Heal the Bay

Virtual Beach Captain Training
2025-06-16 18:30 - 20:30, 2025-05-12 18:30 - 20:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | CA
Were you drawn to Beach Programs after Volunteer Orientation? Excited to expand your event coordination and science communication skills while networking with like-minded people? Then, the next step is to become a Beach Captain! As a Beach Captain, you’ll learn how to coordinate and manage logistics for our flagship beach cleanup events, including Nothin’ But Sand, Suits on the Sand, and Adopt-a-Beach. These events are the face of Heal the Bay and serve as the first introduction for many to our mission. By completing this virtual training, you’ll be qualified to represent Heal the Bay on the sand at our renowned cleanups, helping lead volunteers and making a lasting impact on our coastline.
Who Should Attend?

Individuals who want to be leaders on the sand at Heal the Bay events
Those who desire to immerse themselves in Heal the Bay’s community
Anyone who enjoys teaching others how to collect data and contribute to science
People who love engaging with diverse groups and inspiring environmental action

*You are eligible to attend this training if you have completed Volunteer Orientation.
REGISTER NOW

GRAND OPENING: Inell Woods Park
2025-06-14 11:00 - 14:00 | CA
We’re celebrating an event over a decade in the making — the grand opening of Inell Woods Park, named in honor of the late Inell Woods, a beloved neighborhood advocate whose life was dedicated to community, equity, and environmental justice.
Once an abandoned lot, this space has been transformed into a vibrant pocket park — one of the first of its kind to capture and treat stormwater, helping protect both the local neighborhood and the health of our coastal waters.
Caring for inland communities like this one is essential to creating a cleaner, healthier watershed for everyone.

CalCoast Tidepool Bioblitz
2025-06-14 08:30 - 10:00 | CA
Explore incredible tidepools and support coastal science at our Tidepool Bioblitz!
Join Heal the Bay and the California Academy of Sciences for a community-powered Tidepool Bioblitz on Saturday, June 14 at 8:30 AM at the base of Bluff Cove Trail in Rancho Palos Verdes.
By documenting marine life in real time, you’ll help create a statewide snapshot of California’s coastal biodiversity. Your observations support scientists at the local, regional, and state levels, providing critical data on species distribution and habitat change along the California Coast.
While our focus is on the rocky intertidal zone, we welcome data from all coastal-influenced habitats, including sandy beaches, bays, wetlands, and docks.
No experience necessary, just bring your curiosity!
Register

New Heal the Bay Volunteer Orientation
2025-06-12 18:30 - 20:00 | Heal the Bay Aquarium, 1600 Ocean Front Walk, Santa Monica, CA, 90401, United States
Protect what you love! Volunteer with Heal the Bay!
Take the first step in protecting our oceans, coastal waters, and watersheds with Heal the Bay! Join us for our Volunteer Orientation and discover how you can get directly involved in Heal the Bay’s work. Learn about our volunteer programs, meet like-minded environmental advocates, and be the first to hear about upcoming events and opportunities.
📅 Date: June 12
🕒 Time: 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
📍 Location: Heal the Bay Aquarium – 1600 Ocean Front Walk, Santa Monica, CA 90401
REGISTER NOW
Why Volunteer with Heal the Bay?

Connect with a passionate community tackling environmental issues in Los Angeles.
Develop valuable personal and professional skills.
Gain the confidence to advocate for a healthier planet.
Enjoy exclusive volunteer events and opportunities.

By completing this Volunteer Orientation, you’ll unlock opportunities to:

Monitor marine protected areas with MPA Watch.
Lead beach cleanups as a Beach Captain.
Participate in Aquarium Volunteer Training.
Educate others by joining the Speaker’s Bureau.

Please note: Orientation is not required for participation in Nothin’ But Sand monthly beach cleanups.
Parking Information:
The closest parking is at Lot 1 North and Lot 1 South in Santa Monica.
What to Bring:
No materials are needed—just bring your enthusiasm and be ready to meet fellow ocean lovers!
🌊 Ready to make a difference?
Register now to start your journey with Heal the Bay and help protect our local coastal waters.

A Brew for the Bay: 40th Anniversary Fundraiser
2025-06-08 12:00 - 16:00 | Golden Road Brewing Huntington Beach, 16390 Pacific Coast Hwy, Huntington Beach, 92649, United States
Join us and Golden Road Brewing to celebrate Heal the Bay’s 40th Anniversary and World Oceans Day!
Come for the beer, stay for the cause! Cheers with a glass of Heal the Bay IPA, delicious food, and an exciting live auction featuring unique items and memorable experiences. We will be joined by a live DJ and some of our marine animals from the Heal the Bay Aquarium.
Each ticket purchase receives 2 beer vouchers, free food, 1 raffle ticket, and a gift. Best of all, 100% of all ticket proceeds will support Heal the Bay’s vital environmental efforts. Guests of all ages are welcome!
Let’s raise a glass to 40 years of championing for clean water, protected coastlines, and a healthier environment for all!
GET YOUR TICKETS
*BEER VOUCHERS ARE VALID ON EVENT NIGHT ONLY.
*MUST BE 21+ TO RECEIVE BEER VOUCHER

Nick Gabaldon Day 2025
2025-06-07 09:00 - 12:00 | CA
Nick Gabaldon Day – June 7, 2025

Join Black Surfers Collective, The Bay Foundation, Heal the Bay, Surf Bus Foundation, One With The Ocean, Supervisor Holly Mitchell’s Office, Dr. Alison Jefferson, and Santa Monica Conservancy as we celebrate Nick Gabaldón Day on Saturday, June 7, 2025, from 9 AM – 1 PM.
Nick’s fearless passion for surfing paved the way for many, and this event honors his legacy by celebrating diversity in surfing and bringing the community together for a day of stories, surf, and shared experiences.
🌊 Surf Lessons: 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM (Register in advance to secure a spot)
🏄 Location: NEW LOCATION (Announced 6/4/2025)
Nick Gabaldon Day has moved to a new location. Join us at Tower 24, 2400 Ocean Front Walk, Santa Monica, CA 90405.
To park, pull in at Hollister (two towers south of Bay St. ). Long-term parking is south of Hollister, and short-term parking is north of Hollister.
Look for the Heal the Bay & Black Surfers Collective tents on the south side of Tower 24.

📢 Special Event at Heal the Bay Aquarium (1 PM – 4 PM)
After the beach, enjoy free admission to Heal the Bay Aquarium under the Santa Monica Pier, which features award-winning exhibits, shark feedings, tide pool touch tanks, and a world-famous giant sea bass, Gordita!
Don’t miss this incredible day of surf, history, and community! Register now to secure your spot.
Register Here

Community Resilience Day: Welcoming the Palisades Fire Map to Heal the Bay
2025-06-01 12:00 - 16:00 | CA
Sunday, June 1,2025 | 12–4 PM |
Heal the Bay Aquarium, Santa Monica PierFree admission for this special occasion | All ages welcome
Join us for Community Resilience Day at Heal the Bay Aquarium as we welcome the powerful new Palisades Fire Map to the Bay. This large-scale installation honors the loss, resilience, and recovery surrounding the 2025 LA Fires and will be temporarily displayed at the Aquarium under the Santa Monica Pier.
For this special occasion, the Aquarium will be free and open to the public. Come by for a one-time chance to experience the map in its debut setting and to take part in a meaningful day of reflection and connection.
Grab a warm cup of coffee by the beach, connect with neighbors, and explore the stories behind the fire. The 8’ x 16’ freestanding map provides space for remembrance and community healing, especially for Westside residents who saw the disaster transform their homes, schools, and coastline. It also illustrates how fire impacts cascade downstream to the ocean, revealing our deep connection to water, land, and one another.
☕ Complimentary coffee and refreshments🌊 Learn how wildfire affects ocean health and coastal communities📍 Map created with support from LA County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath🔗 On-site QR code with resources, fire relief info & ways to get involved
Let’s remember, reconnect, and commemorate the resiliency of our region—together.
Mapping Our Way Through an Unprecedented Disaster

Since the devastating fires of January 7th, Heal the Bay has been discussing how we could create a place for the community to express thoughts and feelings about the collective loss from the fires. All Angelenos have borne a loss in the days that followed that frightful night. Gathering and sharing in the wake of any disaster is a way of honoring what once was.
The Altadena fire map project, created by Noel McCarthy, has proven to be a powerful tool for community healing. People stand in front of it, and the storytelling begins. Some stand in silence, some share a story about a friend’s loss, and some point to where their house once stood. It’s a vulnerability that brings intimacy and builds community.
The Westside community took a massive hit, losing 6,822 homes, businesses, houses of worship, and schools. There are rings of loss, like those that no longer have a workplace to return to. The Westside community, not directly impacted by the Palisades Fire, has had limited opportunity to mourn the loss and express fears about the damaged coast.
The Palisades Map is made possible by support from Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath.
The Artist’s Statement: Noel McCarthy
Healing is a process.
It’s best to begin by acknowledging what has happened.
Sometimes words and photographs fail at communicating events, and that can be frustrating.
It matters for both those who experienced the event when it happened and for those in the wider community who weren’t here because the next step is crucial—understanding.
Understanding that each little red house represents much more than a structure, it represents a person, a family, a community member, a culmination of (sometimes many lifetimes)… so many ideas…so many dreams.
The next step is lengthy and often messy, especially when the story is complex as this. We often never get there, and that has Meaning.
Meaning is often elusive, especially with pain associated with the inevitable isolation that usually occurs following a tragedy. These days, people move on. They do. We do. We’ve been trained for it, but for those on the inside, tragedy is a verb. It starts with an event, followed by a long, often disorderly period of transitions. It is made all the more difficult by uncertainty, the unknown outcome that prolongs the pain.
There are people still dying from the attacks on 911. There are those who still need caring for. Think of all the conflicts that never really resolve. History isn’t really history. It’s quite active and subject to near-constant reinterpretation – based on ever-changing social norms, etc.
New pressures on old problems — old tragedies.
Effective historical records only begin with objective truth.
They are then colored and informed by the individual experience. That is what makes them real. The gravity or the insight that numbers can’t ever show — the human costs… This is where our work starts. Healing is much more than forgetting.
A memorial is exactly what it sounds like — Memory in an accessible context.
In any event, context often needs time to achieve the longer-term goal of Meaning. The best we can do in the meantime is take notes and Listen—listen to the stories and pay attention to the facts, especially now that we’re still at the beginning.
The scab is yet to form.
Eventually, all of these red houses will be black again.
But at this moment, it’s crucial to catalogue (however painful) what happened here.
This fire.
So we can someday find meaning and then move on to the important work of creating and nurturing a thriving society.

Rescheduled: TIDEWALK + BEACH CLEANUP
2025-05-31 10:00 - 12:00 | CA
This event has been rescheduled for June 21, 2024, but we’re still coming together to honor resilience and community this weekend.
🌊 Join us this Sunday at Heal the Bay Aquarium for a special Community Resilience Day. We’ll unveil a powerful new map installation created by the artist behind the Altadena Eaton Fire Map—a moving tribute to those affected by the recent Palisades fires.
The Aquarium will be free and open to all, offering space to reflect, connect, and commemorate the moment together.
Or check out our other Summer of Resiliency Cleanups!
RSVP TO THE NEXT CLEANUP

May 2025 eDNA Sampling Community Science Event
2025-05-31 09:00 - 11:30 | CA
Dive into cutting-edge science and meet fellow volunteers at our monthly community science event in Malibu. Discover the fascinating world of eDNA water testing, which helps track biodiversity and monitor our Marine Protected Areas.
SIGN UP
May eDNA Sampling Event Safety Information
Although our Malibu eDNA sample sites are accessible, there are many unknown factors that could pose risks to your health and safety. Following the January 2025 fires, there is limited data on how water quality and sand conditions may have been impacted, making it difficult to determine whether these beaches are safe. To prioritize your safety, our eDNA team has implemented the following precautions:

Avoid swimming in these areas.
Wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), including masks, while surveying.
Volunteers entering the water will be provided with gloves, waders, and goggles.
Bring spare socks if you plan to enter the water.
Closed-toed shoes are required, especially in this area due to potential hazards.
Do not handle fire debris without gloves.

As community scientists, we trust you to make informed decisions based on the evolving data and understanding of these conditions. Please do not put yourself in any situation where you feel unsafe. If you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to reach out. And for updates as new data become available, check out our Ash to Action page.
**You must sign our Heal the Bay eDNA Waiver before attending our event. Volunteers under 17 must have their parent(s) (or guardian(s), if any) sign the waiver.
**A previous Heal the Bay Volunteer Orientation MUST be attended and completed before you can attend the eDNA event. The orientation occurs bimonthly. Learn about our next orientation here.
Please contact the MPA Watch Team at mpawatch@healthebay.org with any questions.

MPA Watch Community Science Training
2025-05-24 12:00 - 14:00, 2025-05-21 17:30 - 19:00 | CA
Do you like science AND long walks on the beach? Then join Heal the Bay’s community science program, MPA Watch! Volunteers will be trained on how to collect data while walking along the most beautiful beaches of Malibu and Palos Verdes.
Monitoring done by MPA Watchers helps encourage enforcement and regulation around marine protected areas (MPAs), also known as “underwater Yosemites.”
Become a volunteer by attending the two-part training program, which includes one virtual classroom training and one field training session. All training materials will be provided.
Part 1: Classroom Training (Virtual)
Wednesday, May 21, 5:30 pm-7 pm

Please watch the prerequisite videos and quizzes:
Heal the Bay MPA Watch Classroom Training Video (Heal the Bay MPA Basic Info Quiz)
MPA Watch Virtual Field Training Video (Field Training Video Quiz)
The Zoom link will be shared after you register
You must have previously attended a Heal the Bay Volunteer Orientation

Field Training (In-person)
Saturday, May 24, 12 PM – 2 PM

Classroom training must be completed
Field training location will be disclosed at the virtual classroom training
To become an MPA Watch certified volunteer, you must attend both sessions and Heal the Bay’s New Volunteer Orientation. You may attend a New Volunteer Orientation before or after our MPA Watch training.

REGISTER
PLEASE NOTE:
**Must Register to participate. Walk-on attendance is not permitted, and shifts are limited.
**A previous Heal the Bay Volunteer Orientation MUST be attended and completed before you can attend the MPA event. The orientation occurs bimonthly.
SIGN UP FOR YOUR SHIFT and help protect some of California’s most diverse coastal spaces from #Summit2Sea.

May Nothin' But Nature River Clean Up
2025-05-17 10:00 - 12:00 | CA
May Nothin’ But Nature Clean Up
May 17, 10 AM – 12 PM @ Whittier Narrows
Help keep Whittier Narrows clean, healthy, and beautiful at a special inland Nothin’ But Nature River Clean Up.
📍 Location: Whittier Narrows – Blackwill Staging Area
📅 Date: Saturday, May 17
⏰ Time: 10 AM – 12 PM
Register Now

We provide the supplies, all you need to do is register, sign a waiver*, and show up! (ONLY individuals under 18 bring a signed waiver*) Please note: Heal the Bay guarantees cleanup supplies for the first 300 people who are registered.

Each volunteer registers individually unless they are with a group or family

Individuals under 18: reserve a ticket and bring a signed waiver form to the cleanup

CLEANING UP WITH A GROUP OF 15+? HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW! 🌿
Are you participating as part of a company, school, nonprofit, or other organization? We’d love to have your group join us!
Please follow these steps:
1️ Register Your Group: Have your Group Coordinator email adopt@healthebay.org (ATTN: NBS Group Registration) with your group name, a brief description, coordinator contact information, and expected group size.
2️ Wait for Confirmation: Once registered, your group will appear as an option on our RSVP page.
3️ Have Your Members RSVP: Each individual in your group must register for an “Individual in Group” ticket and complete the waiver process.
4️ Check-In Together: On event day, please gather your group before heading to the Group Registration line to check in. If someone arrives late, they can still check in, attend the required safety talks, and catch up with the group after picking up supplies.
EVENT Sold out? You can still attend! Just bring your own gloves and receptacle, and our environmental experts will help you navigate the site and understand the impact of your work.
We will host another Nothin’ But Sand cleanup next month. Please stay tuned for more details.

Sign a Waiver

Individuals over 18 and Families sign a virtual waiver online when reserving a ticket.
Groups have members sign a waiver form and bring it with them, submit a digital waiver, or sign a waiver upon arrival.
Individuals Under 18 must have a legal guardian sign a waiver form and bring it to the cleanup.

Show up

Help us make Nothin’ But Nature a zero-waste event by bringing your own buckets, garden gloves, and a reusable mask and water bottle
Be prepared to be outside for 2-3 hours. Weather can be unpredictable, so we recommend dressing in layers. Water is available at all cleanups.
If you have any questions or concerns please email our Beach Programs Manager, at tlocke@healthebay.org

More Information

Waiver Form
Beach Cleanup Guide
More opportunities offered by Heal the Bay

Learn more about Heal the Bay cleanups

We would like to acknowledge that this cleanup will take place on the traditional lands of the Tongva and Chumash People, and we pay respect to elders both past and present.

Climate & Our Coast Workshop
2025-05-10 09:00 - 12:00 | Heal the Bay Main Office, 1444 9th St, Santa Monica, CA, 90401, United States
May 10, 2025, 9am- 12 pm @ Heal the Bay Headquarters
Join Heal the Bay for an award-winning, hands-on experience designed to help you master the science behind climate change. In just three hours, you’ll gain a clear understanding of the impacts on our coast.
This FREE workshop offers:

Interactive Learning: Quickly grasp the complexities of climate change through an engaging, collaborative process.
Trusted Science: Grounded in the IPCC reports that inform global leaders.
Collaborative Experience: Work with fellow participants to uncover intricate connections, reflect on emotional impacts, share perspectives, and brainstorm actionable solutions.
Inspiration and Empowerment: Leave feeling inspired and ready to make a positive impact.

Don’t miss this opportunity to deepen your understanding and contribute to meaningful change. Secure your spot and be part of the solution.
REGISTER NOW
