You might have heard the news recently that Punta De Lobos officially became a World Surfing Reserve and Noosa in Queensland, Australia was selected to be the next one – but what exactly is a World Surfing Reserve? And why should we care or get involved?
To answer the first question we went to the source. Launched in 2009, World Surfing Reserves were designed to be “a global model for preserving wave breaks and their surrounding areas by recognizing and protecting the key environmental, cultural, economic and community attributes of surfing areas.”
In the case of Punta De Los Lobos, preserving the area required purchasing a 4.5 acre swath of land adjacent to the fabled point break through a collective fundraising effort and turning it over to Fundacion Punta De Lobos. Action by individuals and established organizations like Patagonia, Packard Foundation, The Marisla Foundation, and Waitt Foundation was critical to success. The target amount of $750,000 was achieved and the area was ultimately purchased, handed over to a local organization, and designated a reserve.
But why should someone living in a different hemisphere even care? There are multiple reasons. Each World Surfing Reserve serves as an example of what can be done to protect not only waves we surf but the surrounding ecosystems. Much like puzzle pieces they add to the overall picture of conservation. Noosa will be the 10th World Surfing Reserve among a list that includes Guarda Do Embau, Gold Coast, Bahia De Todos Santos, Huanchaco, Santa Cruz, Malibu, Ericeira, and Puta De Los Lobos. Every inch of ground protected adds to the likelihood of establishing a more sustainable connection to the places we love to immerse in.
For a visual reminder about why we might want to preserve places like Punta De Lobos watch the video below.
To support Save The Waves go to this site.
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