Summerland Oil Capping Images by Night & Rincon Area Cleanup by Day

Heal the Ocean would like to share with you, our supporters, scenes we know you’ll love. By Night: Summerland Oil […more…]

Heal the Ocean’s July 2021 E-Letter

In this E-Letter: • Oil Well Capping Equipment Moves into Summerland • Be Confetti Conscious this Fiesta! • Haskell’s Hero […more…]

Abandoned Homeless Camp Removed From Haskell’s Beach – A Story with a Great Twist

Another abandoned homeless camp got cleaned out – a big one at Haskell’s Beach near the Bacara Resort. This time […more…]

Another Summerland Well to be Capped

From July 21-25, a little over 2 weeks from now, Summerland’s Lookout Park and the beach below the park will […more…]

Watch HTO’s Recording of SBMM’s Webinar: “Detecting and Capping Leaking Oil Wells in Summerland”

Featuring HTO & Expert Panelists! (And a sneak preview of the next project to come!) The Santa Barbara Maritime Museum’s […more…]

Zoom with HTO & Expert Panelists on Thursday, June 17 @ 7PM to Hear How the Summerland Oil Wells are Being Capped & Learn What’s Next on the List!

Many HTO fans know about our organization’s work capping the leaking oil wells of Summerland. For decades, oil has been […more…]

Heal The Ocean Tackles That Boat on the Beach: A Great Collaboration on an Environmental Disaster

A trawler that had been anchored off the Santa Barbara shoreline at Montecito, cut loose during the high winds of […more…]

Heal the Ocean

Heal the Ocean (HTO) has enjoyed a remarkable record of success, particularly for how the nonprofit that was founded barely […more…]

Pragmatic Environmentalism

In 2011,long before Covid-19 forever changed how we think of nonprofit fundraising events, Santa Barbara-based Heal the Ocean held an […more…]

Heal the Ocean | Santa Barbara

Mission

Heal the Ocean focuses on wastewater infrastructure – sewers and septic systems – as well as ocean dumping practices that have contributed to ocean pollution. We are focused on Santa Barbara County, but our methods are now serving as a model for other coastal communities across the country.

Begin to Build a Relationship

We know you care about where your money goes and how it is used. Connect with this organization’s leadership in order to begin to build this important relationship. Your email will be sent directly to this organization’s director of development and/or Executive Director.

They Heal Our Ocean

I’ve surfed for years at the Rincon, and am in the water all the time. It is such a relief to know that the septic systems are gone, that we’re not swimming in polluted water like we were doing day in and day out, getting sinus, ear, nose, eye infections and who knows what else. Yes, there are other bad things that get into the ocean, but just knowing that this one big source of contamination has been removed is huge. This is one of the most popular surf spots in California, world known, and the legacy left to this piece of ocean will be there forever. It’s so interesting to hear the younger surfers today, who don’t know about the battles Heal the Ocean went through to get this project done. They were little kids at the time. Think of it, it’s now history!
– Heather Hudson, surfer

Return on Investment

Heal the Ocean’s pragmatic approach ensures that any donation the organization receives will be returned in multiples.
A $25,000 investment in aerial infrared photography showing leaking oil fields off the coast of Summerland was the proof then-Governor Jerry Brown needed to sign Senate Bill 44, which allocated $14 million towards capping aging wells along the California coast.
A $5,000 investment in a consultant allowed HTO to snag $150,000 in state funds to pay for a conceptual engineering study for a recycled water facility in Goleta, and another $150,000 for state-funded conceptual engineering plans for a recycled water facility in Santa Ynez. These studies and conceptual engineering plans have put these agencies first in line for state funding help for the actual building of the facilities. So HTO effectively turned $5,000 into a potential of 50 million dollars.

Board of Directors

Hillary Hauser, President and Executive Director
Jean-Michel Cousteau
Thomas Dabney, Treasurer
Charles Vinick
Heather Hudson, Event Manager
Jonathan Wygant
Tom White