If you’ve been planning to remove your lawn and replace it with water-wise landscaping instead, now’s the time! The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is currently offering a cash incentive from $1.50-$2 per square foot for residential customers who install “California friendly” plants and other water-conservation features. Commercial customers may receive $1 per square foot. Grass is water-thirsty and high-maintenance, which is why LADWP is encouraging residents and businesses to remove their lawns. Forty percent of water use in L.A. occurs outdoors. And, as we prepare for the dry season, James McDaniel, senior assistant general manager of LADWP’s water system, points out: “We need to find ways to save precious potable water for indoor uses.” In addition, much of L.A.’s rainfall ends up just being wasted as it runs off into the storm drain system and eventually the ocean. This urban runoff contains dangerous pollutants for humans, animals and the environment. Besides using California native plants, there are some innovative and appealing ways to enhance a landscape with non-vegetative groundcover or paving materials like decomposed granite, pea gravel, rocks, pebbles, mulch and wood chips. A list of landscaping options is available at www.bewaterwise.org. All customers must pre-apply for a rebate and receive LADWP approval before starting the turf replacement. LADWP will also inspect the lawn before and after the project. To get started, visit www.LADWP.com/CF. |
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Heal the Bay Blog
Many members of Heal the Bay staff were saddened by the death at age 84 of Bob Meistrell, waterman and wet suit revolutionary. A few of us share reflections on his life:
“Bob inspired many people to enjoy the ocean through surfing and diving, which is seen and felt throughout Los Angeles, and especially in the South Bay. Through the years, several of Heal the Bay’s staff, interns, and volunteers were touched by Bob’s passion, which translated for many of them into a personal charge to help protect and restore our local coast and ocean. We are thankful for his leadership and the many lives he touched.”
— Sarah Sikich
Coastal Resources Director
“I learned to dive in the early 90s. My very first wet suit was made by Body Glove, which Bob co-founded with his twin brother Bill. I remember walking into Dive N’ Surf, buying my wetsuit and seeing this old photograph of Bill and Bob holding some big bugs. That just blew me away — that year I caught my first lobsters off of Rocky Point.
The Meistrells helped shape the waterman culture in the South Bay in the early days and they were definitely an inspiration to me. Anyone that has learned to dive, surf or paddle in the South Bay owe it to Bob & Bill. They changed the world of ocean sports.
I am lucky to live in the South Bay and proud to have grown up here. I still dive today and I support the shop. I am grateful to be a part of it and will always appreciate the Meistrell family.”
— Jose Bacallao
Operations Manager, Santa Monica PIer Aquarium
“Although sad, Bob was out on the water on his last days on earth, which I know is where he’d want to be.
Bob had taken me out on his boat a few years back to do some Reef Check surveys, and to breakfast at his local yacht club. He knew everyone’s name, was fun to talk to, a very generous man and true waterman. I bought my first SCUBA gear at his dive shop.
This is a loss for the dive and surf community, but his impacts on watermen and women will last for a long time.”
— Dana Roeber Murray
Marine & Coastal Scientist
Of all of the things I thought I would do in this job, going to South Korea never crossed my mind. But three shots in the arm, several orientation meetings, and a pretty solid syllabus down, I’m one week out from joining with 150 students from the Pacific American Volunteer Association (PAVA) on a 12-day environmental expedition to learn about how different cultures live around water.
Around the world and throughout history, cities have had to figure how to live with water and the ecosystems around them. New settlements build irrigation systems to support agriculture, cities engineer flood control systems to manage storm water, and communities celebrate the vitality of water through volunteerism or ritual. Los Angeles has its own very interesting tale to tell with local water, and my work here has been about trying to tell that story to students and our community partners.
One community partner that has responded to our water story in a big way is PAVA, whose students have joined me to explore the Los Angeles River for the past couple of years. Building on that experience, and always in search of a way to connect with their Korean heritage, PAVA came to us this past spring to present the idea of an expedition abroad.
South Korea too has had its share of water problems, from disappearing freshwater sources, to development encroaching upon natural space, to flooding problems in rural and urban areas. But beginning in the late 90’s and continuing today, their government has decided to turn the issue around, investing billions of dollars into revitalization and restoration, and bringing community back to these spaces. And so it is that Korea, among a few other nations, are leaders in this area, reimagining and reinvesting the role that water has in the country in a big way.
And now PAVA will venture to South Korea this summer to continue their watershed journey, undertaking an expedition in search of bringing those hard fought lessons in environmental restoration and revitalization from their mother country back to Los Angeles. As cultural ambassadors, these students will ask questions on their journey about the process and success of the South Korean effort, returning to Los Angeles with answers that might better inform their work and ours. What lessons do we have to learn from our distant neighbors? Check back in when I return to find out!
— Edward Murphy
Heal the Bay’s Watershed Education Manager
Whether your students are kindergartners or prepping for college, Heal the Bay offers education programs tailored just for them.
Heal the Bay headed to the South Bay last weekend to soak up some love in Manhattan Beach. First we cleaned the beach with 75 volunteers (including friends from Target and Mattel), netting 87 pounds of trash and enough cigarette butts to measure five feet.
Thank you to Simmzy’s Manhattan Beach for hosting the cleanup and the post-cleanup party featuring Golden Road Brewing’s Heal the Bay IPA! Simmzy’s owner Mike Simms participated in the cleanup, as did Heal the Board member Ian Eddleston, the family of board member Jorge Delgado and HtB supporter Woody Henderson, owner of Adventure Voyaging and 2012 Coastal Cleanup Day captain.
Afterwards, Simmzy’s was pouring Golden Road’s Heal the Bay IPA, donating $20 for each keg to Heal the Bay. Thank you again to Golden Road for brewing such a delicious benefit to our work.
Speaking of refreshments, Nothing Bundt Cake-Santa Monica just joined our list of Aquarium party partners.Thank you for joining the party and for your ongoing support!
We also send big props to outdoor gear purveyor REI for their longtime involvement in what we do to protect our waterways.
Discover more ways to show your support for Heal the Bay.
Be part of the solution to pollution! Join your fellow Angelenos on Coastal Cleanup Day (aka the BIGGEST volunteer day on the planet!) on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2013 from 9 a.m. to noon. This year Heal the Bay will organize more than 60 cleanup locations all over Los Angeles County. A complete list of cleanup sites and more details will be posted on our website later this summer.
In an effort to create more sustainable events, we ask cleanup volunteers to bring their own reusable supplies. All that you need to clean is a bucket to share, one glove to pick up trash and your reusable water bottle to stay hydrated. The more reusable tools you bring to the cleanup, the fewer disposable supplies we waste in this effort.
You can use a lot of different items as a cleanup bucket, such as a sand pail, milk jug, car wash tub, old paint can or even a washable tote bag will do the trick. To be Zero Waste, you just have to get creative.
Last year more than 9000 Angelenos worked together to keep nearly 20 tons of debris from heading to the ocean. Check out more results from last year’s Coastal Cleanup Day.
Make sure you don’t miss out: Subscribe to our enewsletter.
Randy Newman’s “I Love L.A.” echoed through Los Angeles City Hall on Tuesday, as members of the City Council voted 11-1 to finalize the ban on single-use plastic bags in L.A.
We did it!
And by “we,” we mean the countless number of Angelenos who helped make this day possible.
First, Heal the Bay sincerely thanks Councilmember Paul Koretz and his staff, who logged years forging a plastic-bag-free path, first in Sacramento as an assembly member and then here in L.A. as a member of the city council. Koretz authored the bag ban proposal, which will take effect in January 2014.
Among the highlights of Tuesday’s meeting was hearing Koretz debunk claims by the plastic industry “which has put out so much misinformation” about reusable bags. (Watch video from the hearing. We recommend dragging your cursor to 02:52:30.)
We are also grateful to Councilmember José Huizar and his staff, who as chair of the Energy and Environment Committee, recommended that the full council approve the ban. In his statement before the council, Huizar movingly spoke about taking on plastic bags after noticing how many of them were stuck in the trees along the San Gabriel river while on a bike ride with his kids.
“We’ve seen plastic bags clogging our gutters, polluting our rivers and piling up on our beaches,” Huizar said. “The time for the City of Los Angeles to take action to protect our environment is now. And every big city in the nation can follow our lead.”
We would also like to thank every councilmember who voted for this important piece of environmental legislation, as well as Eric Garcetti who was a staunch supporter of the ban for many years.
The victory at City Hall was a true team effort. The City of LA couldn’t have gone plastic bag free without the invaluable support of dozens of organizations and individuals, including the Surfrider Foundation, the Sierra Club, Seventh Generation Advisors, Environment California, Green Vets, Earthwise Bags, Urban Semillas, Mujeres de la Tierra, NRDC, Echo Park TAP, 5 Gyres, Plastic Pollution Coalition, Food and Water Watch, Pacific Asian Volunteer Association, Compton High School, Dorsey High School, Zola Berger-Schmitz & The Archer School for Girls and her mother Stan Joffe from Earthwise, San Fernando High School, King Drew Medical Magnet, APEX Academy, Santa Monica High School, Ballona Creek Renaissance, WeTAP, the County of Los Angeles, the City of Santa Monica, and many, many others.
Here’s to a plastic bag-free L.A.!
Among the many reasons we love L.A. are the beautiful spots to enjoy nature and forget city life for a bit. A hearty thank you goes to the Amgen employees and other volunteers who came to the Malibu Lagoon last weekend to restore it by removing weeds.
Congratulations to Eva Varro for opening their new Santa Monica store (pictured left), and thank you for donating a portion of the night’s proceeds to Heal the Bay.
And, thank you to Whole Foods-Venice and Golden Road Brewery, for sharing your proceeds from the Heal the Bay IPA after Nothin’ But Sand on June 15.
We did it! After seven years of hard work and diligence, California is poised to become the first state in the nation to ban single-use plastic grocery bags. The overwhelming response has been one of excitement, but we realize there are some residents who have concerns. Nancy Shrodes, our volunteer coordinator, answers a few typical questions.
How do I pick up my dog’s poop?
Yes, plastic bags are handy for picking up animal waste, but there are alternative and easy ways to continue to be a responsible pet owner! For example, you can bring last week’s newspaper on your walk and use it to pick up poop. You can also re-use the grocery store produce bags or other forms of food packaging like bagel or bread bags.
I line my trash cans with plastic bags from the grocery store. Now what am I going to use?
Line the bottom of your bin with newspaper or other paper, and rinse it out periodically after use. You can also buy heavier-weight plastic bags and REUSE them after dumping waste into your outside bin.
What about using biodegradable bags?
A “biodegradable” plastic bag is a bit of a misnomer. These bags can only break down under very specific conditions and do NOT break down naturally in our waterways, posing a threat to animal life. Bags on our streets inevitably end up in our rivers and ocean, facilitated by the city’s storm drain system. To fully degrade, these bags require heat and specific bacteria present in industrial composting facilities.
Will I get sick from using a reusable bag?
No! I have been using reusable bags for years and have never gotten sick from them. You can easily avoid any chance of getting sick with easy-care tips. Just use common sense and everyday hygiene. Throw your cloth/fabric tote bags into the wash with your laundry load to clean them. Any of the thick plastic reusable bags should be wiped clean and allowed to dry before you store them. Voilà! You are germ free and the environment is healthier too!
Aren’t there bigger things to worry about than plastic bags?
Yes, the world is filled with many pressing problems. But Heal the Bay has spent a lot of attention to this issue because plastic bags ARE a big problem — blighting neighborhoods, clogging storm drains and harming animals. They are also a powerful symbol of our throwaway culture. This is a gateway issue for us. The healthy debate about bags gets people to think about other wasteful practices in their daily lives, be it using single-use water bottles or taking a drinking straw at the corner restaurant. Little things add up to bigger things.
Before joining Heal the Bay, Nancy worked on the bag ban campaign for Environment California.
As a special thank you to our dedicated members, Heal the Bay is kicking off the summer with a couple of invite-only events, open exclusively to our current donors.
June 28-29: Join us on either Friday, June 28, at 8 a.m. in Northern Malibu, or Saturday, June 29, at 11 a.m. in Palos Verdes, for an active tidepool tour of a Marine Protected Area (MPA) with Heal the Bay scientists Dana Roeber Murray and Sarah Sikich. Highlights include whale watching, an interpretive nature hike, and a tide pool walk at low tide. RSVP here.
July 13: Like beer? Love Heal the Bay? Golden Road Brewery produced a Heal the Bay IPA, available in select local stores and bars. Now they’re opening their doors to Heal the Bay members on July 13 at 2 p.m. Join us for a tour of the brewery, learn more about the beer-making process, and you’ll even get a free beer! Of course, you have to be 21. And a current member.
RSVP to Hallie Jones for location details and to get on the list!
Not sure if you’re a Heal the Bay member? Contact Hallie and she can assist you.
Think that this all looks incredibly fun? Join Heal the Bay as a member to attend these and other special events exclusively for HtB donors.
Watermen and women braved some seriously huge waves on Saturday at the Santa Monica Pier Paddleboard Race and Ocean Festival (pictured left).
For the fourth year in a row, the event’s organizers chose Heal the Bay and the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium as their charity of choice and we couldn’t be prouder!
The festival promotes the connection between the Santa Monica Bay and the community of watermen and women who have enjoyed a myriad water sports for generations – all folks who recognize the role Heal the Bay plays in keeping the ocean healthy for us all.
We offer special thanks this week to the Roth Family Foundation and the Joseph Drown Foundation for their commitment to education and creating opportunities for LA’s youth!
A “thank you” also goes to the Union Bank Foundation for their longtime support of Coastal Cleanup Day, the annual international volunteer event held every September. Heal the Bay staff coordinates the efforts in L.A. County. Mark your calendars: This year’s CCD will be on September 21, 9 a.m.-Noon.
Speaking of cleanups, employees from DIRECTV, Symantec Corporation, and Wells Fargo joined us for Corporate Healer Beach Cleanups. More than 80 employees from DIRECTV in El Segundo picked up 182 pounds of trash from Dockweiler beach. Fierce competitors, the winning cleanup team, “Direct 6,” collected 30 pounds! Wells Fargo volunteers picked up an unbelievable 1,268 cigarette butts!
Not to be outdone, a 13-member team from Symantec Corporation collected more than their share of beach trash. Plus, all three companies made dollar donations to sustain our work. Big thanks to last week’s corporate healers!
You can support a clean ocean today and every day.
Reel in the love this weekend at Fisherman Appreciation Day on the Venice Pier.
Created to teach local anglers ways to ensure the fish they catch are safe to eat, Fisherman’s Appreciation Day will be held this year on June 15 from 7 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Venice Pier.
Fishing experts will be on hand to share healthy tips on cooking and catching fish, plus there’ll be contests with prizes (such as family passes to Heal the Bay’s Santa Monica Pier Aquarium) and free food!
Among the experts will be members of Heal the Bay’s Angler Outreach Program (AOP team, pictured left), who’ve educated more than 100,000 anglers about the health risks of eating certain fish (e.g., white croaker). Our bilingual AOP team span eight different piers ‑‑ Santa Monica, Venice, Hermosa, Redondo, Pier J, Rainbow Harbor, Belmont and Seal Beach‑‑ to spread their message.
Download a guide to eating fish caught in the bay and find more tips courtesy of the Fish Contamination Education Collaborative.
Are you an educator? Healthy, sustainable fish choices are also covered in the curricula for our K-5 marine education program, Key to the Sea.
