Clean the Beach. Help the Ocean. Feel Good.
Explore Ecology sponsors Community Beach Clean Ups every second Sunday of the month from 12:00 pm-2:00 pm at the South Coast Watershed Resource Center (WRC) at Arroyo Burro Beach.
Every month volunteers of all ages show up at the popular Santa Barbara beach. Armed with buckets, baskets, gloves, and a fierce desire to protect the environment they head down to the shoreline and spend an hour or two picking up trash.
Explore Ecology sponsors Beach Clean Ups on the 2nd Sunday of the month at Arroyo Burro Beach.
“It’s mostly plastic.” says Mariana Cruz, Environmental Educator for Explore Ecology. “Every month, volunteers find Styrofoam, wrappers, cups, bags, dog poop, and tons of cigarette butts.”
Explore Ecology has been sponsoring beach clean ups at Arroyo Burro for over three years and in that time participants have picked up thousands of pieces of trash. These volunteers are proving that small actions on land can affect the health of our watersheds. They’re not only keeping Santa Barbara beaches clean, they’re also helping marine life that can choke on plastic debris.
Cruz, one of five educators at Explore Ecology explains, “Children as young as four have attended the clean ups with their families. High school students come every month and receive community service hours for their time. We ask everyone to keep track of what they find, so they’re are also collecting data that we use to educate the community.”
The next clean up is on November 11th, at 12-2:00 pm.
The South Coast Watershed Resource Center is open every second of the month from 10:00 am-4:00 pm. Stop in before or after the clean up to watch films, do water testing, check out displays and see a watershed model demonstration.
Upcoming Beach Clean Ups and WRC Open Hours are: November 11, December 9, and January 13. Visit ExploreEcology.org for more information.
Josh was born and raised in Santa Barbara, where his passion and curiosity for the environment began and has continued to grow. During his undergraduate studies, Josh pursued this interest at the University of California at Santa Cruz, receiving a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Studies.
Melissa Dodos developed her passion for creative reuse as a mother of four and elementary educator over the past 25 years. She loves to inspire creativity by connecting people with resources and ideas.
Veronica grew up in San Diego and spent four years in San Luis Obispo studying Animal Science at Cal Poly. As an undergrad she learned lots about livestock, agriculture, and wildlife.
Stephanie began her journey as an educator over twenty years ago working as a preschool teacher in Washington state for a cooperative preschool program affiliated with Whatcom Community College. She loved observing the wonder and curiosity of the children and bringing them out into nature to explore the natural world. She continued her love for learning and got her teaching license and then her Montessori certification and worked as an elementary teacher in Tribal, Public, and Montessori schools. She collaborated to create a school garden and her students loved it so much that it became a special place where they could garden, read, explore, play, and it provided a safe sanctuary for students to calm down and reset when they were having difficult moments.
Morgan’s mermaid soul is always seeking adventure—swimming a relay across the Santa Barbara Channel and taking the first photo of a newborn orca off Anacapa Island being standout experiences close to home.
Lindsay Johnson