Vote for your favorite animal at the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium! One online voter drawn at random will win the chance to feed the most beloved animal! You can also vote in person at the Aquarium, located beach level under the historic Carousel. Vote now!
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Heal the Bay Blog
Author: Heal the Bay
As of this week, Gabrielle Harradine has raised $270 — $70 over her goal — to “help fund the fight” against pollution on Coastal Cleanup Day. Here she details why she’s “friendraising” for Heal the Bay and what she hopes to find on Coastal Cleanup Day.
This coming Coastal Cleanup Day on September 21 will be the first one since we started a family together. We’d done two cleanups with Heal the Bay before we had children. At the earlier cleanups, I remember finding a lot of cigarette butts; followed by small bits of plastic.
Now that my daughter is old enough to be able to really participate and understand what we are doing, I am looking forward to seeing her enthusiasm. She learned about trash in the oceans at Heal the Bay’s Aquarium in Santa Monica, so Coastal Cleanup Day will be a good follow up.
The response to our fundraising has been exciting and much better than I expected! (Although we do have lots of beach loving friends and family.) A lot of people want to help; it’s just a matter of putting it in front of them so they can respond.
On September 21, I expect to find a group of like-minded people slugging through the sand for any bits of trash. Hopefully, we’ll get to see some thankful breaching dolphins from the shore!
— Gabrielle Harradine
What will YOU find on Coastal Cleanup Day?
Join the biggest volunteer action on the planet, Coastal Cleanup Day, on Saturday, September 21, 2013 from 9 a.m. to noon. Share your personal cleanup discoveries using Twitter, Facebook or Instagram with the hashtag #whatwillyoufind. Past volunteers have found love and a hundred dollar bill!
Anyone can create a fundraising page to support the effort to protect our local natural resources. Volunteers who raise $100 or more receive a Heal the Bay T-shirt.
Gabrielle Harradine sails the Bay.
When I started working as Heal the Bay’s Coastal Cleanup Day Manager in 2007, I had no idea that I would end up finding the love of my life. That year, Heal the Bay worked with Councilmember Tony Cardenas’ office on the Northeast San Fernando Valley cleanup sites. I initially started off on the wrong foot with the cleanup captain, Olga. She tried to tell me how to run a cleanup site, but I was certain I knew how to do it better. Olga was concerned with breaking trash-collecting records while I wanted to ensure the best educational and efficient experience for volunteers. A year later, after a very successful cleanup, we started a friendship that led to love. We still laugh about which one of us knows how to do the job better, but I admit that her sites almost always break cleanup records. So this past week, right before Coastal Cleanup Day, I married her. What will you find at Coastal Cleanup Day? I found love and I couldn’t be happier.
— Eveline Bravo-Ayala,
Heal the Bay’s Beach Program Manager
Join the biggest volunteer day on the planet, Coastal Cleanup Day, on Saturday, September 21, 2013 from 9 a.m. to noon. Tweet, Facebook or Instagram us with the hashtag #whatwillyoufind to share your unique Coastal Cleanup Day discoveries!
Eveline Bravo, middle, with wife Olga Ayala and Congressmember Tony Cardenas.
Heal the Bay is so proud of our board member Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and we can’t wait for her new film “Enough Said” — and now you don’t have to wait either!
You have the chance to bid on a prize package that includes a meet-and-greet with Julia as well as four tickets to the New York premiere of “Enough Said” on Sept. 16 including after-party access! Bid on the prize, estimated at $7,500, by Thurs., September 12.
About “Enough Said”: A divorced and single parent, Eva (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) spends her days enjoying work as a masseuse but dreading her daughter’s impending departure for college. She meets Albert (James Gandolfini) – a sweet, funny and like-minded man also facing an empty nest. As their romance quickly blossoms, Eva befriends Marianne (Catherine Keener), her new massage client. Marianne is a beautiful poet who seems “almost perfect” except for one prominent quality: she rags on her ex-husband way too much. Suddenly, Eva finds herself doubting her own relationship with Albert as she learns the truth about Marianne’s Ex. Enough Said is a sharp, insightful comedy that humorously explores the mess that often comes with getting involved again.
Bid now!
Beach Report CardBeach Report Card SpanishLong Beach / AvalonMalibu / Pacific PalisadesMarina del Rey / Playa del ReyMore Ways to GiveNewsPalos Verdes PeninsulaSanta MonicaSouth BayVenice Beach
Just in time for the last hurrah of summer, beachgoers on the West Coast can head to the shore this Labor Day secure that they’ll be swimming and playing in healthy water. According to the 2013 End of Summer Beach Report Card®, beach water quality in California, Oregon and Washington was excellent for the fourth consecutive summer.
We collected water quality data at more than 640 monitoring locations along the West Coast between Memorial Day and Aug. 21, 2013. Then we assigned an A-to-F grade based on bacterial pollution levels. Nearly 96% of California beaches earned an A or B grade. Washington earned A or B grades at 91% of its beaches, and Oregon earned all A grades for the fourth consecutive year.
To find out which beaches didn’t make the grade and how your county stacks up, consult our 2013 End of Summer Beach Report Card®:
- California (PDF)
- Oregon and Washington (PDF)
Beachgoers can find out which beaches are safe, check recent water quality history and look up details on beach closures using our Beach Report Card. On the go? Download a free Beach Report Card mobile app for iPhone or Android.
The Aquarium’s Micro Biologists classes are a fun way to introduce your 3-to-5 year olds to environmental education and marine science through engaging games, stories, art and hands-on science activities.
Industrial facilities can be a major source of toxic stormwater pollution. Runoff from over 10,000 industrial sites statewide – landfills, oil refineries, metal recycling facilities – can pollute our rivers and oceans, if left un-checked. As an extreme example, DDT and PCB -laden runoff and wastewater discharged from the Montrose Chemical Corporation and other industries in Torrance, CA have resulted in a large EPA Superfund Clean-up site off of Palos Verdes.
California’s State Water Board has recently issued a Final Draft of their update to the 15-year old Industrial General Stormwater Permit. This is the permit that regulates the thousands of industrial sites statewide. Intense pressure from the industrial community has led to weakening of the proposed permit. In fact, after nearly three years of work, the current Draft Permit fails to make necessary improvements, and in several respects, weakens industrial pollution controls.
Too many California beaches, coastal areas, and rivers are plagued by pollution from industrial facilities. Please tell the State Water Board to develop a strong Industrial Stormwater Permit and require everyone to do their part to protect California’s waters.
Most of my July was spent wading through our local Santa Monica Mountain streams, assessing the biological communities and habitat within them. Despite some of the less glamorous aspects, such as battling poison oak, stinging nettle, and the occasional tick, I relished in the opportunity to get out of the office and immerse myself, literally and figuratively, in the streams. I get to see secret spots in the Santa Monica Mountains that few folks know about and see critters that largely go unnoticed and unappreciated.
Thanks to Heal the Bay staff, interns, and volunteers, we surveyed eight streams this year. Our primary goal of this yearly survey is to assess the biological community living in the stream. When I say “biological community,” many people think of fish, birds, and amphibians –-and these are all biological communities that use and depend on the streams – but I mean the bugs. These aquatic bugs are also called benthic macroinvertebrates: organisms with no backbone that live on the bottom (benthos) of the stream and are big enough to be seen with the naked eye. They include things like snails, worms, crayfish, and insects.
Many of the insects found are the larval stages of dragonflies, damselflies, black flies, and mayflies. The type and quantity of bugs that you can find in a stream tell you a lot about the quality of the water and the habitat. Depending on the community of bugs that we find, we can give our streams a rating on their biological health. We currently use a scoring system called the Index of Biotic Integrity or IBI score. The score can range from 0 to 100, with scores of 0-20 indicating very poor conditions, 21-40 indicating poor conditions, 41-60 indicating fair, 61-80 indicating good, and 81-100 indicating excellent conditions.
The streams that we assess show a wide range of scores – the best being Upper Cold Creek with an average score of 77 and the worst being Triunfo Creek at Kanan Road with an average score of 13. Bugs can be thought of as an indicator species (or more appropriately, “indicator group”), which means that they are a sensitive group and their presence can be used to indicate information about the health of the stream. Indicator species can also be used as an early warning system; if they show a decline or problems, there is likely to be a greater danger to the ecosystem or other species.
Besides bugs, another group that is typically thought of as an indicator group are amphibians. They are very sensitive to pollution and habitat degradation and sometimes the first organisms to show evidence of a problem – along with bugs, they are considered the “canary in the coalmine” for the aquatic world. This year during our biological assessments of the streams, we saw many native amphibians, including the Pacific tree frog (Pseudacris regilla), California tree frog (Pseudacris cadaverina), California toad (Bufo boreas), and the California newt (Taricha torosa). We saw lots of metamorphs, which are frogs that have just metamorphosed from tadpoles and they are very small and extremely cute. Since I described some of the cool bugs that we find in the streams last year, I thought I’d describe some of our local amphibians.
- The most common native frog in the Santa Monica Mountains is the Pacific tree frog; it is distinguishable from other frogs by a dark stripe that runs through the middle of each eye. These frogs are variable in color and typically are green or brown, and always with an eye strip.
- Their sister species, the California tree frog is less common and tends to be found in rocky streams where they blend in to gray rocks. These frogs are more warty and gray or washed out in color (like a cadaver, hence their name P. cadaverina) with no eye stripe. Their call sounds like a duck quacking whereas the Pacific tree frog sounds more cricket-like.
The California newt is another cool amphibian – they are dark orange/brown on top and bright yellow/orange underneath. That bright coloration is to warn you that they are highly toxic! Newts contain a potent neurotoxin, called tetrodotoxin, which repels predators. Newts live on the land most of the year then become aquatic during the breeding season. Male CA newts fight over access to females and if you’re lucky, you might see a newt mating ball in the spring.- California red-legged frogs used to be common in southern California but now are found in only one spot in the Santa Monica Mountains and are listed as threatened by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. We were not lucky enough to see them but had to take extra care and caution when we visited a stream where they have been documented. The National Park Service is planning to reintroduce the frogs to other locations in the mountains.
Unfortunately, many of these cool native amphibians are declining due to loss of habitat and invasive, non-native species that prey on eggs and larvae of amphibians, such as bullfrogs, crayfish, and introduced fish.
— Katherine Pease,
Heal the Bay Watershed Scientist
You can help amphibians by never releasing unwanted pets or animals, removing invasive crayfish from Malibu Creek with Mountains Restoration Trust, and protecting their habitat through our monthly restoration events.
Find out more about Heal the Bay’s Stream Team.
Last year, Heal the Bay speakers reached more than 40,000 Angelenos across Los Angeles with our message about solutions to pollution.
How the heck did we do that? No cloning was involved, just hours of time donated by our Speakers Bureau volunteers, Heal the Bay’s elite pollution fighting team!
We thank our longtime cadre of dedicated speakers who fan out to schools, clubs, cleanups and all kinds of events to help us raise awareness about how to protect the ocean. This week we “graduated” and trained 21 new Speakers Bureau volunteers – a record number for Melissa, our Speakers Bureau coordinator.Thanks to our new class! We look forward to partnering with you in the months and years to come.
Thank you also to Buca di Beppo, which donated food to fuel our new speakers.
We also thank our neighbors Jersey Mike’s and Fresh Brothers, as well as Just Chill for providing refreshments to our Corporate Healers, volunteers and staff these past few weeks.
Learn more about how you can reach out to – and improve– your own community via one of our volunteer programs.
The 34th Annual Beach Report Card Is Here
Find out if your favorite watering hole is on the honor roll or flunking out.
Join Us For Our June Beach Clean-Up!
RISING TIDES: IS L.A. READY FOR SEA-LEVEL RISE?
Our coastline is shrinking, but what can Los Angeles do about it?
Knowledge is power. Attend the discussion panel of the year at Hermosa Beach Community Center, “Rising Tides: Exploring LA’s Readiness for Sea Level Rise,” to find out.
It's Almost Time for Our Earth Month Beach Clean Up
Join Heal the Bay in celebrating the transformative power of reusable alternatives at our Nothin But Sand Beach Cleanup this Earth Month! Every gloved hand on the sand, every advocate trained, and every dollar raised brings us closer to a plastic-free future.
Registration filled? Don’t worry – just bring your own buckets and gloves to join us on the sand!
Looking for more ways to make an impact? Donate to help end plastic pollution for good.
Join Us for the Biggest Beach Party of the Year
You are cordially invited to our Bring Back the Beach Gala on May 16, 2024.
Dance all night under the stars while benefiting Heal the Bay!
Celebrating Earth Month 2024: Reusable Is Beautiful
Looking to get activated this April? Join our “Reusable is Beautiful” Earth Month activities to help you ditch single-use plastic and keep our oceans healthy.
Every year, billions of pounds of single-use plastic flood our oceans, threatening the health of our planet. This month and every month, Heal the Bay is committed to raising awareness about choosing reusable options over single-use plastic and keeping our waterways clean, safe, and beautiful for everyone.
So what are you waiting for? Plan your Earth Month now!
JOIN OUR MONTHLY BEACH CLEANUP
Heal the Bay Volunteers removed over 22,000 lbs. of trash in 2023. Are you ready to make a big impact for the environment? Join our next Nothin But Sand Beach Cleanup!
Heal the Bay mobilizes thousands of volunteers each year to pick up trash at beaches and in our watersheds in Los Angeles County. Cleanups are the last defense against marine pollution. We actively use data collected by volunteers (like total trash and the types of trash in each area) from local cleanups to educate businesses and communities, support environmental legislation, and advocate for the health of our waterways. In addition to picking up trash and debris at the beach, we encourage cleanups at any accessible outdoor location in Greater LA’s watersheds.
FIND OUR NEXT BEACH CLEANUP LOCATION
Saturday, March 16, 2024 | 10 AM – 12 PM
BEACH CLEANUP: Join us at Toes Beach in Playa del Rey for our March Nothin’ But Sand Cleanup. Recent rain has washed thousands of pounds of trash onto the beach. Help us keep the coastline safe and clean for all! Ready to make a difference?! SIGN UP TODAY >>.
There is LOVE in the water at Heal the Bay Aquarium ❤️
Can’t make it to the AQ? Check out our list of Heal the Bay Approved Romantic Beaches perfect for celebrating love!
Our Cabrillo Beach Clean Up Is ON!
After the recent 8 million Gallon Sewage Spill in the Dominguez Channel, and California State of emergency brought on by recent storms, Cabrillo Beach needs more love than ever! Join us on Saturday, February 17, 2024, for a crucial Nothin’ But Sand beach cleanup.
While our team has deemed it SAFE to participate in this clean up, here are some updates:
💧 Volunteers must avoid the water and wet sand
🌴 The cleanup will be limited to low-risk surrounding areas in accordance with the closure of the inner beach
🐟 For your safety, the tide pool tour is canceled
As always, staff will assist you with questions or concerns to ensure everyone has a safe, fun, and productive cleanup!
State of Emergency: Storm Safety Checklist
On Sunday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in eight Southern California counties: Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura.
Heavy showers and thunderstorms combined with “very dangerous” winds have increased the chances of potentially dangerous flash flooding and rough surf, with flood watches in effect across the area.
When it rains in LA be in the “Know Before You Go” to the coast and “weather” the storm safely with our safety checklist:
1) Stay out of the water for 72 hours after rainfall. Rainfall will bring accumulated pollution to our waterways and shores.
2) Tune into local news stations to keep up-to-date on changing weather conditions and road closures.
3) Know before you go. Check out the local water quality grades at beachreportcard.org or the River Report Card.
4) Check the local forecast, including tide levels! Don’t get washed away! We use: NOAA Local Tides and Currents.
5) Join the Storm Response Team. Once conditions are safe, check out how to do your own storm response cleanup.
Registration is OPEN for Nothin’ But Sand Beach Cleanup at Cabrillo Beach!
Join Heal the Bay for a full day of beach fun on February 17, 2024, for a Nothin’ But Sand beach cleanup, followed by a guided tide pool exploration and a wildlife tour of the local wetlands at the Salt Marsh Open House! We’ll be on the sand rain or shine — so be sure to dress accordingly!
🪣BEACH CLEANUP
10 AM – 12 PM @ CABRILLO BEACH
🐚TIDE POOL FUN
12 PM – 1 PM @ POINT FERMIN
🦆OBSERVE WILDLIFE AND TOUR NEARBY WETLANDS
1 PM – 3 PM @ SALINAS DE SAN PEDRO WETLANDS
Register Now!
2024 Internships are Open! Apply by January 31, 2024
Are you looking to dive into a career in marine science, environmental organizing, or non-profit operations? Heal the Bay is looking for motivated interns who want to make a difference in their communities. Gain hands-on experience, work with passionate experts, and make a splash at Heal the Bay.
Don’t wait, applications are due by January 31, 2024! Click here to learn more and apply.
⚠️Post Storm Safety⚠️
When it rains in LA be in the “Know Before You Go” to the coast and stay safe with our checklist:
1) Stay out of the water for 72 hours after rainfall. Rainfall will bring accumulated pollution to our waterways and shores.
2) Tune into local news stations to keep up-to-date on changing weather conditions and road closures.
3) Know before you go. Check out the local water quality grades at beachreportcard.org or the River Report Card.
4) Check the local forecast, including tide levels! Don’t get washed away! We use: NOAA Local Tides and Currents.
5) Join the Storm Response Team. Once conditions are safe, check out how to do your own storm response cleanup.
Join Us on January 20th for TWO Special Events!
Nothin’ But Sand Beach Cleanup at Zuma Beach
⚠Weather Notice⚠: We are prepared to carry out our cleanup rain or shine!
Kick off the New Year with Heal the Bay at Zuma Beach, 3000 Zuma Access Road, Malibu, CA 90265, at TOWER 2, for a beach cleanup with a big impact. Register today to reserve your bucket and we’ll SEA you on the Sand!
Underwater Parks Day at Heal the Bay Aquarium.
Come to Heal the Bay Aquarium to celebrate the amazing animals and habitats of the Santa Monica Bay and learn more about the important conservation of the underwater treasures just off our coast!
Enjoy crafts, explore our virtual exhibit “Underwater Treasure”, and experience wet and wild hands-on education with Heal the Bay and our fishy friends as we celebrate Marine Protected Areas, better known as underwater parks, that preserve the biodiversity and abundance of the amazing ocean right here in Santa Monica.
🌟Join us for Volunteer Orientation this THURSDAY January 11, 2024 @ 6:30 PM🌟
Want to BECOME A HEAL THE BAY VOLUNTEER?
Register NOW for Heal the Bay’s first volunteer orientation of 2024, happening this Thursday, January 11 6:30PM-8PM at Heal the Bay Aquarium!
REGISTER
✅ Volunteer Orientation must be completed in order to participate in MPA Watch, become a Beach Captain, attended Aquarium Volunteer Training, and join Speaker’s Bureau.
⚠️Post Storm Safety⚠️
Stay Safe with our checklist:
1) Stay out of the water for 72 hours after rainfall. Rainfall will bring accumulated pollution to our waterways and shores.
2) Tune into local news stations to keep up-to-date on changing weather conditions and road closures.
3) Know before you go. Check out the local water quality grades at beachreportcard.org or the River Report Card.
4) Check the local forecast, including tide levels! Don’t get washed away! We use: NOAA Local Tides and Currents.
5) Join the Storm Response Team. Once conditions are safe, check out how to do your own storm response cleanup.
Shop Heal the Bay this Holiday Season!
🎁Give gifts for good that “protect what you love” to all the people you love.
ORDER NOW! Last day to place an order to ship to the east coast is December 18, 2023.
Help Us PROTECT WHAT YOU LOVE for Generations to Come!
TODAY, on #GivingTuesday, support Heal the Bay’s mission to impact the lives of thousands of students in LA County.
Inspire generations of future ocean activist and help protect our precious coastal waters and waterways when you donate today at healthebay.org/GivingTuesday.
Let’s make a BIG SPLASH for the future of our ocean, watersheds and coastal communities.
THIS WEEKEND!
Recycle your Plastic Bags the right way and keep plastic out of our coastal waters for No Bag November.
🪣This SATURDAY
Join us for our last Beach Cleanup of the YEAR and help keep plastic bags out of our coastal waters! Saturday November 18, 2023, bring your plastic grocery bags from home to make sure they are recycled the right way and help keep the beach clean and safe for all! RSVP to RESERVE A BUCKET
♻️This SUNDAY
Bring your single-use plastic bags to ALMA Backyard Farms this Sunday, November 19, 2023, to keep them out of our landfills, waterways, and oceans. Enjoy the best produce in Compton then stop by our Heal the Bay plastic bag Collection Booth to make sure your single-use plastic products are recycled the right way! GET DETAILS AND DIRECTIONS
Halloween Weekend at Heal the Bay
Dive into a weekend of fun with festive happenings for everyone!
🧪SATURDAY in MALIBU
Become a Community Scientist for a Day! Join us on the sand to help protect local biodiversity with UCLA scientists and Heal the Bay at our eDNA Event. RSVP to ATTEND
🎃SATURDAY in SANTA MONICA
Fishy Fest is back this Halloween weekend with spook-tacualr fun and haunted happenings at Heal the Bay Aquarium for the whole family.
Enjoy: Scavenger hunts, sustainable crafts, spooky story time, our deep-sea creepy creature feature and BRAND-NEW animal exhibits!
🍭SUNDAY in SANTA MONICA
Join us for TRICK-OR-TREATING on the Santa Monica Pier for our annual Costume Parade on Sunday, October 29, 2023, 2:30 PM. NO RSVP required!
Join Heal the Bay this Saturday for our October Beach Cleanup
This Saturday, October 21, 2023, | 10 AM – 12 PM
BEACH CLEANUP: Join us on Venice Beach at Washington for a special celebration of environmentalism in Los Angeles’ Latinx communities! We hope to “SEA” you on the sand for an awesome autumn beach cleanup, RAFFLE PRIZES, and more! Click the link in our bio for registration and details 🌊Venice Cleanup Event sold out? You’re still welcome to join us. Just bring your own cleanup supplies. Ready… set, SIGN UP >>.
Coastal Cleanup Day 2023 was a Sucess from Summit to Sea!
Thank you to all who joined our Los Angeles County Cleanups on Saturday, September 23, 2023.
Check out the full Coastal Cleanup Day 2023 wrap-up and get the latest stats as sites continue to report their trash hauls!
Join us for Coastal Cleanup Day 2023
Make Sure You Are Ready With Our Checklist:
Sites are filling up fast! Make sure you and your clean-up crew are registered :Coastal Cleanup Day 2023 Tickets, Sat, Sep 23, 2023 at 9:00 AM | Eventbrite
📜Registration lines will be LONG! Expedite your registration! Make sure your digital waivers are signed>>Coastal Comm – Waiver – California Coastal Cleanup Day Liability Waiver – DocuSign + COASTAL CLEANUP DAY WAIVER OF LIABILITY AND EXPRESS ASSUMPTION OF RISK (ca.gov)
🤳Download the Clean Swell app to record and share your trash haul : Trash Free Seas: Clean Swell® App – Ocean Conservancy
🌞Have your reusable water bottle + plenty of sun protection ready
🪣IF POSSIBLE bring your own cleanup supplies as sites reach max volunteer capacity and supplies run low. Checkout our #CCD Supplies Checklist Heal the Bay (@healthebay) • Instagram photos and videos
🎶Save the 2023 Cleanup Spotify Playlist to get in the groove> Coastal Cleanup Day 2023 Playlist – playlist by Heal the Bay | Spotify
📸Get ready to take pics on Saturday and tag us @healthebay #CoastalCleanUpDay2023
This SATURDAY! Photo Exhibition & Discussion Panel @ Heal the Bay Aquarium
The Transformative Power of the Ocean & Waves
Discussion Panel + Art Exhibition + Special After-Hours Aquarium Tour
Saturday, August 26, 2023 | 6 PM – 9PM
Heal the Bay Aquarium, Santa Monica
Engage in captivating discussions and gain insights into the collaboration between science, surfers, and environmental activists, all making waves for positive change.
*Light refreshments will be served throughout the night from our donation-based beverage bar.
Join our Storm Response Team
Storm Response Team Unite!
Recent Hurricane and the “First Flush” have brought trash and pollution to the coastline. We need volunteers to join our Storm Response Team! Sign up to help protect our beaches.
Stay safe and stay out of the water for 72 hours after rainfall!
🚨Coastal Cleanup Action Alert 🚨
Summer fun has left THOUSANDS of pounds of beachgoer TRASH on the coastline. Help us cleanup the beach and protect our precious coastal waters.
The Beach needs your help!
This Saturday, August 19, 2023 | 10 AM – 12 PM | Torrance Beach
Join us this Saturday for our August Nothin’ But Sand Beach Cleanup!
Event sold out? You’re still welcome to join us. Just bring your own cleanup supplies. Ready… set, SIGN UP >>.
Become a Coastal Cleanup Day Site Captain
⚓️Ready to lead your own Coastal Cleanup Site?
Coastal Cleanup Day is just around the corner! Join our August Site Captain Training Session this Saturday, August 12, 2023 9am-12pm.
Sign Up For Site Captain Training
Dive into Paya, the untold story of America’s longest-lived water conflict...
Join Heal the Bay + the Safe Clean Water Program team in partnership with the Owens Valley Indian Water Commission for a special FREE screening of the documentary Paya: The Water Story of the Paiute.
Come for this award-winning documentary and stay for a discussion panel of indigenous representatives from the Tongva Land Conservancy and Owens Valley Indian Water Commission.
Dockweiler Youth Center | Thursday, July 27 · 6 – 7:30pm PDT
🚨COASTAL ACTION ALERT🚨
Join our Marine Mammal Response Team to help combat the Domoic Acid Crisis. 🦭
Sign up
Nothin' But Sand Beach Cleanup @ Will Rogers State Beach
This Saturday, July 15, 2023 | 10 AM – 12 PM
BEACH CLEANUP: Join us at Will Rogers State Beach for a special 🌟 Plastic Free July edition of our monthly Nothin’ But Sand cleanup featuring: The Great Green Bin Games. 4th of July fun brought thousands of beachgoers to the California Coastline, and unfortunately, thousands of pounds of trash. Help us provide immediate relief to our marine life neighbors. Event sold out? You’re still welcome to join us. Just bring your own cleanup supplies. Ready… set, SIGN UP >>.
Support Heal the Bay & Gender Justice LA
Get your Limited-Edition Heal the Bay PRIDE Hat!
Help protect our precious coastal waters and support the advocacy of LBGTQAI+ rights🌈
Nature is Queer! Celebrate Pride all year!
Check out the 2022-2023 Beach Report Card
Heal the Bay’s Annual Beach Report Card and River Report Card has been published!
Download the reports to find out which beaches and rivers had perfect water quality grades, and which made the TOP 10 Beach Bummer lists.
You are cordially invited to the Bring Back the Beach Gala on May 18, 2023!
Join Heal the Bay at our biggest event of the year!
Bring Back the Beach Annual Gala
Thursday, May 18, 2023 @ 5:30pm
Jonathan Club Santa Monica
Sip on custom-crafted beverages, savor a gourmet dinner, and win coveted auction prizes at our Awards Ceremony alongside hundreds of leaders from the business, political, entertainment, and environmental communities.
Support Heal the Bay and our mission to care for our California Watersheds from summit to sea and celebrate the environmental wins of the season with us on the sand!
Spread the word: #GivingTuesday with Heal the Bay
Through all the unique challenges of these past two years, our work has persisted, grown, and strengthened. We want you to know that Heal the Bay is here for good.
Heal the Bay has stewarded the protection and restoration of our coastal waters and watersheds in Southern California since 1985, and we’re not stopping anytime soon! This Giving Tuesday, November 29, join us in celebrating the continuance of our work to keep our waters safe, healthy, and clean by making a donation and sharing Heal the Bay’s mission.
Coming up: Blue Table Talk #1 "Demystifying Drought"
November 20, 2022 | 3 PM- 4 PM @ Ken Malloy Harbor Regional Park Machado Lake
Drought can be a scary subject for many Angelenos, but there is so much WE CAN DO to understand and combat the effects of these abnormally dry periods. What is drought? Is natural? Is it harmful? Is it a human problem or outside of our control? Let’s demystify the drought and empower each other.
Double Your Impact 'All At Once' with Jack Johnson!
We are teaming up with Jack Johnson on his 2022 Summer Tour as an All At Once Non-Profit Partner! Support Heal the Bay’s mission to protect coastal waters and watersheds by October 15 and Jack Johnson’s Foundation will match your gift.
All At Once, Jack’s social action network, promotes sustainable & equitable food systems, plastic free initiatives, healthy watersheds and more. To celebrate our partnership, the Johnson Ohana Foundation is generously matching donations contributed to Heal the Bay at the Jack Johnson concert or directly to our organization now – October 15 2022, up to a total of $2500. Make a donation today and it will be doubled by the Johnson Ohana Foundation!
Stay Connected
Get our monthly Blue Newsletter to find out where our next big cleanup will be and what actions you can take to protect the Bay:
Follow @healthebay on social media:
Get involved today:
- Register the kids for in-person or virtual Aquarium Science Camp this summer
- Become a volunteer by signing up for our next Volunteer Orientation
- Read our new blog posts to stay up to date on the latest environmental and public health issues.
- Donate to Heal the Bay and support our mission to protect the coastal waters and watersheds of Greater LA
Announcing Our New CEO
Tracy Quinn is joining Heal the Bay as our new CEO! Read our press release about why this big news upholds our commitment to science-based advocacy. View a farewell letter from Shelley Luce. Share this news with your networks via LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
Carson Sewage Spill Update
Photo by Dean Musgrove/The Orange County Register, via Associated Press.
A massive and dangerous sewage spill happened late last week in Carson. Millions of gallons of raw sewage flowed through residential areas, into storm drains, in the Dominguez Channel, and out to the ocean. Some OC beaches and LA beaches are closed and will remain so until daily testing for bacterial pollution shows contaminants have been reduced to an allowable level. Heal the Bay is calling on officials and agencies to increase water quality monitoring during emergencies and to prevent sewage spills from happening by rapidly updating aging infrastructure.
Make Your Year-End Gift
Together, we have the power to heal our waters. We’re grateful for our donors who continue to support our mission of protecting the coastal waters and watersheds in Greater Los Angeles. Join us by making your Year-End Gift to Heal the Bay by December 31.
Donate Stock
Reduce your Capital Gains Tax by donating stock directly to Heal the Bay before the December 31 deadline. To learn more, please contact Sheila McSherry, Associate Director at Heal the Bay by email.
Heal the Bay is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. All gifts are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law. Heal the Bay’s Tax ID number is 95-4031055.
Get Shopping
To make your holiday shopping a little easier, we’re offering free shipping at Heal the Bay Shop for orders $75+. If you are looking for a stress-free, last-minute gift, check out our Gift Cards with instant delivery.
Make a Splash on Giving Tuesday!
Give a donation to provide hands-on learning experiences for 10,000 local students. Your gift funds marine science education field trips and inspires lifelong environmental stewards who will protect our future from oil spills, plastic pollution, and the impacts of climate change.
Early Bird Special for Heal the Bay Aquarium Camp
A unique gift for the young scientist
Just for our Heal the Bay community, we’re giving you 10% off Heal the Bay Aquarium Winter Science Camp on January 3-7, 2022 when you sign up by Thursday, November 25. Select Redeem Coupon and enter code EARLY to apply your special discount.
Free Shipping at Heal the Bay Shop
To help with your holiday shopping, we’re offering free shipping on all items* at Heal the Bay Shop until December 31. Choose from Heal the Bay apparel, Aquarium goodies, and eco-friendly household items. Your purchase supports our mission.
*Excludes Collaborations that are sold offsite.
Make a donation to Heal the Bay before midnight tonight (Sept. 30) and your donation will be matched 100%, thanks to our Board Members.
Our rare gift matching opportunity is quickly coming to a close. We’re more than halfway to reaching our $20,000 fundraising goal! Can we count on your support?
Happy Coastal Cleanup Month!
2,735 volunteers joined us on Saturday, Sept. 18 at 35 beach, river & inland sites in Los Angeles County, California for our 32nd Annual #CoastalCleanupDay. From 9 am til Noon, volunteers covered 50+ miles of area on land & underwater—removing 5,051 pounds of trash & 156 pounds of recyclables!
THANK YOU VOLUNTEERS, DONORS AND PARTNERS FOR MAKING COASTAL CLEANUP MONTH A BIG SUCCESS SO FAR!
Make a donation to Heal the Bay and now through September 30 your donation will be matched 100% up to $20,000 thanks to generous Heal the Bay Board Members.
You're Invited to Chefs @ Home
A delicious night of food, fun, and facts awaits! Chefs @ Home is a virtual fundraiser for Heal the Bay streaming on Facebook and YouTube at 5pm on Sunday, Nov. 22. Chefs, special guests, and experts will share favorite fall meals and discuss how food choices impact the environment. Donations are encouraged. View gift baskets and register.