Dear HTO Supporters,

Heal the Ocean is thrilled to invite all our supporters to join us for a momentous occasion tomorrow—the check presentation ceremony for $500,000 in state funding. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Senator Monique Limón for her invaluable support in securing funding for Heal the Ocean's Summerland Oil Mitigation Study (SOMS).

With Thanksgiving upon us, Heal the Ocean is taking a moment to express our deepest thanks to all of you for your continued support.

Your commitment to our mission is the driving force behind our efforts and our successes. From beach cleanups to innovative research projects, your generosity plays a pivotal role in our mission to preserve the health and vitality of our ocean.

HTO held a Thank You Happy Hour Party, for the Sponsor and Supporters of the Imaginary Gala 2023, at the Santa Barbara FisHouse on Thursday night as part of our Imaginary Gala 2023 celebration. The evening was nothing but smiles and fun – a rip-roaring toast to the donors who pushed our fundraising over the TOP. Civic leaders came, other Executive Directors came, the former fire chiefs (City and County) came, HTO co-founder Jeff Youngcame – it was a giant smiling jamboree!

In this E-Letter:

• HTO’s Imaginary Gala has been a Major Success!

• Jean-Michel Cousteau to Receive Lifetime Achievement Award

• Surf Legend Marge Calhoun Recognized with "Silver Surfer" Award

• Bookmark HTO’s Santa Barbara Resource Guide!

• HTO Salutes our Military Veterans

In this E-Letter:

• Take Part in HTO’s Biggest Fundraiser of the Year!

• California Coastal Cleanup Day Was HUGE – and HTO was there

• Earthcomb Springs into Action on Creeks 

• Lobster Season is Here! How to Report Beached Traps

• Boat Task Force is Gearing up for Winter

In this E-Letter:

• HTO’S Silver Anniversary Event Topping Records

• Post-Abandonment Geologic Work Begins After Summerland Well Capping of Treadwell 1&5 

• Join us in supporting SBMM Paddle-Out Party Sept. 10 (this weekend!)

• Here Comes Coastal Cleanup Day - September 23

• Come see us at the Lemon Festival September 30 - October 1 

With the encouragement of Senator Monique Limón  (D-19), guidance from the California State Lands Commission (CSLC),and funding from a long-time supporter of Heal the Ocean (HTO),  HTO has contracted Bubbleology Research International (BRI), whose principal investigator, Ira Leifer, will lead the Summerland Oil Mitigation Study (SOMS) to produce a comprehensive geologic analysis of the ocean floor beneath the leaking oil wells off Summerland.

Heal the Ocean has received the following announcement from Beacon West Energy Group, the full contract operator group working with the CA State Lands Commission to clean up the leaking oil off Summerland:

In this E-Letter:

• HTO is TURNING 25!

• Andrew V of Earthcomb Pulls off Difficult Hillside Homeless Cleanup 

• Fiesta is Around the Corner – Ditch the Confetti!

• Come Join Us at the Plastic Free July Expo!

In this E-Letter:

• Juvinile Humpback Whale Lands on Padaro Beach

• New Oil Leaks appear off Summerland

• Noah Boland Joins the HTO Team as Research Analyst

• The Problem of Fool’s Anchorage seems to be Fading?

In this E-Letter:

• HTO's Latest Scientific Gear Propels Big Ocean Work Forward

• Check Out the Annual Isla Vista Move-out!

• Don’t Miss the Star-Studded Santa Barbara Surf Film Festival – June 9 & 10

• Community Effort Removes Beached Whale at Padaro Beach

In this E-Letter:

• HTO Guide to Report Beached Lobster Traps

• HTO Executive Director Hillary Hauser Earns 2023 Women of Achievement Award

• HTO’s Statistics of Boats Recently Crashed on SB Beaches  

• Take Part in California Biodiversity Survey

• Come say Hi at HTO’s Earth Day Festival Booth

In this E-Letter:

• HTO Takes Charge in Removing Derelict Lobster Traps from the Beach

• What a Way to Start the Week… a Big Beach Cleanup!

• HTO Program Director Harry Rabin Honored by Montecito Fire Department

In this E-Letter:
•    HTO Executive Director Hillary Hauser Earns 2023 Women of Achievement Award
•    The Luna Sea Boat Wreck has been Removed off Butterfly Beach

In this E-Letter:
•    Too Many Boats Breaking Anchor & Crashing
•    HTO Monitoring the Summerland Oil Leak
•    Keeping our Beaches Clean Post-Storm
•    King Tide (January 21-22): Singular Event, or the New Norm?
•    Drake Rabin and Sofia Cavaness Join the HTO Team
•    HTO/MarBorg Styrofoam Recycling Program is Going Strong

Two big issues kept Heal the Ocean busy in 2022 – derelict boats hitting the beach and cleaning out abandoned homeless camps. In the coming year, we’ll be continuing these efforts and much more! 

Here is what this past year presented to us:

Heal the Ocean has new, joyful cards to make your gift-giving easy.
This holiday season, Donate to Heal the Ocean in the name of a friend or relative, and we will send this card to them letting them know your gift has been made in their honor!