Heal the Bay Blog

Author: Heal the Bay

Celebrate Earth Month at the Aquarium

04.05.2011 | Heal the Bay

The benefits of cleaning the beach are obvious; a cleaner environment for all to enjoy, and less trash in the ocean to harm both the marine habitat and the animals that live there. But on April 16th and 17th, cleaning the beach brings an added benefit, free admission to Heal the Bay’s Santa Monica Pier Aquarium!

Our Aquarium is celebrating Earth Month with a weekend-long festival. We’ll have presentations and activities for all ages, and we’ll offer free admission to everyone who first cleans up the beach with us. The Aquarium will be open from 11am to 6 pm both days. Beach cleanups are scheduled will be ongoing both days between 11am and 2:30pm. Meet us in front of the Aquarium to receive supplies and a safety talk before you start cleaning. All participants must sign a waiver; forms are available online and will be available at the Aquarium.

Heal the Bay’s Earth Day events, including the Aquarium’s weekend celebration, are sponsored by SoCal Honda Dealers this year. They will be handing out free reusable water bottles at our events and a donation will be made to Heal the Bay on each recipient’s behalf.

Inside the Aquarium, you’ll find face painting, story times, scavenger hunts and crafts projects for children, displays, films, presentations, and activities focusing on shark conservation. Visitors can also check out marine life off the west end of the Pier at a wildlife observation station, equipped with binoculars and field guides, and staffed by Aquarium naturalists.

More information is online or call 310-393-6149.
Admission is free for children under 13 when accompanied by an adult; for all others admission is $3, with a suggested $5 donation. Groups of 10 or more are $2 per person.

But remember, cleaning the beach gets you in free!

Photo: Lillie Grossman

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Let's Stop the Finning of Sharks

04.05.2011 | Heal the Bay

California Sharks Long Beach / Avalon Malibu / Pacific Palisades Marina del Rey / Playa del Rey Palos Verdes Peninsula Santa Monica South Bay Venice Beach

Heal the Bay is joining the fight to protect sharks this Earth Month by promoting legislation that would outlaw the sale of shark fins. Sign now!

Every year, fins from tens of millions of sharks are used for shark fin soup. The human appetite for shark fins is a major contributor to the near collapse of shark populations worldwide, including in California. One of the most effective ways to protect sharks is to eliminate the market for fins by prohibiting their sale. AB 376, a bill being considered in the California state legislature, will ensure stronger protections for sharks by banning the possession, sale, trade and distribution of shark fins. Hawaii and the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands have recently passed similar legislation, and Guam, Oregon, and Washington state legislatures are also considering similar bans.

The ruthless practice of shark finning (which leaves live animals finless and unable to swim) remains legal in many parts of the world. It is dangerously efficient because it enables fishing crews to throw out low-value, unmarketable shark carcasses and retain only the fins. As predators at or near the top of marine food webs, sharks help maintain the balance of marine life in our oceans. Research shows that the massive depletion of sharks has cascading effects throughout the oceans’ ecosystems. AB 376 will give critical protection to sharks and preserve the health of our oceans.

California represents a significant market for shark fins in the United States, and this demand helps drive the practice of shark finning and declining shark populations. San Diego and Los Angeles are two of the top U.S. entry points for shark fin imports. Most fins are processed in Asia and exported around the world, and fins sold in California may come from these markets.

Although shark fin soup has long been a popular entrée because of its association with prestige and privilege, concerned individuals across Asia – including China, Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong – have formed shark protection groups to highlight the plight of sharks. Some governments and businesses in the Pacific region have pledged to not serve shark fin soup at government functions, business meetings and celebratory banquets. Likewise, a growing number of globally recognized Asian chefs support alternatives to shark fin. We recognize the cultural importance of shark fin soup as a ceremonial dish, and the sacrifice that the Chinese community in California will be making to give it up in their support of ocean health. This leadership is also reflected by the group of respected Asian Pacific American leaders, elected officials, celebrities and advocates that have joined in support for AB 376.

Look out for petitions during Earth Month at Heal the Bay booths at festivals and fairs, or get more information when you stop by our Santa Monica Pier Aquarium during public hours, or at the Victor Douieb Shark Sculptures Premiere.

ACT NOW: Sign the petition to end shark fin sales in California.

Photo: USFWS Pacific via Flicker

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Behind the Scenes: Recycling with Chivas USA

04.05.2011 | Heal the Bay

About Us Palos Verdes Peninsula

This guest blog post was written by Eveline Bravo, Heal the Bay’s Beach Programs Manager.

The Chivas USA professional soccer team and Home Depot Center in Carson are working hard to green their organizations and recently collaborated with Heal the Bay to help others do the same. That’s why three special schools have been selected to step up their recycling efforts on campus in a cross-town challenge. Point Fermin Elementary in San Pedro, Loreto Elementary near Downtown and Stonehurst Elementary in the San Fernando Valley have been pitted against each other for a match to see who will win the challenge to recycle the most.

All three partner schools have been amazing, with each principal taking a major role in inspiring the kids to recycle at every opportunity. Heal the Bay recognizes that competitions at schools for prizes also mean additional work for school staff and parents, but it has been truly fantastic to witness the genuine excitement of Stonehurst, Loreto and Point Fermin to do more to be environmental stewards. Of course, great prizes also help.

Chivas USA gathered a long list of gifts, but in this competition to do good for the environment’s sake, there are no losers. Obviously the real winner is the planet, but the students of the winning school will receive XBox consoles, gift cards, field trips and gift baskets to share and distribute at school. Not to mention that all, and we do mean all, students and staff will receive tickets to the Chivas USA green home game, where each school will be honored for their participation during a special, field-level, pre-game ceremony. What an experience it will be for the kids that get to walk on the field and receive their recognition from the famous Chivas Fighter.

This competition is also supported by the City of Los Angeles Department of Public Works Bureau of Sanitation, who will be distributing and collecting the bin equipment for this challenge. A special delivery of 60 blue recycle bins will make their way from the city to the schools April 4-14 for the competition.

Heal the Bay was excited and honored to host the announcement assemblies at each of the schools. We couldn’t wait for the opportunity to teach, encourage and motivate everyone to do their best. We even brought out the “bag monster” to get the message across that there are many things that can go in the blue bins to be recycled, including those pesky single-use plastic bags. If only we had a Styrofoam monster in time for our presentations, since that too can go in the blue bins of City of Los Angeles.

We can’t wait to see the results and to recognize the student winners of the 2011 Chivas USA and Heal the Bay Recycling Competition on April 30 at the big game.

Hopefully, you too can join us at Home Depot Center!

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Mussel Beach

04.04.2011 | Heal the Bay

News

The yearly quarantine of all mussel species harvested publicly on the California coast came a month early this year and is now in effect. California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has found elevated levels of both domoic acid and paralytic shellfish poisoning in mussels. Poisoning from eating these mussels can be very severe, so make sure you avoid them. Cooking does not reliably eliminate the toxins.

Symptoms can start to show up as early as 30 minutes after eating the mussels, but it could take up to 24 hours.

The quarantine will run through October 31, and it covers all sport harvested mussels along the coast of California in all bays, all harbors and all estuaries. Commercially harvested shellfish however, are not included in the quarantine. These are certified by the state and are subject to strict requirements.

For more info, you can contact the CDPH at the shellfish information line 800.553.4133.

Photo: di_the_huntress via Flickr

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Register Now For Aquarium Field Trips

04.01.2011 | Heal the Bay

Heal the Bay Aquarium Santa Monica

While many are preparing to take a field trip this spring, Heal the Bay’s Santa Monica Pier Aquarium is ready to help teachers plan their field trips for the 2011-2012 school year. Reservation books open April 1st and if past years are any indication, prime spring field trips spots book up fast and furiously.

School year programs are offered from September 19, 2011 through June 8, 2012, Monday through Friday, two times a day. The morning program runs from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. and a second program is offered from 12:00 noon to 2:00 p.m.

Reserving space a year ahead of time is easy: either FAX a downloaded field trip reservation form to send to the Aquarium with three dates and times that would work, or call the Aquarium to make a reservation at 310-393-6149, ext. 105. Please leave a voice mail message if no one is available; a faxed form is a request only and does not guarantee a reservation. Reservations are filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

Learn more about the Aquarium’s education programs and to find a downloadable reservation form. Reserve early; field trip programs fill up quickly. View our 2011-2012 school year flyer.

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Team Up: Chivas Helps with School Recycling

04.01.2011 | Heal the Bay

Palos Verdes Peninsula

Chivas and Heal the Bay put our heads together to come up with a fun way to teach kids about the importance of recycling this Earth Month. Starting this coming Monday, three local elementary schools will start competing to fill recycling bins on their campuses. The schools stand to win some amazing prizes, including Chivas tickets (two per student and school staff member) and a free field trip to Malibu with Heal the Bay. To check out photos of the kick off at Point Fermin School and to see the cast of characters who showed up to cheer on the students, see this article in the Daily Breeze.

Photo: Scott Varley, Daily Breeze

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Join Us for Our Annual Gala

03.30.2011 | Heal the Bay

More Ways to Give News

Don’t miss the ultimate beach party

Enjoy a relaxed evening with beach lovers of all stripes and mingle under the stars with entertainment, government, business and environmental leaders at Heal the Bay’s 20th annual benefit gala: Bring Back the Beach.

Dig your feet in the sand at the Ultimate Beach Party, which will feature live and silent auctions, sustainable dining, celebrity guests, musical entertainment by legendary Beach Boy’s co-founder Brian Wilson and special guests Laird Hamilton and Gabriele Reece, plus much more.

What:

The Ultimate Beach Party

When:

Thursday, May 19, 2011 at 5PM

Where:

On the sand at the Jonathan Beach Club in Santa Monica

Honorees:

California State Coastal Conservancy, Don Smith and Homerun Entertainment

Information & Tickets:

Bring Back the Beach is almost sold out! For wait list tickets, call 310.451.1500

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Plastic Paradise

03.30.2011 | Heal the Bay

About Us

Today’s guest bloggers are Kirsten James, Heal the Bay’s Water Quality Director, and Sarah Sikich, Coastal Resources Director. Here they discuss their experience traveling to Hawaii last week and participating in the 5th International Marine Debris Conference.

Sarah: It’s unreal – spending a week in Hawaii for work! Not to mention meeting some of the leading researchers, government agencies, environmental organizations, and explorers working on marine debris and plastic pollution issues. Was there any research presented that you found particularly memorable?

Kirsten: It’s hard to pick just one presentation but one that stands out is the work being done by Dr. Jan A. van Franeker from the Netherlands. He gave several revealing talks on his research with Northern Fulmars, a marine bird species. He found that in the North Sea, the “average” Northern Fulmar flies around with 0.3 grams of plastic in the stomach, rising to 0.6 grams in more polluted areas. If you scale this bird up to the size of an average human, that would equal 30 grams of plastic, resembling a lunchbox full of plastic sheets, foams, threads and fragments! How about you, did any of the presentations stand out?

Sarah: I’m glad to see how much research is being focused on endocrine disruptors and plastics. Many researchers in the field have raised concerns about whether chemicals associated with plastics are leaching into the tissues of wildlife and fish ingesting this trash. Previously little work had been done to determine whether this was actually occurring. Several scientists presented preliminary research at the conference showing that chemical plastic additives (like phthalates and Bisphenol A) and PCBs that stick to plastics are present in the tissues of animals that have ingested plastic materials. Potential hormone system disruption is also of concern. Pretty scary stuff. But, at least we were learning about it in blissful, tropical Hawaii. How did the conference location influence your experience?

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The Ultimate Eco-Project

03.28.2011 | Heal the Bay

News

Earth Month is coming and you might’ve already done the beach cleanups, you might’ve told your friends where all those cigarettes butts they throw on the freeway end up, and you might’ve even come to visit our Santa Monica Pier Aquarium to learn about the marine life we all seek to protect in the Santa Monica Bay. But are you ready to take your enviro stewardship to the next level? Come join us to kick off Earth Month this year like it’s never been done before: with the ultimate environmental project!

Join us this March 30th at 3PM in South L.A. for a community celebration of our latest “greening” project, the first of its magnitude for Heal the Bay: a park that, once built with the help of a $1.3 million State Parks Grant that was just approved, will recycle urban runoff water. To learn more background on this project, read this recent blog post.

WHAT: Celebration of the WAYS Literacy & Fitness Park

WHEN: Wednesday, March 30, 3pm

WHERE: McKinley Ave & E. 87th St, FREE parking available on side streets

WHO: Heal the Bay, our South L.A. partner Wisdom Academy for Young Scientists Charter Elementary School, and Councilwoman Jan Perry, among others.

WHY: To announce and celebrate the award of a $1.3 million Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Grant to develop this multi-purpose environmentally-friendly park and learn about how it will work once it’s built. Come to hear the inspiring story behind how this project rose from the ground up to generate community action to beautify and protect the environment of our city.

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Pound Foolish

03.28.2011 | Heal the Bay

News

City, county, state and federal budget crises are the dominant issues facing government, business and the public. In what has become an annual event, elected officials and administrations scramble to balance budgets by coming up with policy ideas that save pennies but are more than a pound foolish.

At the federal level, cutting back EPA’s budget by up to 30% has nothing to do with fiscal prudence. If the House was as serious about major cuts as it is about rolling back environmental protections, then eliminating tax loopholes, agribusiness and oil and gas subsidies, and reducing defense spending would be part of the dialogue on the Hill.

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