Feb 27 2025 44 mins
Nik Strong-Cvetich is the CEO at Save The Waves Coalition and Commissioner, Parks and Recreation Commission at City of Santa Cruz.
Nik Strong-Cvetich shares his journey from Washington to Santa Cruz, his passion for surf conservation, and the evolution of the Save the Waves Coalition. He highlights the importance of community collaboration in protecting surf ecosystems and shares innovative approaches like surf break insurance. The conversation also touches on future projects and how individuals can get involved in conservation efforts.
Nik discusses:
- Save the Waves Coalition, focusing on surf ecosystem conservation.
- Save the Waves growth from a 2-person team to 15, impacting surf ecosystems in 15 countries.
- Surfing deeply connected to local economies and conservation efforts.
- Community collaboration is essential for successful conservation projects.
- Innovative solutions like surf break insurance being developed to protect surf economies.
- The World Surfing Reserve program recognising and protects outstanding surf breaks.
- Nick's personal journey in conservation began with his childhood experiences in Washington state.
- The importance of storytelling and social media in raising awareness for conservation efforts.
- Future projects: Expanding conservation efforts in Mexico & the Azores, Portugal.
- Individuals can get involved through donations, the Save the Waves app, and local campaigns.
You can follow what Nik Strong-Cvetich is up to on LinkedIn.
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