property.  If you have looked over the Main Street Bridge lately you know what we mean.  The CREW has cleared a great deal of Arundo exposing mounds of trash and debris.  E. J. Harrison will provide the roll-off bin, we'll have the buckets, gloves, grabbers and protective gear.  You bring hard-toed shoes, long pants and long-sleeve shirts and sun protection.  Park at the Main Street lot or along Peking or better yet ride your bike! Together we can make a big difference in the River.
More info: lsherman@venturahillsides.org or  643-8044.


In the news:
 Officials clean up Ventura River bottom for what they hope is last time - VC Star

The Ventura River bottom diaspora
...    “Free camping [in the river bottom] is not free because of the cost of police and fire and all those people living in unsanitary conditions ending up in county hospitals [or] prisons that taxpayers pay for,” said Paul Jenkin, a representative from Friends of the Ventura River coalition.

Restoration and recreation replacing dangerous illegal camping along the Ventura River - VCReporter

Trash piled up under the Main Street Bridge, Sept 23, 2012

One of the filled dumpsters with trash from the lower Ventura River

West Coast EBM Network video

New video profiles several of the projects within the West Coast Ecosystem-based Management Network.

Ocean Friendly Gardens video

The Ventura County Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation has been actively working to solve the urban runoff problem.  Starting at home, Ocean Friendly Gardens demonstrates how to transform the urban environment from one that pollutes the ocean thru a 'Pave it, Pipe it, Drain it' mentality, into an landscape that 'Slows it, Spreads it, and Sinks it.'

The Chapter is proud to present a new video about Ocean Friendly Gardens, now viewable online at the City of Ventura's 'Water Take 1' website:

The Surfrider Foundation’s spring Ocean Friendly Garden series was a huge sucess. The series started with a Watershed Basics Class on March 10,  where participants learned the fundamentals of OFG and their garden’s relationship to our watershed.  The next event, a Hands-On Workshop (HOW) was held April 15 from 9 am to Noon on-site at a local resident’s home where participants conducted a site evaluation and design a garden.   And on May 12, over 30 volunteers came out for the Garden Workday which dramatically changed one residential landscape from a flat impervious lawn into a 'sponge' garden that will not only conserve water, but also capture and infiltrate runoff that would otherwise contribute to the urban runoff problem in Ventura.


Watch the video: http://www.watertake1.com/videos/watch/ocean-friendly-gardens/

Water Take 1: http://www.watertake1.com/

In the News:  http://www.vcstar.com/news/2012/may/24/surfrider-partners-with-city-to-promote-ocean/

More info: http://ww2.surfrider.org/ventura/VenturaOFG.html

                 http://www.surfrider.org/programs/entry/ocean-friendly-gardens

                  http://www.sscrcd.org/rainwater.php


...

Ventura's Watershed - Interview with Paul Jenkin

Ventura's Watershed with Surfrider Foundation's Paul Jenkin from Pulse TV & Maverick Media on Vimeo.

'Release Me' at VHC Film Festival

This past weekend the Ventura Hillsides Conservancy once again hosted the Wild & Scenic Film Festival On Tour!

The event held at the Poinsettia Pavilion in Ventura drew hundreds of residents for two evenings of inspired, informative and innovative cinema.  The common theme was inspiring activism, and the films highlighted many examples of citizen activists from around the country.  Subjects included dam removal and river restoration, as well as the Brower Youth Awards and a film about the successful re-introduction of the bald eagle to our local Channel Islands National Park.  This film festival and past Conservancy events are archived here.

The final film on Saturday night was 'Release Me,' an independent film produced last summer by a student group through the Blue Horizons Summer Film Program at UCSB.  The film has been shown at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival and many other events, promoted heavily by Darryl Mimick, one of the three producers.

The film provides a glimpse into the removal of Matilija Dam, a campaign that is now almost two-decades long.  The screening was followed by an opportunity for the audience to ask questions of Darryl and Paul Jenkin.

The film is now streaming online in case you missed it on Saturday night, or want to share it with others:

Release Me from Darryl Mimick on Vimeo.

Release Me, Darryl Mimick, Amanda Wasserman, and Skye Featherstone (USA) A story of one man's journey to fight for the removal of the Matilija Dam. Paul Jenkin, a passionate environmentalist and founder of the Matilija Coalition has dedicated the last 20 years of his professional life to witness the removal of the dam and bring awareness to its negative ecological impacts, such as the annihilation of the steelhead salmon and the displacement of sediment. Additionally, this is a story about individuals having a sense of purpose in their communities and taking initiative to solve local issues. People have the power to incite positive change; all they have to do is take that first step. Paul Jenkin is a perfect example of this.

...

PBS Natural Heroes

Watershed Revolution, our documentary about the Ventura River aired on PBS this Fall.  Visit the Natural Heroes website to view the film: http://www.naturalheroestv.com/season5/watershedrevolution.html 



Watershed Revolution asks the question "What is a Watershed?" The answer is explored through interviews with concerned citizens working to protect and preserve Southern California's Ventura River watershed while stunning high definition cinematography highlights the beauty of the river. The unique challenges faced by a river that is the sole source of water for a thirsty community are brought to life and will change forever your definition of a watershed.

Watershed Revolution is a 30-minute film that profiles community members and organizations working to protect and restore our watershed. It highlights the need for open space and floodplain protection, sustainable agriculture, and community awareness of our most precious resource: water.

Find Out More:
Many links to watershed educational resources, watershed grants and more available through the film's website:  www.watershedrevolution.com

The film may also be viewed here: http://vimeo.com/20269898


About the Producer:

Producer and Director Rich Reid started his professional photography career over 20 years ago at UC Santa Barbara. His profession allows him to travel and photograph his favorite subjects; wildlife, adventure and landscapes. His photography and cinematography are both represented by National Geographic. Time-lapse photography and producing environmental documentaries have become his most recent passions.
Rich also works frequently with non-profit organizations preserving lands and cultural sites with his photography. "Watershed Revolution" is his first film, and everyone involved volunteered his or her time to help tell this important story. Find out more about Rich through his website.

Surfers' Point time-lapse video

Time lapse video is a great way to view change over time.  We were able to capture a lot of the work that has been completed at Surfers' Point by using simple time lapse cameras.  Rich Reid explains how he does it:

Surfers' Point - Managed Shoreline Retreat - time-lapses from Rich Reid on Vimeo.

Matilija Dam spills after rain

Matilija Dam was spilling on Monday following the big storm of the season:

view video on YouTube

Matilija Canyon logged over 10 inches of rain, flows at Foster Park peaked at 20,000 cubic feet per second (cfs)

This hydrograph is from the USGS gaging station, available on the web here:

http://waterdata.usgs.gov

http://ca.water.usgs.gov/webcams/ventura/



...

Restoring the Shore

The Ventura County Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation has been working for over 15 years to help plan the restoration of Surfers' Point. This world class surf break was once in danger of being compromised by a seawall, and will soon be the site of an innovative 'Managed Shoreline Retreat' project.

Construction of the first phase of the project is scheduled to begin in September 2010 and be completed by May 2011. More information: www.surferspoint.org

This short (10 min) video describes the project:



We also cut this short PSA (Public Service Announcement) for local broadcast:

Cycle of Insanity at SCWRP

I presented Cycle of Insanity at this month's meeting of the Ventura County Wetlands Task Force, a subgroup of the Southern California Wetlands Recovery Project. The taskforce serves a coordination role for all the diverse watershed stakeholders in Ventura County.

One purpose of the film is to communicate Surfrider's proactive vision for the 'restored water cycle,' and how our use of freshwater resources impacts the coast and ocean.


This vision comes from the need to develop truly integrated water management strategies, especially in Southern California where the majority of the population relies on imported water.
Comments from task force members included;

• This should be made available for all teachers in our region.
• Why isn't agriculture included in the solutions?

So if you're a teacher, or know a teacher, please help spread the word. This video is streaming online at http://knowyourh2o.org/

And in response to agriculture: the project was directed more to urban solutions since this is where the IRWMP integrated water management programs are directed. There is undoubtedly a need to support and develop sustainable agriculture, but you can't cover everything in a 20 minute video (...we almost did!)

Cycle of Insanity video

Know Your H2O website is up with the Cycle of Insanity video

The Cycle of Insanity: The Real Story of Water from Surfrider Foundation on Vimeo.

Cycle of Insanity debut

Monday was World Water Day

In celebration, the San Diego Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation hosted a premiere of 'The Cycle of Insanity' at UC San Diego.


The Cycle of Insanity: The Real Story of Water was created by a team of Surfrider Foundation activists, and sponsored by the California Chapters.

'Team Insanity' pictured here includes actor Zuleikha Robinson of the television show Lost.



The event at UCSD included a panel discussion following the film. Water experts gave thier impression of the film and an overview of the work they do, followed by questions from the audience.


In the film, the different water agencies are represented by animated 'drips' of water. Those who attended were greeted by 3 'drips' outside the building.


The San Diego Chapter throws a great event!

Cycle of Insanity film trailer

The Cycle of Insanity: The Real Story of Water

The H20 project is coming to fruition, thanks to a dedicated crew of creative Surfrider volunteers and staff. We recognize that our current water management systems are broken, and this 'Cycle of Insanity' is the root cause of many of our coastal problems.

This new short film dives into controversial problems and solutions related to water management and serves as a practical outline for citizens curious about water issues.

The Cycle of Insanity: The Real Story of Water - TRAILER 1 from Surfrider Foundation San Diego C on Vimeo.

The film's public premiere will cooincide with World Water Day, Monday March 22, 2010. The San Diego Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation will sponsor an event at The Loft on the campus of UC San Diego.

The project was spearheaded by the San Diego Chapter and co-sponsored by Surfrider Chapters throughout California, including the Ventura County Chapter.

If you don't see the film here (and are seeing this on FB), click on "view original post."

Green Schools Conference

Saturday January 23, 2009
SUSTAINING SUSTAINABILITY: 2ND REGIONAL SCHOOLS GOING GREEN CONFERENCE

Besant Hills School hosted this conference for schools in the region going 'Green.' It was a beautiful day in the upper Ojai Valley.

I was invited to show Watershed Revolution and talk about the importance of water education to over 100 teachers and students.

The Keynote Presentation was 'Smart by Nature, Educating for Sustainability,' presented by Karen Brown from the Center for Ecoliteracy. She concluded her talk with a photo of the first lady breaking ground on the new organic garden on the Whitehouse lawn. She attributed this historical moment to the teachers and students around the country who are making sustainability a priority.

We had the opportunity to learn about programs at Besant Hills and other schools in the region. Here we were shown the organic farm which helps provide food for the school. Besant Hills School uses simple cues, such as trash receptacles and compost, to remind students of resource cycles.

An inspiring presentation about Midland School, in the Santa Ynez Valley, showed how they engrain a sense of responsibility in their students. Aside from growing thier own food and caring for the land, the school is notorious for their 'shower fires.' Each day one student is reponsible for chooping wood to heat the water for his or her classes showers - the feedback is immediate if the job is not done!

It is inspiring to see educators working to shift the next generation into a revived eco-consciousness that will prepare a new generation of leadership.