To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day and this year’s theme - CLIMATE ACTION, we’ve collaborated with a salty crew of ocean-lovers to restore and protect 1000 square feet of California’s critically endangered kelp forests - aka California’s Native SeaTrees. Helping to “patch” this important critical marine ecosystem, directly impacted by climate change.
Patch the Planet
Working hand-in-hand with artists, brands, and marine scientists, we’re releasing a collector’s edition of 100 re-purposed hats that have been re-patched with kelp-inspired artwork. Each hat makes it simple and engaging for people - YOU - to restore ten square feet of giant kelp forest in Southern California.
Why do we want to make patching California’s kelp simple and engaging? The latest research shows that restoring blue carbon ecosystems is critical to solving climate change – and that kelp forests might help to sequester even more carbon dioxide than a mangrove forest!
Re-patching the planet
The ‘Help California’s Kelp’ hat features the inspired brushstrokes of waterman/artist Britt Tobia, translated into an embroidered patch, hand-stitched - by our friends at Slightly Choppy in Newport Beach - onto the front of a snappy-looking ‘Pukka’ trucker hat, donated by a Californian surf apparel brand.
This limited run of SeaTrees ‘Help California’s Kelp’ hats are premium quality, one-size-fits-most, snapback-style hats. There are four different color-ways to choose from, but once these 100 hats are gone - there’re gone for good. Don’t miss your chance to Patch the Planet this Earth Day.
Re-patched - for good - by Slightly Choppy
Art - for good - by waterman Britt Tobia
Every hat sold will fund the restoration and protection of Giant Kelp, just off of the Palos Verdes Peninsula in Los Angeles County - in partnership with The Bay Foundation.
Why is talking about Earth Day, upcycling and kelp restoration relevant in these uncertain times?
The crew behind Patch the Planet believe that enabling individuals to take powerful and direct actions to help save our seas TODAY – plants a seed of hope for the future that we all want to see.
Patch the Planet - An Ongoing Journey
The idea of repurposing surf apparel into products with a purpose by “patching” them up with inspiring artwork was brought to Sustainable Surf by advisory board member, Steve Reiss. Steve was not only responsible for securing the donated hats, but also bringing acclaimed surf-art curator Charles Adler into the Patch the Planet campaign, to curate a suite of art from some of the world’s best surf, skate and ocean artists. Keep an eye out for more products with a purpose, as Sustainable Surf looks for more ways to Patch the Planet.
And coming later this year, Sustainable Surf/SeaTrees is collaborating with the Boardriders Foundation (and it’s chairman Bob McKnight, founder of Quiksilver) to produce the first Patch the Planet art & music gathering in SoCal, to generate awareness of and funding for coastal ecosystem regeneration projects around the world through our SeaTrees program.
Patch the Planet artists
Patch the Planet is working with a long list of artists including Tyler Warren, Alex Knost, John Moore, Kassia Meador, Heather Brown, Ned Evans, Raymond Pettibon, Wolfgang Bloch, Russ Pope, Yusuke Hanai and Britt Tobia.