Coastal Cleanup Day 2026
9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Become part of the solution to ocean pollution on Coastal Cleanup Day, Saturday, September 19, at 9:00 am! Take action to protect the beaches, creeks, and parks that make Santa Barbara County such a wonderful place to live.
Volunteers of all ages are welcome at any of our 2026 cleanup sites. Pre-registration isn’t required, but is encouraged! Everyone who pre-registers will be automatically entered into a prize drawing.
Each site will have a captain on hand with cleanup supplies. Bring your own gloves, buckets, and other reusable items to reduce waste and lessen the event’s plastic footprint.
Every piece of trash picked up is one less piece in the ocean. The coast needs you on Coastal Cleanup Day!
Can’t make it on the 19th? Any cleanup you do in September counts toward our totals.
Part of a statewide effort organized by the California Coastal Commission, Santa Barbara County Coastal Cleanup Day is brought to you by Explore Ecology and the County of Santa Barbara Resource Recovery and Waste Management, with support from the cities of Santa Barbara, Goleta, and Solvang.
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
