Heal the Bay Blog

Category: More Ways to Give

3 Things to Do With Heal the Bay This Week

12.03.2012 | Heal the Bay

Sustain the “doing good” momentum generated by the Giving Tuesday initiative and make a difference in your community. Not all giving needs to be material (although we appreciate the donations). Here are three ways this week that you can give back with Heal the Bay:

Help restore Malibu Creek by planting trees with our Stream Team on Saturday, December 8. We’ll be removing invasives and replacing them with native willow stakes from 8:45 a.m. – Noon.
Join our kid-friendly holiday festivities at the site of our new park in South L.A. on Sunday, December 9, 2-4 p.m.
Test drive Ford’s All Electric Focus and CMAX Hybrid at Will Rogers Sate Beach this Friday, and Ford will donate to us for each participant!

In case you are feeling material, our holiday shopping guide is up with all kinds of gift options for the ocean lovers in your life. The guide is also handy for sharing when someone asks what you want for Hanukkah or Christmas this year.

Visit Heal the Bay’s calendar to discover more ways to get involved.

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Thank You Thursday – 11.29.12

11.29.2012 | Heal the Bay

More Ways to Give Santa Monica

Protecting the ocean for future generations is key to Heal the Bay’s mission.

This week we’d like to thank surfer and musician Jack Johnson and The Johnson Ohana Charitable Foundation for their unwavering support of our ocean protection initiatives and stewardship efforts.

The Johnson Ohana Charitable Foundation is a non-profit public charity founded in 2008 by Jack and Kim Johnson to promote positive and lasting change within communities by supporting organizations that focus on environmental, art, and music education.

Four recipients of The Wyland Foundation’s Earth Month Heroes awards — Mark Gold (former Heal the Bay president), Sara Bayles (The Daily Ocean blog), Erica Aguilera (program and education intern, summer 2010), and Patricio Guerrero — chose Heal the Bay to receive a gift donation. Congratulations to you all! We are honored to be recognized by these eco-warriors.

And another thank you to Sara Bayles, who just announced that she’s collected over 1,300 pounds of trash from her local beach. Sara began collecting trash in March of 2009 and is nearing her goal of 365 beach cleanups. Twenty minutes at a time, Bayles has cleaned her beach in Santa Monica and inspired hundreds of other people to do Daily Ocean style cleanups all over the world.

We are also grateful to the many folks who supported us on November 27 through the first annual Giving Tuesday philanthropy campaign. Heal the Bay was among more than 2000 corporations and charitable organizations who partnered with 92y.org to kickstart the holiday season with this national giving back effort.

Learn all the ways you can help heal the Bay.

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3 Things to Do to Heal the Bay This Week

11.26.2012 | Heal the Bay

About Us More Ways to Give Santa Monica

The cranberries from Thanksgiving dinner may all be consumed by now, but the spirit of giving thanks continues.

This Tuesday, Heal the Bay is partnering with 92y.org’s Giving Tuesday campaign to help launch a national day of philanthropy. We’re asking you to give thanks for oceans and beaches you enjoy!

Donate funds to feed seahorses, eels and urchins at the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium; to save dolphins, terns and pelicans from suffocating on plastic bags by providing beach cleanup supplies; or to provide a day at the beach for underserved children who would otherwise never feel the sand between their toes.

You can also help the once-endangered Brown Pelican by joining the International Bird Rescue’s banded pelican sighting contest. The organization is encouraging the public to sight and report one of the 1,000 blue-banded Brown Pelicans that have been tagged over the last three years to gain a better understanding of their survival and travels. Through Jan. 2, 2013, one adult and one youth (under 18) has a chance to win a pair of Eagle Optics 8X42 Ranger ED Binoculars and a tour of one of their Pelican rehabilitation clinics.

If you’re a student—or have one in the family— who wants to unite in the fight for a healthy ocean and clean community, please join Heal the Bay’s Day Without a Bag campaign by enrolling in our Day Without a Bag Youth Summit, which takes place Sunday, December 1 in Hollywood. At the summit, Heal the Bay staff will provide training and tools for high school and college club leaders to help their communities go bag-free.

Visit Heal the Bay’s calendar to discover more ways to get involved.

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A Seismic Victory for Marine Life

11.20.2012 | Heal the Bay

About Us Malibu / Pacific Palisades Marine Protected Areas More Ways to Give Palos Verdes Peninsula

Good news from last week’s California Coastal Commission hearing, as the commissioners unanimously denied Pacific Gas & Electric Company’s proposal for seismic testing in the Point Buchon State Marine Reserve.

About 200 people filled the hearing room — environmentalists, fishermen, tribes, local residents, and others – all speaking out with concerns about the proposed testing. Everyone in the room agreed that when it comes to nuclear energy, safety is a huge priority. But the questions and discussion centered on whether the tests would provide new information, as much that is already known about the fault activity offshore – PG&E had already completed onshore seismic surveys and offshore tests that were less threatening to marine life.

After hours of public comment, the commissioners were not convinced that there would be enough benefit to doing the research in comparison to the environmental harm posed to porpoise, whales, sea otters and other marine life in the area associated with the high-intensity sound waves (nearly continuous shooting of 250 decibel air guns for weeks).

Of particular concern was the threat PG&E’s proposed action would have on the adjacent Point Buchon State Marine Reserve and State Marine Conservation Area. Ultimately this was a test case for proposed projects within the relatively new Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) that may be environmentally harmful. The marine reserve prohibits activities that injure or kill marine life, and this testing could have seriously undermined these protections.

“After working for years to designate MPAs in California, as stewards, we now need to actively protect them,” said Heal the Bay’s Coastal Resources Director Sarah Sikich. “I’m glad the Commission sent a strong signal that the lives of marine animals along California’s coast and within these MPAs are valued.”

The Coastal Commission’s decision makes it unlikely the testing will happen any time soon.

Lots of Things to Do with HtB This Week

11.19.2012 | Heal the Bay

About Us Malibu / Pacific Palisades More Ways to Give Santa Monica

This Thanksgiving week we’re reminding ourselves of what we’re grateful for, and a healthy, clean ocean tops our list.

We’re asking you to join us as we give thanks for the oceans and beaches we all enjoy! There are many ways to help sustain a healthy, clean ocean. You can:

Stay up-to-date on our advocacy work, follow us on Twitter;
Help restore Malibu Creek by planting trees and removing invasives;
Teach groups of all ages how to protect the ocean via our Speakers Bureau trainings;
Join our Aquarium volunteer team (next training scheduled in March)
Captain a beach cleanup;
Become a member and sustain our work year-round!

While the Aquarium will be closed for Thanksgiving, we’ll reopen Friday afternoon (November 23) at 12:30, so please bring your visiting family members. And if they arrive earlier this week, bring everyone to the Aquarium on Tuesday afternoon, have the kids feed the sea stars and then feed the kids at Rusty’s for free. For every adult who pays for an entree worth $11 or more, one child eats free – just show your hand stamp from visiting the Aquarium.

Planning a holiday party? Heal the Bay can help provide the fun either at our Aquarium or in your own home. Interested in celebrating at the Aquarium? Call 310.393.6149 ext 105. Contact Nina Borin for more information about planning a home party.

Heal the Bay is partnering with 92y.org’s Giving Tuesday campaign to help launch a national day of philanthropy.

Heal the Bay’s Santa Monica Pier Aquarium is located on the Santa Monica Pier, just below the carousel. Find parking information and directions.

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Thank You Thursday 11.15.12

11.15.2012 | Heal the Bay

More Ways to Give

We are feeling especially grateful this week, as it’s the week before Thanksgiving—the perfect time to say “thank you” to the ocean for all it provides.

child holds up a whale vertebrate at the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium We’d also like to thank the Ralph M. Parsons Foundation for pledging support to Heal the Bay’s Santa Monica Pier Aquarium Youth Environmental Education/Field Trip program. For many Los Angeles area students, a field trip to our Aquarium marks their first trip to the ocean! Thanks to this pledge of support, we’ll be able to lead these students in beach exploration games and introduce them to some of the marine life that call our Bay home.

We are grateful for the Parsons Foundation’s commitment to education, the environment and local youth!

Who says cleaning the beach is easy? At this week’s Corporate Healer Beach Cleanup, employees from Macerich battled strong winds to gather the trash along Santa Monica Beach. Thank you for sticking it out to protect what you love!

We’re also grateful for the support of our benefit partners Honu Yoga, Casmaine Boutique and Ted Baker.

Heal the Bay staff wish a bon voyage to Cara Young, our 2012 Coastal Cleanup Day coordinator. Thank you, Cara for all of your hard work, dedication and enthusiasm. We’ll miss hearing you sing at your desk!

Enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday!

Learn all the ways you can help heal the Bay.

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3 Things to Do with HtB This Week

11.13.2012 | Heal the Bay

Malibu / Pacific Palisades More Ways to Give Santa Monica

Show the ocean how grateful you are: Come to our final Nothin’ But Sand cleanup for 2012 and bring your kids! Help rid Will Rogers State Beach of yucky trash this Saturday, meet some new friends and end the year with plenty of good vibes. Sign up today. And don’t forget to bring your own gloves, bucket, and reusable water bottle, as we are striving to go Zero Waste at our cleanups.

Can’t join us for this cleanup? You can still make a difference and help protect what you love. Donate $5 and you can provide cleanup supplies and let us offer educational training for two volunteers to spend an hour and a half removing cigarette butts, bags and other trash from the beach. Or, give $10 to double your impact and fund four cleanup volunteers.

If you make it to the cleanup, come on down afterward to Heal the Bay’s Santa Monica Pier Aquarium. At 3:30 p.m. every Saturday, enjoy story time in the Green Room; a perfect way to unwind after a day on the beach.

Want to plan next weekend’s Heal the Bay fun? Consult our calendar.

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Thank You Thursday – 11.8.12

11.08.2012 | Heal the Bay

More Ways to Give

One of the most gratifying parts of our job at Heal the Bay is knowing that we are sparking a love of the ocean in kids of all ages. Through our Key to the Sea marine environmental education program we were able to bring approximately 9000 K-5 students to the beach in 2011-2012.

The program focuses on watersheds, the storm drain system, pollution prevention, the sandy beach habitat, and environmental stewardship. It includes engaging hands-on activities for students, including a field trip to the beach, as well as exciting professional development opportunities for teachers.

And we couldn’t have reached so many kids and teachers without the long-term support of the City of Long Beach Department of Public Works. Their funds will enable hundreds of elementary school-age students from the Long Beach Unified School District to participate in the Key to the Sea program in 2013. Thank you!

(We’re always searching for grantors to support our Key to the Sea program. If you would like to contribute, please send an e-mail or call 310.451.1500 x147.)

Ernst & Young Corporate Healer Beach Cleanup November 2012

We’d also like to thank the employees of Ernst & Young, who brought their families to the beach in Santa Monica on November 3 and removed 23 pounds of trash!

Spark the enviro spirit at your workplace and join us for a cleanup!

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4 Things to Do with HtB This Week

11.05.2012 | Heal the Bay

About Us Los Angeles Stormwater Malibu / Pacific Palisades Marina del Rey / Playa del Rey More Ways to Give Palos Verdes Peninsula Santa Monica South Bay Venice Beach

First things first: Don’t forget to vote on Tuesday! Once you’ve recovered from the election frenzy, we’re offering two ways to engage with us and your local environment on Thursday, Nov. 8.

First, stand up for clean water at the L.A. Regional Water board meeting, the public hearing regarding a revised stormwater permit. Written comments will no longer be accepted, but interested parties may present oral comments concerning revisions to the permit.

Afterwards, join us for music, refreshments and shopping at clothier Ted Baker (either the Santa Monica Place or Robertson Boulevard locations). Guests will receive an exclusive 10% Privilege Rate on the night, and 10% of proceeds will benefit Heal the Bay. Plus enter for the chance to win a $300 gift card!

On Saturday, you’re invited to join us to plant native Sycamore and willow trees and help restore the natural habitat of Malibu Creek State Park. This event is open to volunteers age 10 and over. Volunteers under 16 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Those under 18 must have their waiver forms (also available at the event) signed by a parent or guardian.

Finally, as a reminder, our Aquarium will be closed for Veterans Day. Looking for a way to honor U.S. veterans, current military personnel and their families? Visit Volunteer Match to find opportunities to give back.

Want to plan next weekend’s Heal the Bay fun? Consult our calendar.

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Thank You Thursday – 11.1.12

11.01.2012 | Heal the Bay

More Ways to Give

If you’ve ever attended one of our events, you’ve benefited from the work of a cadre of staff and volunteers dedicated to FUN! Oh, and also to protecting our environment.

This past weekend, we pulled off two simultaneous events: Our annual Fishy Fest at Heal the Bay’s Santa Monica Pier Aquarium and our first fall festival at WAYS park.

The aquarium staff would like to send a big thank you to special projects volunteers Ann and Ken Casebier who built our photo booth. Thanks to their efforts, the Aquarium was able to have a presence on top of the Pier throughout the Fishy Fest weekend, encouraging folks to mug for the camera with a marine-themed backdrop and publicize the fact we had many great activities going on in the Aquarium below.

We’d also like to thank Nili Hudson, a volunteer and donor who generously supports our work in many ways, and children’s author Dave Derrick for reading from his book during Story Time.

WAYS Park Fall Festival For the fall festival at WAYS park, we appreciate the efforts of Steve Cancian and Jose Estrada. Both Steve and Jose have been involved with the project since its inception two years ago. In addition to running the community design meetings for the project, Steve helped plan the event and he ran the park’s information table, answering questions from the community. Jose, who works with ACUSLA (Association of United Communities of Southern Los Angeles) helped Stephen Mejia, our Urban Programs Coordinator, go door-to-door within the community to spread the word about the event.

More than 30 families attended, consuming 100 hot dogs, carving pumpkins and creating painted masks. Thank you, Jose and Steve! We look forward to counting on your support as we move forward with WAYS.

Last week we also re-launched our Lunch ‘n Learn field trip program at Duke’s Malibu on PCH. We are grateful to the staff at Duke’s who have renewed their commitment to hosting this educational effort. We love you, Duke’s (and not just for your Hula pie).

Lunch 'n Learn at Duke's Malibu

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