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 groups, and camp programs in Santa Barbara County.
These programs are free to most Santa Barbara County schools, depending on location.
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!
Replace the Waste Series
Grades K-6
(SOUTH SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, SANTA YNEZ VALLEY, LOMPOC CITY)
1 hour each
Funded by SB County Resource Recovery & Waste Management Division, City of SB Environmental Services, City of Goleta, and City of Lompoc
Waste Reduction: Students learn about natural resources, where our trash goes when we throw it away, and how they can help by reducing, reusing, and recycling.
Food Waste: Students learn the process of how food gets from farms to us, how food gets wasted and the consequences of food waste, 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 meet worms in a working vermicompost.
Waste Reduction NGSS Standards
NEW! Tajiguas Landfill & ReSource Center Trip
NEW! TAJIGUAS LANDFILL & RESOURCE CENTER TRIP
GRADES 5 AND UP
(SOUTH SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, SANTA YNEZ VALLEY)
Field trip: 1:45 hours Lessons: 1 hour each.
Funded by SB County Resource Recovery & Waste Management Division, City of SB Environmental Services, City of Goleta
Available to schools in unincorporated Santa Barbara South County, Solvang, Goleta, and the City of Santa Barbara on Wednesday, and Friday mornings and Monday mornings or afternoons.
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 5 & 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: Older grades may book a standalone field trip without any in class lessons.
Limited funding is available to cover the cost of buses. Ask if your school qualifies.
Tajiguas Landfill & ReSource Center Field Trip NGSS Standards
Art From Scrap Waste Reduction Field Trip
GRADES K-6
(SOUTH SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, SANTA YNEZ VALLEY)
1:30 hours
Funded by SB County Resource Recovery & Waste Management Division, City of SB Environmental Services, City of Goleta
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 which they can take home with them!
Creek Kids Lesson Series
Grades 4-6
(South Santa Barbara County)
In Class Lessons: 1:15 hours, Field Trip: 2:45 hours
Funded by Project Clean Water, City of Santa Barbara Clean Creeks Division, and City of Goleta
For this series, classes must schedule all 3 lessons.
Lesson #1: Students discover how much we use water everyday, how water moves in a watershed, and how pollution can enter our waterways.
Lesson #2: Students go on a field trip to the Watershed Resource Center at Arroyo Burro (Hendry’s) Beach. They tour the estuary at Arroyo Burro Beach and conduct water quality tests in the estuary to learn about pH, dissolved oxygen, and phosphate. The field trip ends with a beach cleanup.
Lesson #3: Students dive deeper into marine debris and ocean pollution, learning about microplastics and bioaccumulation in the marine food web. Each lesson ends with a discussion of what students can do to help address these issues.
Limited funding is available to cover the cost of buses. Ask if your school qualifies!
Watershed Resource Center Field Trip
Grades K-6
(MOST SCHOOLS WITHIN SANTA BARBARA COUNTY)
Field trip: 2 hours
Funded by Project Clean Water, City of Santa Barbara Clean Creeks Division, and City of Goleta
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 a beach cleanup!
Limited funding is available to cover the cost of buses. Ask if your school qualifies!
Watersheds at School Lesson
Grades K-6
(MOST SCHOOLS WITHIN SANTA BARBARA COUNTY)
45 minutes
Funded by Project Clean Water, City of Santa Barbara Clean Creeks Division, and City of Goleta
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 Lesson Series
Grades 4-6
(Santa Barbara North County)
In Class Lessons: 1:00 hour each
Funded by Project Clean Water
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.
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
Eva grew up in Berkeley, CA and is a recent graduate of UCSB, where she studied Aquatic Biology and German Language. During her undergrad, Eva worked as an aquarist at UCSB’s Research Experience and Education Facility (the REEF), where she managed the aquarium facility and found a love for science communication and conservation.
Phillip is a recent Westmont College graduate and a proud member of the inaugural class of Environmental Studies students from Westmont. Phillip is excited to be on the Explore Ecology teaching team because he loves to inspire others about nature as his mentors have done for him. 
Ellie Cotter is a recent graduate of UCSB who studied Environmental Studies with a minor in Philosophy. Ellie learned the importance of community based action, spending her years interning and volunteering for local groups, such as Coal Oil Point Reserve and North Campus Open Space. 
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 Environmental Studies at UCSB where he furthered his knowledge of how different human societies have conceptualized and interacted with the natural world throughout history.
Rachel Palmer
Alyssa grew up on Long Island, New York and spent a lot of her childhood and early adulthood exploring the mountains, meadows, and beaches throughout the East Coast. These formative experiences in nature, along with impactful mentors and coursework in undergraduate and graduate school, inspired her to pursue a career connecting youth with the natural world. From the deciduous forests of New England to the shores of the Big Island of Hawaii, Alyssa has spent over 10 years working with youth of all ages on urban and rural farms, in school gardens, and in beautiful, wild places. Alyssa is passionate about facilitating meaningful experiences for youth that deepen their connections to self, community, and the land and she believes that school gardens are the perfect place to do this. 
Nicole is a mixed media artist and vintage goods specialist who has been managing Art from Scrap since 2020.
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.
I love coming to work and getting pets from everyone.
Ian Docktor
Emma Serr is an artist and student studying Studio Art at SBCC.
Lydia
Iliana Jacobo is a Garden Educator at three different school sites. Iliana has a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies with an emphasis in Sustainability and Social Justice and a minor in Ethnic Studies from San Francisco State University.
Lindsay Johnson
MELISSA BROOKS
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.
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.
Luz developed a strong sense of devotion for working with diverse populations after studying Sociology at UCSB. Her background in social work includes case management for various non-profits, experience with trauma informed care, and developing/teaching curriculum for school garden education & art resiliency. 
Sarah is very passionate about being involved in the outdoors, as well as expressing creativity. She grew up in the Bay Area learning to garden with her mother and going hiking, camping, and backpacking with her family regularly. While gardening with her mother, she grew a deep connection with the processes of ecosystems and food production, so Sarah believes it can be incredibly beneficial for kids to get hands-on experience in nature. 
Sadie
Clare
Chloe grew up in nearby Ojai, CA, which helped shape her passion for living a green lifestyle and conserving wildlife. 
Aimee moved to Santa Barbara from Asheville, North Carolina. She grew up visiting her Grandma in Ojai and wanted to take the opportunity to be closer to her. By lucky accident, she has also found that she is in love with beautiful Santa Barbara! Aimee’s background prior to her Garden Educator position was in Animal Agriculture and she had a layman’s interest in keeping a garden. The Central Coast is a completely different ball game as far as growing produce and she has greatly enjoyed the challenge, as well as taking every opportunity to grow and learn with her students. She loves giving students opportunities to grow lots of food that is delicious right off the plant, as well as learning about the entire ecosystem of their school gardens. She hopes her teaching feels student-led and informed. 
Angie was born and raised in Santa Barbara. She studied Psychology at San Diego State and was a social worker in San Francisco for five years before she discovered her love of growing food. Angie learned how to grow vegetables with the Green Urban Lunch Box in Salt Lake City and then moved back to the Bay Area to start farming. 