President Joe Biden is going full bore on his promises to the American public about taking immediate action with Executive Orders to reverse damaging policies of the Trump Administration - which include those that threaten the environment. . .
HTO Removes Abandoned Homeless Beach Camp Before King Tide & Big Surf Hit
An abandoned homeless camp surrounded by trash, bicycle parts, car batteries, flooded tents, and other offal became an eyesore on the “Graveyards” beach in Montecito, at the base of the cliff below the Santa Barbara Cemetery. Heal the Ocean got a call about it from a concerned citizen, on Thursday, January 7, 2020. It took all day Friday to figure out how we could legally do anything about it – one cannot remove a homeless camp in use. . .
The Leaky Summerland Wells Are Capped Bon Voyage Curtin Barge - We Love You!
On Friday afternoon, November 27, 2020, while many of us were still cleaning up our kitchens from Thanksgiving dinners the night before, the Curtin Barge, under contract to the State Lands Commission to cap the leaking Summerland oil wells, was towed from its protective mooring nearer the Santa Barbara Harbor, back down the coast to Summerland where it anchored to begin the process of capping the second, and final, well – NorthStar. Marie Morrisroe caught this sight from her Montecito balcony as they motored by.
A Thanksgiving Present - The Boat Wreckage is off the Beach!
In another great collaboration between Heal the Ocean and MarBorg Industries, all the boat wreckage that has been littering Montecito beaches between East Beach to Hammonds, was cleaned up today, Wednesday, November 11, 2020. The work, funded through Heal the Ocean by the Johnson Ohana Foundation, was performed by a MarBorg crew and heavy equipment at 1:15 p.m. low tide.
Watch Heather Hudson's Latest Surf Film: 93 - Letters from Marge Tonight!
It's not too late to register for tonight's, Thursday, November 19, 7 PM online film screening + Q&A Webinar presentation of HTO Board Member Heather Hudson's latest surf film: 93 - Letters from Marge!
The film screening is hosted by the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum and is free to the community thanks to Marie Morrisroe. Tonight's event starts at 7 PM with a showing of the film and is followed by a short Q&A session with filmmaker Heather Hudson. To register for this online Santa Barbara premier, please click here.
93 – Letters from Marge is a new film about surf pioneer and icon Marge Calhoun (1924-2017) and is told through letters she wrote during the last years of her life. This sweet and personal film shines a light on the 1958 Makaha International Champion, an inspiring woman who lived life to the fullest.
The Barge is Here!
Just in Time for Veterans Day... the Curtin Jack-Up rig has arrived and is starting work on the first of two leaking oil wells off Summerland Beach. This picture was taken Tuesday night by HTO supporter Nora McNeely Hurley. Nora's Manitou Foundation contributed greatly to the project by funding the technical work of HTO Advisory Board Member Harry Rabin to work with State Lands-contracted engineers to plan the project.
October E-Letter Part 2
2020 Newsletter
Emissions Stopped, And We Could Suddenly See Blue Sky, All Over the World
COVID-19 in Wastewater - The Canary in the Coal Mine
Art Imitating Life - Climate Change
Summerland Oil Update
Fighting for Clean Groundwater - Both Shallow and Deep
Social Injustice of Plastics, Beach Cleanups, Styrofoam Recycling, and More!
Join Us on the Flying Whale!
The propellers are turning on our Flying Whale, to celebrate Heal the Ocean’s Imaginary Gala 2020!
Heal the Ocean's Fantasy Chair Julia Louis-Dreyfus invites you to Heal the Ocean's Imaginary Gala 2020. It is guaranteed to be the Best Party You Never Went To.
Heal the Ocean inaugurated the Imaginary Event in 2011, and it instantly sold out. We’re glad to bring our current Imaginary Gala fundraiser to GoFundMe because it is a benefit that everyone can participate in - and we want the Flight of the Flying Whale to include you!
Help us reach our Imaginary (but real) Goal of the Sky as the Limit. Your donation gets you a ticket to the best, most fun, cloud-filled, event!
October 2020 E-Letter
THE GREAT PUMPKIN TO LAND IN SUMMERLAND – THE CURTIN BARGE!
Help Sea Birds: Please Cut your Mask Strings!
The Real Skinny on Plastic Recycling
PLEASE VOTE – Early and Safely
What do YOU vote for? (Jack’s I Vote For Video)
HTO's Imaginary Gala nearly sold out!
HTO Newsletter - coming to a mailbox near you!
HTO Elects Tom White to its Board of Directors
This special bulletin is to announce that on Thursday, September 24, 2020, Heal the Ocean has elected Tom White to its Board of Directors.
Tom White is well-known in Santa Barbara as the owner, with his son, Adam, of the Santa Barbara Shellfish Company, the Boat House (at Hendry’s Beach); the FisHouse Restaurant on Cabrillo, and Casa Blanca Restaurant on lower State Street.
He’s been involved with the ocean for many years – as a fisherman, surfer, sailor. When Heal the Ocean formed in 1998, Tom commissioned a thick glass backboard to the Oyster Bar at the FisHouse…
Flags Flying! HTO Poster Baby Says Hello! A New SummerlandOil Cleanup Plan Goes Before Coastal Commission - And Happy Labor Day to All!
HTO Flags are Flying on State Street!
Speaking of Birthdays – meet Remi, HTO Poster Baby!
HTO Imaginary Gala Selling Out – Hurry, Hurry!
CCC Reviewing Permit for Revised Summerland Oil Capping
Bring Your Own Reusable Bag to (Some) Grocery Stores Again!
Our Own Heather Wins Best Feature at Honolulu Film Fest!
Carbon2Cobalt Shirts and Trunks
Soon out – HTO’s 2020 Newsletter – send us your address to get it!
Please Don’t Trash Our Beaches – and Happy Labor Day to All
Plastic Bags & Styrofoam Recycling + New Start Date for Summerland Oil Capping
Recycle Your Plastic Bags
COVID-19 forced grocery stores and other markets to use single-use plastic bags to reduce the spread of the virus to store workers handling personal reusable bags. As a result, tons of single-use plastic bags have gone out of stores and into the waste stream.
GOOD NEWS! There are stores that have reinstalled plastic bag bins, where you can take your bags, for recycling. Heal the Ocean researched, and called, to verify that the following stores have instated their recycling bins/programs for your single-use plastic bags! Please patronize these stores, and use their bins…
For 4th of July - A Message of Independence from Heal the Ocean
Do Something Good for the Ocean Today..
Today, Monday, June 8, 2020, is World Oceans Day, and this year it comes with a call to world leaders to protect 30% of our blue planet by 2030. With recent world troubles that are very serious, we have become more aware than ever how connected we all are, from one end of the planet to the other, all people and continents are connected by the ocean. . .Everyone can give back to our ocean, so, on this World Oceans Day, please consider taking one or more of the following actions:
Heal the Ocean Unites With Black Lives Matter
Heal the Ocean stands in solidarity with those speaking out against the racial injustices facing our Black Community and Communities of Color.The fight to protect the environment is interconnected to social justice issues, and environmental goals cannot be achieved without fighting for social justice for marginalized communities. The term intersectional environmentalism describes what exists, and it is important to understand this phenomenon as we move forward solving environmental problems.
May 2020 E-Letter
HAPPY CINCO DE MAYO & LAST CALL FOR #GIVINGTUESDAYNOW, TOO!
Recycle Your Textiles - and Jump Into #GivingTuesdayNow!
Typically, Giving Tuesday takes place on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving as a way to encourage people to support local nonprofits during the biggest shopping season of the year. This year, for the first time, the founders of Giving Tuesday have launched #GivingTuesdayNow, a global day of giving and unity set to take place Tuesday (tomorrow), May 5, 2020, as an emergency response to the unprecedented need caused by COVID-19.