Protecting Our Planet

Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel

Like the tree in Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree, who gives everything to the young boy who loves him, mangrove trees give everything to our planet and its inhabitants.

Mangrove forests, which grow along salty ocean shorelines in tropical and subtropical latitudes, are made up of some 80 different species of plants that can subsist in low-oxygen soil.

Noted for their tangle of roots that appear to grow above ground supporting the plants as if on stilts, mangrove trees oxygenate the environment and stabilize coastlines from erosion.

Mangrove trees truly are giving trees. Five times more effective than rain forests at removing carbon from the atmosphere, NASA calls them “among the world’s best carbon-scrubbers.”

Mangrove forests also provide food and shelter to sea life, including a wide variety of fish, shellfish, algae, plankton, amphibians, birds, and mammals.

Critical to the health of our planet, mangrove trees can be found along the shorelines of over 100 countries and territories, with over 40 percent of them located in Asia.

SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel learned that the world’s largest forest of mangrove trees covers an area of about 10,000 km in Bangladesh’s Sundarbans Reserve Forest between the Baleshwar River and the Bay of Bengal.

Due to coastal development, deforestation, climate change, pollution, and other factors, though, forests such as this are at extreme risk and could even become extinct unless countries come up with sustainable practices to protect them.

To create more forests, the SeaTrees Project, started by the Sustainable Surf non-profit organization, has been on a mission to plant millions of mangrove trees (with over 3 million so far!).

Other organizations supporting the mangroves include Conservation International, the World Wildlife Fund, the Nature Conservancy, and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

To save these trees that give so much, the place to start is by giving back.

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Penguins Chill Out at North Pole

Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel

With Earth Day (April 22nd) coming soon, now is the perfect time to see Alex Hallatt’s eco-themed, syndicated comic strip Arctic Circle. The penguin characters that are the comic’s stars aren’t surfers, but they share the same environmental interests and fears of global warming. After all, the ice cap is their home.

Hallatt’s strip, which King Features first syndicated in August 2007, is about three penguins who have migrated from the Antarctic to the small town of Snowpeak within the Arctic Circle. In their adopted home, the penguins’ neighbors include a polar bear, a snow bunny, a lemming and an Arctic tern.

Together, from their Northernmost vantage point, they make the best of all the modern day issues of the 21st Century from climate change, new technologies, relationships and ocean pollution to genetically modified organisms gone wild.

As for how she happened to put her penguins in the Arctic Circle, Hallatt explains in the book she co-authored, The Art of Cartooning, that when she first started the comic strip “I didn’t really enjoy drawing. I thought the Arctic would give me lots of lovely, white, blank space with no complicated backgrounds.”

Since then Hallatt says her attitude toward drawing has changed and “I’ve engineered my Arctic universe to include a lot more than snow, sea and ice.”

SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel love Arctic Circle’s mix of humor and ecology, which reflects Hallatt’s background. The British-born cartoonist has a degree in biochemistry and she worked in the pharmaceutical industry before deciding she was destined to be a cartoonist.

An artist and adventurer, Hallatt, has lived in and traveled to many places and currently resides in New Zealand. So you never know what she will draw on for her daily comic strip.

Whatever it is, you can count on the penguins and their friends to put their own, slightly quirky spin on it.

Whether you read Arctic Circle online or in your morning newspaper, it’s definitely the way to jump start your day. Thought-provoking and laugh-evoking, it’s the perfect way to chill.

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Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel hold the exclusive rights to this copyrighted material. Publications wishing to reprint it may contact them at surfwriter.girls@gmail.com Individuals and non-profit groups are welcome to post it on social media sites as long as credit is given.

A lineup of Lucky Limericks

Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel

A limerick is a funny, five-line poem popularized in Irish pubs in the 1800s.

In the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day, SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel wrote these beach limericks for you –

Surfer Dave

There once was a surfer named Dave,

Who went looking for the perfect wave.

But, just when he found a winner,

A whale ate him for dinner

And Dave’s surfboard was all they could save.

**********

Lotion Commotion

There was a young lady who went to the ocean.

She sat on the sand and put on her sun lotion.

But, her yellow bikini

Was incredibly teeny

And this caused a major commotion.

**********

Surfer Girl

There once was a surfer girl named Jasmine.

Like a magnet, she attracted all the men.

When she went out to compete

In any surfing meets

It’s so crazy how she always would win.

**********

Rude Dude

There once was an arrogant surfer dude,

Who would hog all the waves and act rude.

He’d steal waves away,

Keeping the angry surfers at bay,

Until they realigned his attitude.

**********

Beulah’s Hula

There was a shapely lady named Beulah,

Who could really shake up the hula.

The men would all gather

And get into a lather

And Beulah would rake in the moola.

**********

For each petal on the shamrock
This brings a wish your way –
Good health, good luck, and happiness
For today and every day.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Sunny & Patti

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Wild Thing, I Think I Love You

Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel

When it comes to amore, people aren’t the only ones in the mood for love. Just look at the animal kingdom and you’ll get the idea.

From penguins to pangolins, otters and owls,

to chickadees and chipmunks, love is in the air.

To channel your inner animal on Valentine’s Day, listen to Wild Thing, the 1966 number one hit single by The Trogs. Whether you stream it or dust off an old 45, it will make your heart sing.

One of Rolling Stone magazine’s 500 Greatest Songs of All time, it will have you feeling groovy on Valentine’s Day.

So, light the candles, get out the chocolates and pour the wine.

Then let your wilder side come out.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Greg, Patti and Sunny

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Otto Penzler Presents American Mystery Classics

Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel

The Cat Saw Murder, a mystery book with an intriguing black cat on a bright red cover, caught SurfWriter Girl Patti’s eye at the Rancho Santa Margarita Friends of the Library book sale.

Browsing through a table of books, Patti and SurfWriter Girl Sunny scored a real find – six mysteries from the Otto Penzler Presents American Mystery Classics series.

The multi-talented Penzler – author, editor, publisher, and proprietor of The Mysterious Bookshop in New York City – is a legend with mystery writers and readers alike. He’s spent his entire career championing mysteries and detective stories and has won two Edgar Awards (the Academy Awards of mystery writing, named after Edgar Allan Poe).

Penzler’s American Mystery Classics series is dedicated to reissuing classic mystery stories from the past century (many of them out of print) in new editions with new introductions by Penzler and acclaimed authors from Joyce Carol Oates to A.J. Finn.

With Mary Roberts Rinehart, Ellery Queen, Erle Stanley Gardner (Perry Mason series), Frances and Richard Lockridge (Mr. and Mrs. North series) and many other renowned authors on board, there are currently 55 books (and counting) in the series.

The Cat Saw Murder (a seaside mystery written in 1939) lives up to its billing with a tricky whodunnit plot, intrepid amateur sleuth (the 70ish Miss Rachel Murdock), and a cat that is pivotal to the story.

The book, by bestselling author Dolores Hitchens, a prolific mystery writer who wrote under many AKAs, has the added distinction of being the first “cat mystery” in what has grown into a mega-publishing industry.

SurfWriter Girls still have the other AMC mysteries we found to read. We’re looking forward to matching our wits with the stories’ detectives in this ambitious series that showcases the breadth of American mysteries – from cozies and police procedurals to legal and noir.

Since Edgar Allan Poe’s short story, The Murders in the Rue Morgue (1841), which created literature’s first fictional detective Auguste C. Dupin, writers have been baffling and thrilling us with their intricately crafted mysteries.

Now, thanks to Otto Penzler, we have a century’s worth of reasons to stay up late at night, turning the pages of a book…and keeping the lights on!

Surf’n Beach Scene Magazine

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What’s Our Plan Bee?

Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel

People talk about the need for a Plan B during a crisis. But, what about a Plan Bee? To protect the world’s honey bees.

In San Diego, CA., September 20, 2023, when beekeepers checked on their 64 hives, they found most of the bees were dead. Some 3 million honey bees…killed by an unknown contagion.

This is happening around the world. Beekeepers are losing 30% or more of their bee colonies each year. This is critical since bees are one of the key pollinators responsible for pollinating plants that produce the world’s food supply.

SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel wrote about the threats to bees in 2016 when the United Nations issued its groundbreaking Pollinator Report on the importance of bees, birds, butterflies, bats, and other pollinators to the environment. The information in that report is even more vital today:

United Nations Issues Warning

Bees, Birds, Butterflies Under Siege

A recent report from the United Nations warns that pollinator species worldwide – the bees, butterflies, birds and bats that pollinate plants – are in danger of extinction. At risk are 40% of the bees and butterflies and 16% of birds and bats.

This decline in pollinators of all kinds is critical to our food supply since 75% of food crops are at least partially dependent on pollination.

“Pollinators are important contributors to world food production and nutritional security,” said Dr. Vera Lucia Imperatriz-Fonseca, who co-chaired the study. The health of the pollinators “is directly linked to our own well-being.”

There are many reasons – both man-made and natural – that pollinators are declining: habitat loss due to farming and urban development, pesticide usage, parasites, disease, and global warming.

The increasing trend of agribusinesses to plant giant areas of farmland devoted to single crops is eliminating the grasslands and wildflowers that the pollinators seek. The pollinators need the wildflowers, which, in turn, need the pollinators to reproduce.

SurfWriter Girls learned that more than 20,000 species of wild bees help to pollinate plants.

Plus, many species of butterflies, flies, moths, wasps, beetles, birds, bats and other animals do, as well.

Crops that depend on these pollinators include fruit, vegetables, seeds, nuts and oils – many of which provide essential vitamins and minerals to our diets.

Others, such as coffee and cocoa, not only provide welcome indulgences, but needed income to developing nations.

The report, which was the work of researchers from 124 countries, highlighted the interdependence between animals, plants and man. It also noted that a number of steps can be taken to bring back the pollinators.

U. N. Pollinator Report – 2016

These steps include:

Planting patches of wild flowers in agricultural areas could attract pollinators to crop fields.

Cutting back on pesticide use in favor of organic farming methods is another way to protect and attract pollinators.

Something as simple as planting flowers in our yards and putting out window boxes of flowers on ledges could make a difference, too.

SurfWriter Girls are reminded of the classic folk song Where have all the flowers gone?

For the sake of the pollinators, the answer is more important than ever now.

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Beach Town is Magical Part of California’s History

Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel

If you’re looking to find old world charm, visit San Juan Capistrano. In this quaint SoCal beach town North of San Diego you’ll see a world-renowned mission that dates to the dawn of America.

Founded on November 1, 1776, by Spanish Catholic Franciscan missionaries, Mission San Juan Capistrano is at the heart of the town and is one of the jewels of the historic El Camino Real 600-mile route (marked by mission bells) that connects 21 California missions from San Diego to Sonoma.

San Juan Capistrano is one of SurfWriter Girls Sunny and Patti’s favorite places to explore, visit the mission, or to have lunch or dinner. The city prides itself on having the oldest neighborhood in California, the Los Rios Historic District, with adobe buildings still standing that housed workers who constructed the mission.

Described by locals as “a community that’s still evolving,” SJC gives off a magical aura that comes from the natural landscape that surrounds it and the Spanish architecture and open courtyards.

History buffs will want to visit the Serra Chapel, just down the street from the mission. It’s the only chapel still standing where St. Junipero Serra, known as the “Apostle of California” and founder of California’s missions, celebrated mass.

For dining and shopping there are numerous options…all within a short walk, on either side of the train tracks that run through the town. If you hear people talking or strange noises and no one’s there, don’t be surprised. For the past 200 years many have said that Los Rios Street is haunted and there’s even a ghost tour you can go on.

For a taste of the town, you might try any of the following.

Built in 1881, the Ramos House Cafe offers outdoor seating on a shaded patio and is known for its leisurely brunches, lunches and Bloody Mary cocktails.

For tea lovers the perfect place for “a cuppa” and more is The Tea House on Los Rios, an elegant 1911 cottage with a wrap-around veranda, that provides tea service from a lovely Garden Tea to The Royal Tea, complete with a glass of Champagne. Flaky scones, tea sandwiches, delicate pastries, salads and savory dishes are available.

To find Trevor’s at the Tracks restaurant, just listen for a train whistle. Right in the middle of the historic district, Trevor’s is located inside the 1894 train depot and serves contemporary California dishes, with an emphasis on sourcing from local providers.

Or if you’re in the mood for Italian cuisine, Ciao Pasta offers gourmet Italian dishes with an authentic taste of Southern Italy.

While dining and savoring Italian wines you can gaze out at the mission across the street…and, depending on the season, maybe even see SJC’s renowned cliff swallows that nest in the mission’s eaves.

San Juan Capistrano is a bird sanctuary. Every year the cliff swallows leave in a swirling mass near the Day of San Juan on October 23rd and migrate to their vacation spot in Goya, Corrientes, Argentina, located 6,000 miles south.

The swallows faithfully return every spring to San Juan Capistrano around March 19th, St. Joseph’s Day.

It’s always magical to see the birds in flight. Their comings and goings attract over 300,000 visitors each year.

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More Fall Colors to Sea

 Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel

With autumn’s red and gold leaves taking center stage now, it’s easy to overlook the dazzling colors hidden from sight below the sea in the ocean’s coral reefs.

Exotic and mysterious, coral reefs around the world, from Hawaii and the Caribbean to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef exist in an endless variety of color.

More than just objects of beauty, coral reefs are underwater living ecosystems that provide food and shelter to more than 25% of the ocean’s sea life. Coral reefs have been called the “rainforests of the sea.”

And like trees protecting the land from the elements, coral reefs protect the world’s shorelines from storms and erosion and help to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the air.

The different colors of the reefs – red, orange, yellow, blue, pink, and more – come from the mix of algae in their tissues and varying light conditions and water temperatures. The brighter and bolder the colors, the healthier the reefs.

Marine scientists are working to keep the vivid colors in the reefs – no easy task given the threats from climate change, pollution, habitat destruction and overfishing.

In her children’s book The Great Barrier Thief author Dr. Sue Pillans (AKA “Suzie Starfish”), a marine scientist and visual artist, tackles the problem of “coral bleaching” and the reasons that many coral reefs are losing their colors.

With the help of her protagonist, a pink fish named Anthia, Pillans hopes to ensure that the Great Barrier Reef doesn’t lose its dazzling colors.

From the tallest trees to the deepest coral treasures SurfWriter Girls are excited about the world of fall colors to sea.

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Flip Flops Keep Us Movin’ and Groovin’

Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel

“Blew out my flip flop, stepped on a pop top.

Cut my heel, had to cruise on back home.”

– Jimmy Buffett, Wasting Away in Margaritaville

Flip flops are an essential part of summer…from the 99-cent bargain specials grabbed on the run at convenience stores to high-end fashion statements and eco-sport Tevas that can hold their own on any terrain.

Dating back to 1500 BC and the ancient Egyptians, flip flops got a toehold in the U.S. after WWII when returning GIs brought Japanese-style zori sandals home with them.

Flip flops, thongs, shower clogs, go-aheads – by any name these rubber-soled sandals take us wherever we want to go.

Flip flops moving us

on a carefree day of sun

and balmy breezes.

– SurfWriter Girls, Huntington Beach Haiku

 Colorful, flexible and fun… no sox or laces needed.

Just wiggle your toes in and you’re ready to cross hot, sandy beaches, wade into the surf, climb over slick rocks or dance the night away.

Keeping your feet ventilated and your stride syncopated, flip flops keep on flipping along.

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Natural Wonders of Channel Islands

Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel

California has eight Channel Islands off the coast from Santa Barbara to San Diego that are magical. Called “California’s Galapagos Islands” because of their ecological diversity, they have over 2,000 animal and plant species, 145 that are unique. With cute, tiny island foxes and screechy Scrub-Jays, many are rare or endangered.

Since 1980 the Northern five islands have been designated as Channel Islands National Park. These include San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, Anacapa, and Santa Barbara Island.

San Miguel. One-day trips, multi-day boat trips and overnight camping are all possible. The farthest West of the eight islands, it takes a 4-hour, 70-mile boat ride to reach it. The trip is worth it! Point Bennett, at the tip of the island, is a breeding ground for some 30,000 seals. You can also see numerous species of seabirds, dolphins, porpoises and whales, and island foxes that are smaller than a typical house cat.

Santa Rosa, the second largest of the islands, with two mountains and rolling hills, has 500 plant species, including pre-Ice age Torrey Pines that are only found in one other place in the world – San Diego. You can camp on the island and go on hikes surrounded by unique native bunchgrass and island bush monkeyflowers. There are over 100 bird species, mammals and amphibians and colonies of seabirds, seals and sea lions.

Santa Cruz is only an hour away and perfect for one-day trips or overnights, with the best weather and the most recreation activities. There are minimal services, though. There is a variety of seabirds to see, especially around Scorpion Rock.  Birdwatchers generally go to see the island Scrub-Jay, which is only found on Santa Cruz. The island also has some of the world’s largest sea caves that kayakers can explore.

Anacapa, also an hour away, is good for one-day or overnight camping trips. Its name comes from the Chumash Native Indian word Anypakh, which means mirage. Ancient shell sites show where the Chumash people lived thousands of years ago. The island’s a breeding ground for thousands of birds and California sea lions and harbor seals. A kelp forest and tide pools make it popular for kayaking, snorkeling, and diving. But, with little shade and no drinkable water, you need to bring your own provisions.

Santa Barbara, the smallest island, has impressive cliffs and one of the world’s largest colonies of rare Scripps’s Murrelets seabirds. There is an elephant seals rookery, blooming yellow flowers, and magnificent coastal views. The Horned Lark, Orange-crowned Warbler, and House Finch birds are only found on the island. One day trips and overnight camping are available, but Island Packers offers trips only from April through October.

The National Park islands are kept mostly in their natural states to preserve their ecosystems. So, it’s important to plan your visit – supplies, transportation, and lodging – because amenities vary and can be minimal. Companies providing access and tours include Island Packers, Channel Islands Expeditions, and Channel Islands Adventure Company.

Farther South are San Nicolas and San Clemente Islands (which are both used by the U.S. Navy and don’t allow visitors) and the most well-known of the islands Santa Catalina – of song and celebrity fame.

Santa Catalina Island is known for its two resort towns Avalon and Two Harbors, accessible by Catalina Express and Catalina Flyer boat service. You can also reach it by private boat, plane, or helicopter. Its charming coastal towns are perfect for relaxing getaways and the Art Deco casino in Avalon Harbor is a true showstopper, visible for miles. Nearby there’s wildlife, scuba diving, and Mt. Orizaba, the island’s highest peak.

Chewing gum magnate William Wrigley, Jr. (here on Catalina with his wife Ada) bought the island in 1919 and the Wrigley family still owns and preserves it. Home to nine endemic plant species and a thriving population of island foxes, it also has a herd of buffaloes descended from buffaloes left by a movie crew in the 1920s.

SurfWriter Girl Sunny knows Santa Catalina Island well because she’s visited it many times. She even had a job with the Santa Catalina Island Company selling tickets for island attractions on the Catalina Express boats. “The bus trips around the island and the glass bottom boat rides were really popular,” says Sunny.

Whichever islands you visit, your trip is sure to be a magical experience and a step back in time.

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Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel hold the exclusive rights to this copyrighted material. Publications wishing to reprint it may contact them at surfwriter.girls@gmail.com Individuals and non-profit groups are welcome to post it on social media sites as long as credit is given.