The Results Are In! Santa Barbara County Coastal Cleanup Day 2018
The 34th Annual Coastal Cleanup Day on September 15, 2018 was a huge success. This year over 1,149 volunteers at 27 sites from Rincon Beach Park to Guadalupe Dunes came together to clean up Santa Barbara’s waterways. A total of 4,502 pounds of waste, 3,530 pounds of trash and 971 pounds of recyclables, were collected and prevented from entering our waterways.
In Santa Barbara County, with 7 of 27 sites reporting, the following materials were found;
Plastic Pieces: 3, 816 pieces of plastic
Cigarette Butts: 1,994
Foam: 1,056
Straws: 154
Plastic Bottle Caps: 419
Food Wrappers: 693
Plastic Beverage Bottles: 184
Plastic Bags: 220
Cigar Tips: 95
Dog waste is also a commonly found item with 89 bags found at Bates Beach alone!
The most unusual items found in Santa Barbara County were a Weather Balloon, a BB Gun, a whole Fire Hose, a Flip Phone, and a Giant Teddy Bear. Winners of the statewide Most Unusual Item Contest were a painting of a marsh found in a marsh and a Coca-Cola can from 1963.
Rachel Palmer, Coordinator of Coastal Cleanup Day for Explore Ecology, says, “We’re so grateful to everyone who came out to help. It was our best attended Coastal Cleanup Day yet! Each volunteer made an impact on our beaches. Every piece of plastic picked up is one less piece of plastic in the ocean.”
Coastal Cleanup Day is part of a much larger international event. Statewide, 53,073 Californians picked up 698,931 pounds of trash and an additional 35,674 pounds of recyclable materials, for a total of 734,606 pounds or 367 tons. Volunteers cleaned at over 1,000 sites in 55 of California’s 58 counties, the largest collection of sites in the cleanup’s history. Cleanups took place up and down the coast, from the Oregon to Mexico border and as far inland as Lake Tahoe.
Coastal Cleanup Day is made possible with the help of local businesses, nonprofits, and individuals who volunteer their time to make a difference.
Next year’s Coastal Cleanup Day is scheduled for Saturday, September 21st, 2019. Stay tuned for details on Explore Ecology’s website: ExploreEcology.org/Coastal-Cleanup-Day/.
For volunteers who don’t want to wait until next year to participate in a beach cleanup, Explore Ecology sponsors a Monthly Beach Cleanup, on the 2nd Sunday of every month from 10:00 pm to 12:00 pm at Arroyo Burro Beach.
In Santa Barbara County, Coastal Cleanup Day is brought to the community by Explore Ecology, with the support of the County of Santa Barbara Resource Recovery and Waste Management and the Cities of Santa Barbara and Goleta.
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. 
Hello, We cleaned the area of the bike path off Refugio Beach Saturday and was shocked at the amount of dog waste that lined both sides of that long path. That area needs dog waste bag stations, with the hopes dog owners would please use them.
Thanks for letting us know, Chantee!