My love of the coast and oceans was nurtured from birth by my Marine Biologist Dad and a Mom who adores the beach. My earliest recollections of coastal environmentalism were the bumper stickers on our VW bus that read "Be Blue" and "Save the Bay". I was fortunate to grow up in Southern RI; exposed to the pristine and fragile coastal ecological resources. Hours and days of childhood /young adulthood spent on the beaches, rocky shorelines, in and around Narrow River and Salt Pond, and later as an adult who became passionately involved in surfing... I have watched, been saddened and angered by the “shifting baselines”. I am presently employed by the University of Rhode Island Coastal Institute working with the North Atlantic Coast - Cooperative Ecological Studies Unit (CESU). Watching scientific minds and NPS staff in the field work together to manage, restore and save our precious resources. Perhaps most importantly; as both a Chapter activist for the Surfrider Foundation, and a member of their National Board of Directors, I strive to be “part of the solution”. Why? to insure that my daughter will grow up experiencing our coast as a vital, living wonder