Tag archives: environment
The 10th annual Environmental Steward Awards by Explore Ecology were presented at an informal luncheon on Thursday, April 16, at the Cabrillo Pavilion for the second year in a row. The awards were established in 2016 by EE Executive Director Lindsay Johnson and Marketing/Communications Director Jill Cloutier and coincided with the annual SB Earth Day […]
Heal the Ocean began back in August 1998 shortly after Hillary Hauser published an editorial in the Santa Barbara News-Press called “Another Day at the Beach?” following closure of local beaches due to unsafe bacteria levels. The citizens’ action group turned official 501(c)3 nonprofit quickly came to fame for its 15-year effort known as the […]
Christine Seibert, Westmont’s new assistant director of environmental studies, brings a rare blend of scientific training, deep Christian conviction, and a contagious enthusiasm for helping communities care for God’s creation. Her journey into sustainability began unexpectedly in high school, when she encountered a small booklet, Loving the Least of These, published by the National Association […]
In a September 10th report by Climate Rights International (CRI), authored by researcher Trevor Stankiewicz, the organization urged Governor Gavin Newsom and California regulators to halt Sable Offshore Corp.’s plans to restart the Las Flores oil pipeline system in Santa Barbara County. In the report, the group called for a full environmental review, public hearings, […]
Beginning this fall, Westmont offers a new environmental studies major to engage pressing climate-related issues, explore environmental stewardship through the lens of Christian theology and ethics, and examine the links between social and environmental justice. Since adding an environmental studies minor in 2019, Westmont has hosted several national climate workshops, including Faith. Climate. Action., and […]
Summer is often a slower season for NatureTrack, the nonprofit organization which was founded with the goal of creating opportunities for people of all ages to foster a lifelong fascination with nature. That’s because the main thrust of NatureTrack’s day-to-day activities is providing K-12 students with outdoor field trips in Santa Barbara County. NatureTrack takes […]
Explore Ecology (EE) held its 1st Annual Environmental Stewardship Awards Luncheon fundraiser at the Cabrillo Pavilion on Thursday, April 17. The luncheon comes as the next level in the humble nonprofit’s work since establishing the awards in 2016. EE Executive Director Lindsay Johnson and Marketing/Communications Director Jill Cloutier are the founders of the annual awards, […]
I do a lot of scanning for my work. My Microtek scanner of many years died and could not be repaired because Microtek went out of business. The only replacement option was an all-in-one printer and scanner. I chose Epson. The software that comes with these all-in-one devices is not usable for anyone doing serious […]
White Buffalo Land Trust has only been around for six years, and it was only in 2021 that the nonprofit dedicated to restoring our ecosystem through regenerative agriculture acquired the 1,000-acre Jalama Canyon Ranch to establish its center to practice, promote, and develop systems of regenerative agriculture for local, regional, and global impact. Located near […]
How can we use behavior science to persuade people to solve the Climate Crisis? I recently attended a UCSB Psychology talk on this subject. To me, facts and evidence should be enough. It takes a lot more than that for most people. It turns out that people who are most environmentally aware are often worse […]
This year marks the 40th Anniversary of Coastal Clean Up Day, and the team at Explore Ecology is putting out the call for volunteers early this year to celebrate it. Your trusty Our Town news reporter, Joanne A Calitri, has been covering this event for years, and shares, “It is such a worthwhile and time-well-spent […]
The Environmental Defense Center, one of the nation’s longest running nonprofit environmental law firms working to protect the California coast and natural resources, has added a tony triumvirate of highly qualified new staff members to the team. Jeremy Frankel, a Goleta native, is a new staff attorney, with Matt Campa, who serving as a legal […]
Congratulations to the Explore Ecology (EE) Annual Environmental Steward 2024 Award winners, officially celebrated on Sunday, April 28, at the Santa Barbara Earth Day Festival onstage in the Kids Corner. Each year, the EE group invites the public to submit their nominations for these important award categories of local schools and clubs. The EE team […]
My family home is within walking distance of the Miramar. I am a seventh generation Santa Barbarian. My family and I, along with many neighbors both nearby and across Montecito, firmly support the plan to add affordable housing for the workers of the Miramar, which in part is funded by the addition of retail shops […]
A great gathering of fellow eco-minded citizens, Green Car test drives (including Rivian!), groovy sounds from a gaggle of good bands, GMO (and plastic)-free food and, we hope, gorgeous weather. Yes, it’s Santa Barbara’s annual Earth Day celebration, a two-day community-minded affair in Alameda Park, the city’s version of Central Park. Planet vs. Plastics is […]
Heralding its fifth year for Open Call Environmental Hero Nominees, Explore Ecology is inviting everyone to submit their nominations for 2024 by April 1via the online form. I reached out to Explore Ecology’s PR Director Jill Cloutier, about this year’s awards and the importance of it for the organization. She explained, “We are thrilled to […]
The annual Christmas Bird Count (CBC), an event beloved by birders – and a crucially needed data set needed to assess our environmental status – is done here in Santa Barbara County by an all-volunteer team consisting of SBC Audubon Society members, and many who come to volunteer just for this important event. The 2024 […]
Reaching the end of their economic oil producing lifetimes, many of California’s and specifically Santa Barbara’s offshore platforms are in the process of being decommissioned. They can either be fully removed and taken to scrap yards on land, or they can be turned into state-managed artificial reefs through California’s Marine Resources Legacy Act. Why wouldn’t […]
I have written before about bad subsidies and incentives that have gotten us into the Climate Crisis. But there is another way to view the problem. “Nobody thinks we made the transition from horses to cars by taxing horseshit. Nobody thinks that we created the internet by taxing letter writing. Why would it be any […]
Santa Barbara’s Community Environmental Council hosted its annual Green Gala for more than 200 guests at its new 10,000-square-foot Environmental Hub on State Street, just a tiara’s toss from the Granada Theatre. The handsome property, formerly the home of the Unity Shoppe, underwent a major $3.5 million renovation, with the boffo bash, which brings together […]
