Thank You for Showing Up for Our Coast
Among our many generous supporters this year was high school student Preston Lilly, who paddled 21 miles during Coastal Cleanup Day 2025 to raise funds for Heal the Bay.
A message from Heal the Bay President and CEO Tracy Quinn:
As we head into the holiday season, I’ve been thinking back on 2025 — the challenges, the moments of hope, and the resilience this community showed.
The year started with a tragedy none of us will forget. Wildfires tore through our neighborhoods, destroyed homes, and left so many — including me — displaced.
As we tried to pick up the pieces, another wave of challenges emerged. Wildlife washed up on our shores, sickened by a toxic algal bloom. Environmental protections we fought so hard to win were rolled back. Funding for the work that protects our coast began drying up. And all of it amid mounting hardships on the people and communities that make Los Angeles home.
It would’ve been easy to give up. Accept defeat. No one would have blamed us. But time and time again, Angelenos showed us what strength and resilience look like.
And that’s why I want to say thank you to everyone who made a difference this year, not just for Heal the Bay, but also for our coast and the people and wildlife that call it home.
Thank you to our volunteers — nearly 20,000 of you — who cleared plastics and pollution from our beaches.
Thank you to the teachers across Los Angeles who joined our workshops and brought students to the Heal the Bay Aquarium for STEM field trips. With your help, we reminded thousands of young people that they have the power to rewrite the story of our oceans.
Thank you to our partners in advocacy and to the policymakers who continued fighting for the laws that safeguard our future.
And thank you to our donors. Your generosity, in every amount, made it possible for us to lead the science, education, and advocacy that our community relies on.
You are the reason I’m honored to lead this organization. You are why we do this work. And you are what has kept it going for the past 40 years.
At Heal the Bay, we talk a lot about resilience, how we can bounce back when it feels like all is lost. We can’t know what 2026 will bring. We do know there are big challenges ahead. But I’ve seen the strength of this community, and I’m confident we have what it takes to tackle whatever comes our way.
Even with everything we’ve been through this year, there’s still so much to be grateful for. For me, it’s this: After nearly a year of living out of a suitcase, storing my groceries in the office fridge, and navigating never-ending insurance claims, I’m finally moving back home. And I know that makes me one of the lucky ones.
So today, when I reflect on what I’m thankful for, I’ll think about this incredible place we get to call home. And I’ll think of you, our dedicated Heal the Bay community. Here’s to what we’ve weathered, to what we’ve rebuilt, and to everything we’ll keep fighting for — together.
– Tracy Quinn, Heal the Bay President & CEO
P.S. You can ensure that Heal the Bay has what it needs to protect our coast in 2026 — and help us save endangered species from extinction. Donate through our Giving Tuesday campaign and your gift will have twice the impact.