This hands-on role is essential to keeping our cleanups running smoothly — from setting up events and maintaining cleanup kits, to supporting volunteers, collecting marine debris data, and sharing education in the community.

Originally from Scotland, Kirstie traded rain for… more rain! She fell in love with Vancouver Island’s rugged coastline and is now studying Biology and Ocean Sciences at UVic. Drawn to the coast, she spends as much time as possible on or near the water, swimming, paddle boarding, or exploring the beach. New to the Blue Water Task Force Co-Lead role, she’s grateful to be a part of the Surfrider community and excited to contribute to local efforts that protect and care for the coastal places she loves.

The ocean has always called to Chris and he's spent most of his life trying to be on, near or in it. Now living in Victoria, Chris can be found spending his time walking the local beaches with his family, paddle boarding, diving or surfing. Chris started at Surfrider as a co-beach coordinator but has now moved on to this new role as the lead for the Water Friendly Business program. Chris is energized by the ocean, so advocacy work to protect our ocean, beaches and coastlines aligns perfectly with his values

Zoë has been an active volunteer with Surfrider Vancouver Island since 2017. She was vice-chair and she worked on the Ban the Bag Campaign and various sponsorships & grants. She has been an Islander since 2014 and is originally from The Netherlands. Her work experience in research and project development with an academic background in Maritime Anthropology and Communication specialized in not-for-profit organizations, makes Zoë very knowledgeable about issues related to people and the sea and how to run not-for-profit organizations. She is passionate about inspiring people to step back and look again; to become aware of how we treat ourselves and our natural environment.

Kashike (Kash) was born on Quadra Island, B.C. and grew up being surrounded by the ocean and nature. His family often took him out fishing on the ocean, rivers, and lakes during the summer and fall, growing his passion in aquatic life and the activities around them. While attending UVic, he came across Surfrider's Foundation club, where his friend Sophia invited him for a beach cleanup. Since then, Kash has consistently attended beach cleanups organized by the club. After graduating with a B.Sc. in Mathematics, he found himself attending the beach cleanups organized by the South Vancouver Island chapter, where he was convinced by Sophia to join the chapter as a volunteer. Kash is excited to contribute to the community through the chapter while spending more time outdoors. He can often be found spending time on beaches, climbing indoors, looking for new locations to go fly fishing in, or wondering if there are any fish in the body of water he just found.

Originally from Bangladesh, Shazzad is a licensed pharmacist with several years of experience in healthcare marketing. He moved to Canada to pursue a Master of Global Management at Royal Roads University and quickly developed a strong connection to the coastal environment of Vancouver Island.Shazzad has visited Cox’s Bazar, the world’s longest natural sea beach, many times and holds a deep love for the ocean that began during those travels. He brings that passion to Surfrider, along with a unique mix of leadership, creativity, and global insight. Outside of cleanups and his studies, he enjoys hiking, discovering hidden gems around BC, and bringing his creativity to life through sketching.

Clive is an avid user of the Salish Sea waters and can often be found swimming, kayaking, harvesting bull kelp and wandering the shoreline on the hunt for plastic scraps and styrofoam waste.

Justyna grew up in Ontario and holds a degree in Health Studies and Equity Studies from the University of Toronto. After completing further education in Graphic and UX/UI Design at OCAD University, she visited Vancouver Island on a road trip in Summer 2024 and decided to make it home. Passionate about using design in meaningful and inclusive ways, she was drawn to join Surfrider’s mission of protecting our oceans and coastlines. In her free time, she enjoys swimming, hiking, travelling, and creating art.

David has been involved with Surfrider since 2016 when he found plastic pellets (nurdles) at a Willows Beach Cleanup. He has been tracking plastic pellets ever since and worked with colleagues at the University of Victoria to create a map of where they are washing up on the shores of the Salish Sea. He is currently researching the plastics industry and documenting how pellets are made, transported, and spilled around the world.

David holds Master of Library and Information Studies and likes to research environmental topics and collaborate with others on big projects. Outside of research and Surfrider volunteering, he enjoys camping, picking up trash on beaches, and hiking.