ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
Explore Ecology educates over 30,000 children each year at Art From Scrap, the Watershed Resource Center, and in classrooms and school gardens throughout Santa Barbara County.
Educating the Next Generation of Environmental Stewards
Since 2000 Explore Ecology has educated:
Each year, Explore Ecology honors teachers and students in Santa Barbara County who have made a difference and taken action to help the environment. We are looking for those who have spearheaded positive change, are committed to their work, and are an inspiration for our community.
Awards will be presented at the Santa Barbara Earth Day Festival on April 21, 2018.
Please fill out the following form to make a nomination. If you have more than one nomination to make, please fill out one form per nominee.
Thank you for being part of the awards process. If you have any questions, email us at info@ExploreEcology.org
"The best day of my life!"
"My favorite field trip ever!"
"I learned how good it feels to take care of the Earth."
These are the comments that we hear from delighted elementary aged students on Explore Ecology field trips.
Explore Ecology programs inspire children to engage with the natural world, think critically, and experience the value of environmental stewardship. When children connect with nature and learn how to protect the environment they feel empowered, energized, and important.
Our Environmental Education programs include in class lessons on waste reduction and water quality and field trips to the Art From Scrap Creative Reuse Store, the Watershed Resource Center at Arroyo Burro Beach, and the Tajiguas Landfill and ReSource Center.
About
Explore Ecology’s in class lessons and field trips are available for public and private schools, community youth groups, and camp programs in Santa Barbara County.
These programs are free to most Santa Barbara County schools. Bus stipends may be available for Watershed Resource Center, Creek Kids, and Tajiguas Landfill Field Trips.
Environmental education lessons and field trips are available at no cost thanks to funding from:
- Santa Barbara County Resource Recovery & Waste Management Division
- City of Santa Barbara Environmental Services
- City of Lompoc
- Santa Barbara County’s Project Clean Water
- City of Santa Barbara’s Creeks Division
- City of Goleta
If your school does not qualify for free lessons, lessons are available for a fee (dependent on staff availability).
If you have any questions, call 805 884-0459 x 2 or email our Environmental Education Coordinator.
We look forward to seeing you soon!
Creek Kids Series Lessons
Grades 4-6
(Santa Barbara South County and Santa Ynez Valley)
1:15 hours each
For this series, classes must schedule all 3 lessons.
Lesson #1: Students discover how much we use water everyday, and how water moves in a watershed.
Lesson #2: Students go on a field trip to to the Watershed Resource Center. They tour the estuary at Arroyo Burro Beach and observe or do water quality tests in the estuary to learn about pH, dissolved oxygen, and phosphate. In person field trip is 2:45 long.
Lesson #3: Students learn about micro plastics and bio accumulation in the marine food web. Includes a campus litter cleanup (in person only).
Some funding is available to cover the cost of buses. Ask if your school qualifies!
Watershed Resource Center Field Trip
Grades K-6
2 hours
Students tour the estuary at Arroyo Burro Beach and visit the Watershed Resource Center where they learn about water pollution, marine debris, and what they can do to keep our water clean and safe. Includes an engaging watershed model activity and trash cleanup challenge!
Some funding is available to cover the cost of buses. Ask if your school qualifies!
Watersheds at School Lesson
Grades K-6
45 minutes
Wanting to learn about watersheds but unable to make it to our Watershed
Resource Center in person? We’ll bring the lesson to you! This 45 minute lesson covers similar content to what is taught during the Watershed Resource Center Field Trip, but is taught at your school. Get hands on with a watershed model and learn what we use water for and how much we have available!
Watershed Stewards Series Lesson
Grades 4-6
(Santa Barbara North County)
1 hour each
For this series, classes must schedule both lessons.
Students participate in hands-on activities to learn about water as a natural resource, where their water comes from and where it goes, the water cycle, groundwater, water pollution and how they can protect the water quality where they live. The series consists of two 1-hour in-class lessons.
Replace the Waste Series
Grades K-6
1 hour each
Waste Reduction: Students learn about natural resources, where our trash
goes (landfills), and reduce, reuse and recycle.
Food Waste: Students learn the process of how food gets from farms to us, how food may be wasted along the way, and what we can do to reduce food waste in our everyday lives.
Compost: Students learn about decomposers, how compost is formed, the benefits of composting, and observe a live working worm compost.
NEW! Tajiguas Landfill & ReSource Center Trip
Grades 4 and up
Lessons: 1 hour each. Field trip: 1:45 hours
Available to schools in unincorporated Santa Barbara County, Solvang, & Goleta on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings. Ask if your school qualifies.
Discover where your waste goes! Visit the Tajiguas Landfill on the Gaviota Coast and explore the County’s new ReSource Center, where all our trash and recycling is sorted.
Learn how this facility recovers recyclables and diverts organic waste to be composted. After a hands-on lesson in the Education Room, students go see the landfill’s open face where trash is buried.
Grades 4 to 6: Replace the Waste Series + Tajiguas Landfill & ReSource Center Trip: Two one hour in class lessons (Waste Reduction & Food Waste/Compost) prepare students for their field trip. Students learn what their trash is made of, where it goes when they throw it away, and why we need to reduce the amount of organic waste in landfills.
Grades 7 to 12: Tajiguas Landfill & ReSource Center Trip: This is a standalone field trip without any in class lessons.
Some funding is available to cover the cost of buses. Ask if your school qualifies!
Art From Scrap Waste Reduction Field Trip
Grades K-6
1:30 hours
Students tour the Art From Scrap Creative Reuse Store. They participate in a
lesson about waste reduction, learn why the store is important, and finish the field trip with a craft using materials from the store
Creek Kids Series Lessons
Grades 4-6
(Santa Barbara South County and Santa Ynez Valley)
Virtual: 45 min each. In person: 1:15 each
For this series, classes must schedule all 3 lessons.
Lesson #1: Students discover how much we use water everyday, and how water moves in a watershed.
Lesson #2: Students go on a field trip to to the Watershed Resource Center. They tour the estuary at Arroyo Burro Beach and observe or do water quality tests in the estuary to learn about pH, dissolved oxygen, and phosphate. In person field trip is 2:45 long.
Lesson #3: Students learn about micro plastics and bio accumulation in the marine food web. Includes a campus litter cleanup (in person only).
Explore Ecology has some funding available to cover the cost of buses. Ask if your school qualifies!
Watershed Resource Center Fieldtrip
Grades K-6
Virtual: 30 min. In person: 2 hours
Students tour the estuary at Arroyo Burro Beach and visit the Watershed Resource Center where they learn about water pollution, marine debris, and what they can do to keep our water clean and safe. Includes an engaging watershed model activity and trash cleanup challenge!
Explore Ecology has some funding available to cover the cost of buses. Ask if your school qualifies!
Watershed Stewards Series Lesson
Grades 4-6
(Santa Barbara North County)
For this series, classes must schedule both lessons.
Students participate in hands-on activities to learn about water as a natural resource, where their water comes from and where it goes, the water cycle, groundwater, water pollution and how they can protect the water quality where they live. The series consists of two 1-hour in-class lessons.
Art From Scrap Waste Reduction Field Trip
Grades K-6
Virtual: 30 min. In person: 1:30
Students participate in a presentation focusing on Reducing, Reusing, and Recycling. The field trip includes a hands-on Art From Scrap Workshop using reuse materials and a tour of the AFS Creative Re- Use Store.
Replace the Waste Series
Grades K-6
Virtual: 30 min each. In person: 1 hour each
Waste Reduction: Students learn about natural resources, where our trash goes (landfills), and reduce, reuse and recycle.
Food Waste: Students learn the process of how food gets from farms to us, how food may be wasted along the way, and what we can do to reduce food waste in our everyday lives.
Compost: Students learn about decomposers, how compost is formed, the benefits of composting, and observe a live working worm compost.
NEW! Clean Earth Club
Grades K-6
Explore Ecology educators lead students in a campus litter cleanup during lunch or recess! Interested students will learn why picking up litter protects the ocean and how keeping their school campus clean protects ocean creatures. Students will receive a hand stamp for participation and Explore Ecology staff will tally litter collected by grade.
NEW! Watershed Wonders Series
Grades K-3
In person: 1 hour each
For this series, classes must schedule both lessons.
Our Watery World: Students discover how we use water and how water moves across the land.
Pollution Patrol: Students learn what happens when pollution gets into our water and discuss solutions to pollution and how they can help!
The series consists of two in-class lessons that are 1-hour long each. Not available online.
Program Fees
- Bus stipends may be available for Watershed Resource Center and Tajiguas Landfill field trips
- Lessons which are not available for free at your school may be available for a fee, depending on staff availability
Thank You to Our Partners
Joey is grateful to have grown up with an abundance of nature around him and is happiest in the water or in the sun. From a young age, Joey felt a responsibility to take care of the Earth in return for all the ways she has taken care of him. This led Joey to pursue a degree in
I love coming to work and getting pets from everyone. In my spare time, I like to sleep, eat, hike, and explore nature. Did I say eat and sleep?
Emma Serr is an artist and a student studying Studio Art at SBCC. Emma has a background in art and customer service, having worked as a camp counselor at sewing camp and assistant for sewing events and classes, and display manager and cashier in previous positions, and was recently a nanny to several young children. Emma first found us as a customer who loved what Art From Scrap represents!
Veronica grew up in San Diego and spent her last four years in San Luis Obispo studying Animal Science at Cal Poly. As an undergrad she learned lots about livestock, agriculture, and wildlife. Veronica is very passionate about conservation and sustainable agricultural practices. Veronica has spent many summers working in environmental education at various zoos and museums and loves introducing kids to the plants and animals that coexist with us. In her free time, she likes to sit at the beach and read, take dance classes, roller skate, and walk around fancy neighborhoods to look at the houses.
Lu’s love of all things Earth began at James Madison University in Virginia, where they got their Bachelor’s degree in Biology. Lu has a Master’s degree in Spatial Ecology- the study of how creatures interact across landscapes- from East Carolina University, where they studied rock pools along a river and the critters that dwell in them. Lu is thrilled to be teaching budding scientists about the Earth and why it’s important for us to protect and preserve the environment. 
Lydia
Jenny joined Explore Ecology first as an Environmental Educator, then as a Program Coordinator, and most recently moved into the newly created Programs, People & Culture position. Prior to Explore Ecology Jenny worked in science research and consulting, however her passion has always been science education and outreach. Jenny loves all things related to the ocean, especially free diving, and enjoying the beauty and wonder that is the underwater world. Her greatest life passion is traveling, which she hopes to do more of again soon.
Ian Docktor
MELISSA BROOKS
Lindsay Johnson