When we launched Sustainable Surf almost 15 years ago, we didn’t know yet which one of our innovative programs would become most effective in helping us achieve our mission: to regenerate the health of our Ocean for the benefit of both people and planet – but we knew that Seatrees was something extra special from the start…
The Seatrees program has now become the cornerstone of our organization’s mission, by enabling us to partner with local communities to restore coastal marine ecosystems worldwide. Our 25+ Seatrees project sites so far have included kelp and mangrove forests, seagrass meadows, coastal watersheds, coral and shellfish reefs. And these environments are not only major biodiversity hotspots and inspiring places for humans to play, but they’re also the most effective ecosystems on the planet for soaking up and storing the carbon emissions that are fueling the climate’s shift to a warmer (and weirder acting) world.
As we look to the future (and looked out of our LA headquarter’s office windows last week at the smoke flowing from the devastating wildfires) – it is clear that solving the twin crises of a rapidly changing global climate, and the shockingly fast loss of biodiversity in nature around the world – will demand our full attention as an organization.
Which is why the entire Sustainable Surf team has voted to take the extraordinary step of changing our organization’s official name to Seatrees – to better reflect the evolution of our authentic pathway for fulfilling our mission, and our dedication to achieving our ambitious goals.
To better understand the organization’s journey so far, we spoke with Michael Stewart, co-founder of Sustainable Surf (and official name of the Seatrees program), about the name change, what it means, and where we’re headed next in this new year.
Let’s dive in:
Why the name change from Sustainable Surf to Seatrees?
Michael Stewart: Over the past decade, Sustainable Surf has been focused on harnessing the power of the ocean, to create tangible, positive outcomes and a clear vision of what a sustainable (and stoked) future for global surf culture – could (and should) look like.
We did this by turning trashed gear into treasured objects, spurring innovation in sustainable surfboards, “greening up” the World Tour of Surfing – and perhaps most importantly – by catalyzing the growth of new coastal ecosystem restoration projects around the world, through our Seatrees program.
And while we’re proud of all the programs we’ve launched since 2011, Seatrees has delivered the biggest social, environmental, and economic impacts by far since its launch in 2019 (with over 4 million Seatrees planted or restored, within 6 different ecosystem types, and across 25 separate project sites) all in support of our mission.
And it’s a good thing too, because it’s also now clear that the world is facing both a Climate and Biodiversity crisis, which is already affecting everyone on the planet.
Is this a shift in focus for the organization?
Michael Stewart: I don’t really see the name change as a shift in focus for the organization, it’s more like we are adjusting the lens of who we are and what we do – to create a sharper image of where our efforts are going to be most effective to accomplish the mission.
Our journey began with focusing on growing more sustainability efforts within the business world of surfing — and programs like Waste to Waves, Deep Blue Events, and the ECOBOARD Project, helped set new standards for what brands should be doing to help reduce their environmental impacts.
But as we grew through those early years, it became clear that helping businesses and individuals just do “Less Bad” for the ocean was not good enough.
We knew we had to help people do “Real Good” in the world, which required us to shift our own mindset away from just being “sustainable“ – and towards actions focused on the “regeneration” or the restoration of the ocean’s damaged ecosystems.
The Seatrees program was created out of that effort, and now that we’ve proven that the model works – we’re focused on scaling our impact so that by the end of 2030, we will have been able to support over 100 new Seatrees projects worldwide.
We believe that the name change from Sustainable Surf to Seatrees – represents our singular focus and commitment to reaching that very ambitious goal.
What will happen to flagship programs like The ECOBOARD Project?
Michael Stewart: We love surfing and surfboards – so The ECOBOARD Project isn’t going anywhere—it’s evolving with us. Moving forward, our goal is to see every surfboard that carries the ECOBOARD logo be made with better materials & processes, and that it will leave a positive legacy for the ocean by planting Seatrees.
How does Seatrees address the biodiversity and climate crises?
Michael Stewart: Both these crises are deeply intertwined and connected. By restoring habitats like mangroves, kelp forests, and coral reefs, we can help reverse climate change, rebuild nature’s lost biodiversity of plants and animals, and empower local communities. The Seatrees program is perfectly designed to help solve both the biodiversity and climate crisis at the same time – and so that’s where we will focus our energy and resources.
What are you most excited about for Seatrees’ future?
Michael Stewart: The fact that we’ve created so many cool and easy opportunities for anyone to jump in and become part of the solution. We’ve built a strong foundation with incredible wins, and now we’re looking ahead to scaling our impact – for the benefit of people, and all the other sea creatures on our ocean planet.
This isn’t just a name change - it’s a game changer for us as an organization – and we hope our example inspires others to join us on this exciting journey.
