Over 4 Tons of Waste Picked Up on Coastal Cleanup Day
Coastal Cleanup Day 2022 was a huge success! Here are the results so far:
- 1,305 volunteers
- 32 sites
- 92 miles covered from Rincon Beach Park to Guadalupe Dunes
- 8,200 lbs. of waste removed from local beaches, creeks, inland areas, and parks!
Congratulations, everyone! Santa Barbara County is so much cleaner now, thanks to your hard work.
Check out our Gallery of Photos from this year’s event.
Lydia Ballantine, Coastal Cleanup Day Coordinator for Explore Ecology says, “Coastal Cleanup Day 2022 was a huge success! We had the most sites ever this year with 32 cleanup locations, and the most volunteers ever who collected more trash than we have in any other year organizing the cleanup. It’s truly amazing what we can do in a single day to help keep our waterways and oceans clean!”
So far, with 1/3 of the Site Captains reporting their final data for individual items found, the top three types of litter in Santa Barbara County are: plastic pieces, cigarette butts, and foam pieces.
The most unusual items found this year in Santa Barbara County were a million dollar bill, the bottom of a boat, and a Samurai sword sheath.
Jill Cloutier, PR Director for Explore Ecology says, “Volunteers of all ages came together for a common cause- a clean coastline. A lot of debris was picked up and removed from creeks, beaches, parks, and inland areas. Our beaches are not only cleaner, but 6,557 pounds of material will no longer be flowing into the ocean. That is a big win for wildlife!”
Coastal Cleanup Day would not happen without the assistance and dedication of Site Captains who volunteer their time, help attendees at their sites, count all of the litter picked up, and report it to Explore Ecology. They are essential to the event running smoothly, whether they’ve been leading a cleanup for 20 years or if this was their first Coastal Cleanup Day
We appreciate all of the Site Captains for Coastal Cleanup Day 2022: Pyp Pratt, Arushi Lakhan-Pal, Erin Maker, Ed Bell, Cali Brannan, Olivia Bañez, Dylan Otte, Sarah Palladino, Julie DeAngelis, Melissa Erickson, Al Souma, Vanessa Brooks, Barbara Haig, Julie Randall Colbert, Christina Hernandez, Allison Armstrong, Blair Butler, Meghan Leon, Tihani Kuamoo, Ashley Hollister, Katy Powers, Paul Izquierdo, Sophia Lake, Zach Winner, Iwa Lani Martinson, Jan Silk, Andrea Dransfield, Patty Huglin, Margie Bushman, Wes Roe, Janet Koed, Gary Mussell, Robert Byl, Brian Trautwein, Andra Escola, Eli Parker, Erika Tai James, Ashley McKoane, Paco Espiritu, Brandon Kaysen, Meg DeCoite, Marcy Stoeven, John Royce, Mark Wilkinson, Jerry Sorich, and Penny Owens. Thank you all so much!
First time Site Captain Al Souma says, “Coastal Cleanup Day was an opportunity to create what can be and to bring it to fruition. As a Site Captain, I felt as if I was an important community member helping to navigate towards the environment we all desire. My favorite part was observing how many parents brought their children along to create a teachable moment for the next generation!”
Coastal Cleanup Day is part of a much larger international event. With 60% of the cleanup sites reporting, the California count stands at 27,185 volunteers who picked up 220,861 pounds of trash and an additional 29,702 pounds of recyclable materials. The total so far statewide is 250,563 pounds or 125 tons.
Lydia Ballantine says, “Keeping trash out of our oceans isn’t only a once a year event. By 2040, the amount of trash entering our oceans is projected to nearly triple. Throughout the year, you can help out by reducing the amount of plastic you use, choosing reusable, durable options, voting for people who will support our oceans, and advocating for policies that can help reduce plastic pollution at its source. All the data we collected about what people found goes to an international litter database that’s used to track marine debris and support research and legislation to reduce plastic. Thank you, thank you, thank you, and I can’t wait to do it all again next year!”
Volunteers who participated in the Cleanup can visit the Coastal Commission website to fill out the Coastal Cleanup Day Volunteer Survey and be entered in a drawing for prizes.
There is still time to clean up in your neighborhood, local park, or favorite beach. Community members are encouraged to cleanup any time during the month of September and their cleanup data will be included as part of Coastal Cleanup Day. Volunteers can record what they find using the Clean Swell app or the Google form on the Explore Ecology website.
For volunteers who don’t want to wait until next year to participate in a beach cleanup, Explore Ecology holds monthly beach cleanups, on the 2nd Sunday of every month from 10:00 pm to 12:00 pm at Arroyo Burro Beach.
Next year’s Coastal Cleanup Day is scheduled for Saturday, September 16, 2023. Stay tuned for details on Explore Ecology’s website: ExploreEcology.org/Coastal-
Statewide, Coastal Cleanup Day is presented by the California Coastal Commission. In Santa Barbara County, the event is organized by Explore Ecology and our partner County of Santa Barbara Resource Recovery and Waste Management. Project Clean Water, the Cities of Santa Barbara, Goleta, and Solvang offer support as well as many non-profits, businesses, and generous individuals. Coastal
There’s still time to contribute to Coastal Cleanup Day! If you clean up anytime during the month of September and submit your data using the Clean Swell app or our Google Drive Form, your totals will count towards Coastal Cleanup Day.
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. 
