HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!
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:
January
During the winter storms, several derelict boats hit the beach. HTO and MarBorg industries were first on the scene, ensuring no toxic pollutants leaked into the sea.
February
HTO Field Director Harry Rabin updated the map of homeless encampments to help relief and cleanup efforts.
March
HTO continues to work with the Calif. State Lands Commission on plans for Summerland Beach oil problem – including capping Treadwell #1 & #5 in 2023. Furthermore, Heal the Ocean is lobbying for a study to determine if there is a shallow geologic oil pool under the sea floor off Summerland.
April
HTO Doggy Bag program continues with success. In 2022 we sent $21,400 to pay for doggy bags in various County and City parks.
May
Andrew Velikanje continues (left, and center right) work with Heal the Ocean to tackle homeless camp cleanups. In May he worked with volunteers from Hands Across Montecito to clean up camps in the Montecito area.
June
HTO Removed 6.81 Tons of Trash from an abandoned homeless encampment in Los Padres National Forest. A big thank you to Harry Rabin and Andrew V. - as well as the Los Padres community members for working so hard on this project, and to keep our environment clean and safe!
July
Big Office Shifts! HTO Operations Coordinator Alison Thompson goes off to Yale graduate school, and Harry Rabin comes HTO Field Director! And HTO welcomes new staff, see above, (L to R):
Sydni Trigueiro, Operations Intern; Jasmin Tupy, HTO Operations Manager; Lucy Lefkowitz, Policy Analyst.
August
HTO immediately acts to prevent a homeless camp from washing into the ocean while the City of Santa Barbara receives a thorough Fiesta Cleanup from HTO & the magic Earthcomb Team. HTO Executive Director Hillary Hauser debuts her new book, Dancing on Waves.
September
HTO removes two more boats off a local beach and convenes a task force of officials to discuss how to prevent derelict boats from drifting and crashing on our shoreline.
In addition, HTO Tackles the Homeless Encampment Problem in the Santa Ynez Riverbed.
October
(L to R): Hillary Hauser, Brad Hall, Julia Louis-Dreyfus & Harry Rabin
With Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Honorary Chair, HTO kicks off its 3rd Imaginary Fundraiser: “Journey into the Past Fantastic.” Organized by HTO Event Manager Heather Hudson, this “non-event” ended up being our most successful fundraiser in our 24-year history.
November
Three more boats break free of their moorings off East Beach and land in various places including the East Beach Bathhouse, below “Graveyards,” and near Butterfly Beach. HTO jumps into action, working with MarBorg Industries to safely remove the wrecked boats and homeless debris.
December
For the Christmas season Heal the Ocean debuts a new, joyful card to make gift-giving easy. Designed by Owen Chee of San Francisco (age 14), this card will now be used year-round.
In 2023 Heal the Ocean will continue this work, and we thank you for your phenomenal help!
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL & PLEASE STAY SAFE!
Hillary Hauser, Executive Director
HTO thanks the Poehler-Stremel Charitable Trust
for providing funds to publish our newsletters and e-letters!