Explore Ecology

🗳️ Last chance to vote! 🗳️

Help Art from Scrap continue to be recognized as a community favorite by voting in the Best Of Santa Barbara Readers Poll! 🌟

For over 30 years, Art from Scrap has been championing sustainability in Santa Barbara, and we’re honored to be nominated for Best Place to Make Art and Best Art/Craft Store.

If you haven’t voted yet, please take a moment to show your love for Art from Scrap. Your support means the world to us! 💚

https://bestof.independent.com/?mc_cid=31c56f5331&mc_eid=UNIQID

Thank you! 🙌

🌱 Meet our new team member, Manuel! 🌿

Manuel, shown here with an Amorphophallus sp., is a true plant lover and our newest Garden Educator! Originally from El Salvador, Manuel studied Agriculture at the National Agricultural School and earned his degree as an Agricultural Engineer with a specialty in organic agriculture.

He’s passionate about teaching others how to grow vegetables and ornamental plants organically. 🌻 In his free time, you can find Manuel volunteering, traveling, hiking, or working in his own garden.

We’re thrilled to have Manuel as part of the Explore Ecology team! Welcome, Manuel! 🎉

🎨✨ Get creative with us in the EE Makerspace! Join our Printmaking Workshop and learn the art of linocut printmaking. You'll carve your own unique stamp on soft, easy-to-cut rubber blocks, perfect for making handmade stationery, cards, and art for your home.

This workshop is designed for artists and crafters of all levels, and your $30 ticket includes all materials and tools needed. Educators, enjoy a special discount—tickets are just $20 with a valid ID!

🗓️ Reserve your spot now and bring your creative vision to life!

https://exploreecology.org/event/printmaking-workshop/

We love working with Fun in the Sun!!

🌿🍅 Tomato Time at Ballard! 🍅🌿

Check out these gorgeous "Great White" tomatoes growing in the Ballard school garden! Each of these beauties weighs over a pound! 😍

With creamy white flesh, these tomatoes are not just a feast for the eyes—they're also deliciously fruity. It's no wonder they're one of our favorites for fresh eating. 🍈

🌞 Thanks to Garden Educator Sadie for growing these impressive giant tomatoes in the Ballard School Garden!

🎨✨ Crafternoons at the EE Makerspace! ✨🎨

Looking for a fun and creative way to spend your Saturday? Join us tomorrow from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm for a Crafternoon at the EE Makerspace, where imagination meets creative reuse! 🌟

💫This month, embark on a journey of self-discovery and emotional exploration. Learn how to make arts and crafts that can help foster a more mindful approach in life with our August theme of Exploring Emotions & Mindfulness!🧘🏼

Bring your creativity and we'll provide the rest! ♻️✨

Save the date for Saturday, September 21st and join us for Coastal Cleanup Day, Santa Barbara County's largest volunteer event of the year! 🌍✨

👩🏻‍🤝‍👨🏼Together, we'll clean up our beautiful beaches, creeks, parks, and waterways and protect our local beaches and marine life. Whether you're a longtime volunteer or new to Coastal Cleanup Day, everyone is welcome!
https://exploreecology.org/coastal-cleanup-day/

Stay tuned for more details on how to get involved and make a difference. Let's keep our coastlines clean and thriving! 💙🐬

🧵✨ Join Us for Sewing & Mending Fun! ✨🧵

Ready to give your wardrobe a fresh twist? Our Sewing and Mending Club is ready to help you repair, not replace! Whether you're a sewing pro or just starting out, come stitch, mend, and create with us.

📅 Date: Wednesday, August 14th
🕒 Time: 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm
📍 Location: EE Makerspace, above Art From Scrap at 302 E Cota St, Santa Barbara

Bring your worn-out clothes and unfinished projects, we'll provide the tools and guidance.

Pre-registration is required- spots are limited.

https://exploreecology.org/event/monthly-sewing-mending-club-2/2024-08-14/

🎨 We can’t wait to see what you’ll create! 💫

🌊 Join us this Sunday for a morning of giving back to the coast! We’ll be at Arroyo B***o Beach on August 11th from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm for our monthly cleanup.

Bring reusable gloves, a bucket, and your enthusiasm! If you don’t any have cleanup materials, we've got you covered. We'll have plenty on hand to make your cleanup experience easy and successful.

While you’re there, stop by the Watershed Resource Center to learn how you can protect our beaches & creeks. Let’s make a difference together!

📅 Date: Sunday, August 11th
🕙 Time: 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
📍 Location: Arroyo B***o Beach

https://exploreecology.org/event/beach-cleanup/2024-08-11/

🌊 Hey Late Tax Filers! 🌊

Our friends at the California Coastal Commission want you to know that you can support coastal education and stewardship projects by adding a donation to the “Protect Our Coast and Oceans Fund” on the California tax form! It's easy and makes an impact across the state. The money that you contribute goes to Whale Tail Grants, which fund programs like our Flows to the Ocean!

Help the fund reach its goal of $250,000 for the 2023 tax year! Learn more at: www.coastal.ca.gov/publiced/checkthecoast)

🌿 Meet the Team! 🌿

We're thrilled to introduce Delaney, our new Garden Educator at Explore Ecology!

Delaney grew up all along the east coast and California is the eighth state she’s lived in. She graduated with a B.S. in Psychology from the College of Charleston, where she also developed a love for environmental sustainability through the College’s sustainability initiative!

Delaney studied abroad in Cambodia and Vietnam and she later returned to Cambodia for an internship teaching English to employees at an Elephant Sanctuary. In Cambodia, Delaney’s passion for the environment grew, as she assisted the Forestry Coordinator with projects such as propagating native plants and removing invasive species.

Delaney is deeply passionate about the psychological benefits of being in nature, which is why she is so excited to share her love of gardening with others.

She has a certificate in Permaculture Design and will soon complete a Native Plant Landscaper Program through the Santa Barbara Botanical Gardens.

In her free time, you can find Delaney hiking with her dog, reading, sewing her own clothes, and attempting to identify every plant she comes across.

Welcome, Delaney! 🌱

🧚🏼Check out these adorable fairy gardens made by creative students at SBCA! 🌿🏡

🌸✨These enchanting mini landscapes even feature tiny bubble baths and garden boxes. 🛁🌱

We know the fairies in this school garden will be happy in their new homes!🌟👩‍🎨

💚Thanks to Garden Educator Alena for these adorable photos.

🌿✨ Discover the art of upcycling vintage tea cups into exquisite and functional pieces for your home! ✨🌿

Join us for an adult workshop on Thursday, August 8th, in the EE Makerspace located above Art From Scrap. You’ll learn an easy technique for creating holes in delicate porcelain and receive all the necessary supplies and guidance to craft a charming tea cup planter with succulents.

Don’t miss this opportunity to repurpose and beautify vintage tea cups while adding a touch of greenery to your living space. Reserve your spot today and enjoy a fun afternoon of crafting and creativity!

🎟️ $20 – General Ticket
🎟️ $15 – Educator Ticket*

*Educators must show a valid School ID or other identifying item upon entry to the workshop to verify that you are a teacher or educator.

https://exploreecology.org/event/teacup-planters-workshop/

🎨 We're excited to introduce you to Uli, Store Associate at Art From Scrap!

Uli (they/xe) is a nonbinary, self-taught artist from Santa Barbara who thrives on creative expression through diverse mediums. Passionate about community, they prioritize collaboration and sustainability, often incorporating recycled materials into their artwork.

With a love for people and a dedication to their craft, Uli's artistic journey is marked by inclusivity, innovation, and a deep appreciation for the environment. Through their work, Uli seeks to foster connection, inspire others, and leave a positive impact on both the art world and the world at large.

🌟We're so happy that Uli is part of the Explore Ecology Team!🌟

🎨🛠️ This Saturday, August 3rd! Explore your creativity at our new Open Workshop on the first Saturday of the month from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm! Open to teens and adults (ages 13+), this is the perfect opportunity to join a creative community, connect with fellow artists, and receive guidance from our knowledgeable staff. Drop-ins welcome—no advanced registration required! 🌟

Our fully-equipped EE Makerspace workshop offers everything you need to bring your artistic ideas to life. Discover our range of tools and machines, including sewing machines, Cricut cutters, and more! ✂️🧵

https://exploreecology.org/event/open-workshop-at-ee-makerspace/2024-08-03/?mc_cid=7ecda81c74&mc_eid=be4eb33800

🌊🌍 We are looking for Site Captains! Help make Coastal Cleanup Day 2024 a success! As a Site Captain, you'll play a crucial role in organizing volunteers and ensuring a smooth and impactful cleanup.

Available beaches are Ellwood, Tajiguas, More Mesa, and Lookout Park. Message us for more information. 🐚🌿

🌟 Meet Ella, our amazing Store Associate at Art From Scrap! 🌟

Ella is an artist and student at Santa Barbara City College, studying environmental science. Originally from Southern Oregon, Ella has called Santa Barbara home since 2021. She's passionate about botany, conservation, and fostering creative community.

In her free time, Ella enjoys making and selling zines, spending time outdoors, and enjoying live music. She first discovered Art From Scrap as a customer and is now thrilled to join our team and support such a wonderful cause.

Welcome, Ella! We're so excited to have you as part of the Explore Ecology team. 💚

Read the latest edition of the Explore Ecology Newsletter🌞 - https://mailchi.mp/exploreecology.org/julynewsletter24

🌱🥗 Check out our bountiful Fava Bean harvest at Oak Valley Elementary! After serving their purpose as 'trap crops' for aphids, these amazing plants also yielded over 26 lbs!!! of delicious beans.

Kids love peeling off the seed coats and enjoying them raw as a healthy recess snack.

It's a fantastic way to learn about organic gardening and enjoy the "fruits" of their labor! 🌿👩‍🌾

🌸🎉 Prepare to Celebrate Fiesta with Flair! 🎉🌸

Elevate your Fiesta look with a touch of floral finesse at our Fiesta Flower Hair Accessories Workshop! Learn to make beautiful crepe paper flowers perfect for headbands, hair combs, and clips.

🗓️ Date & Time: Friday, July 26th
⏰ Time: 6:00 to 8:00 pm
📍 EE Makerspace

🌸 Your $30 ticket includes step-by-step instructions, two hours of creative work time, and all materials needed to craft your gorgeous floral accessories.

Don't miss out this opportunity to add a unique, handmade touch to your Fiesta attire! Secure your spot today and get ready to craft beautiful flowers with us.

Educators receive a discounted ticket price of $20 and must show their valid school id or other identifying item upon entry.

https://exploreecology.org/event/fiesta-flower-hair-accessories/

🌊💚 Huge thanks to everyone who joined us for our beach cleanup with and team last Sunday, July 14th! 🗑️✨

We had 31 amazing volunteers who collected over 40 lbs of trash, including: 75 pieces of plastic, 44 pieces of foam, and 13 bags of dog p**p. We also found clothing, toys, fishing line, and cigarette butts!

Thanks to our volunteers whose efforts keep Arroyo B***o Beach beautiful!! 🌍💚

🐬Join us for our next cleanup on Sunday, August 11th at 10am.🦀

🌿🍅 Have you ever heard of the Reisetomate, or "Voyage Tomato"? This fascinating fruit is made up of little segments that can be pulled apart, making it perfect for snacking on the go!

We're so excited to introduce this unique tomato to the students in our School Gardens program. They’ll love discovering how each piece can be enjoyed one bite at a time. Stay tuned for more fun garden adventures🌱

🌿 Meet Our New Garden Educator: Twyla Summers! 🌿

Twyla Summers is a 2024 UCSB graduate from Sonoma Valley, CA. She grew up as the youngest of four children in an outdoors and arts-and-crafts forward household, learning to explore all different types of expression through murals, ugly dolls, and all the crafts you can make with only cardboard, paint, glitter, and a hot glue gun.

With a passion and education focus on Urban Planning, Culture, and Public/Environmental Policy, Twyla has supplemented her Sociology degree with work in her hometown’s Community Services and Environment Commission, Challenge Sonoma Adventure Ropes Course, Rhoten Productions Summer Camps, and as an events intern for Santa Barbara’s Los Padres ForestWatch.

For fun, Twyla creates linoleum block prints, spends time outside, and explores the abundance of Santa Barbara’s food and wine industry.

Her goal is to one day have a role in the urban planning sector of a city where she can help implement low-income neighborhood restoration and social welfare programs including community gardens, free clinics, after school arts programs, free language classes for youth and adults, and anything else that will give every individual a purpose and feel valued.

Twyla hopes her role as a Garden Educator at Explore Ecology will assist in teaching Santa Barbara youth the importance of holistic caretaking of their planet, their community, and themselves.

Welcome, Twyla! 🌸🌿

💚🌎 For the health of our planet and the people and animals living on it, we need to drastically reduce the amount of plastics entering the environment and our bodies. We need inclusive solutions that effectively reduce production and encourage reuse.

On Tuesday, July 16th, at 6:30 pm, join and Plastic Free Future founders Alejandra Warren and Dr. Matt Warren for a webinar to learn about the science behind the plastic crisis and to discuss solutions that can lead us to a healthier, cleaner, and plastic-free future.

📲 Register here: https://cec.pub/plasticfreefuture

Let's work together towards a !

🐝🌿Join Us for DIY Beeswax Wraps & Bee Hotels! 🌿🐝

Looking for a fun, sustainable way to enhance your kitchen and garden? Come to our Adult Workshop on Thursday, July 18, from 6:00-7:30 pm at the EE Makerspace above Art from Scrap!

🌟 Create your own reusable beeswax wraps and build bee hotels to encourage pollinators in your yard, patio, or garden.

🎟️ Ticket Prices:
- Regular: $25
- Educators: $15 (Must show valid School ID or other identifying item upon entry)

Don't miss out on this hands-on workshop that combines creativity and sustainability!

Secure your spot today and let's get crafty! 🌼🐝

https://exploreecology.org/event/educator-night-workshop-bee-haven-crafts/

We are so excited to be partnering with County Supervisor Laura Capps at our Beach Cleanup this Sunday, July 14th!

Join us in making a difference at our community clean-up from 10am to 12pm at Arroyo B***o (Hendry’s) Beach!

All ages and furry friends welcome.🐾

Let’s come together and show our local beaches the love they deserve! 🌊🌍️🌟

https://www.facebook.com/events/712840957589767/712840980923098/

Ready to make a difference? 🌟 Join us as a Site Captain for Coastal Cleanup Day 2024! 🌿 Be a leader, protect our shores, and inspire others to keep our coastline clean 💙🌎

If you or your organization would like to join us for CCD 2024 as Site Captains, please email us at [email protected]! 🌊 For more information about CCD, check out our website!

Together we can make this the best CCD yet! 💚💙

🌊✨ Meet the Team! ✨🌊

We are thrilled to announce that we have hired a new intern for this year’s Coastal Cleanup Day! Thanks to the Coastal Fund at UCSB, Elsa Winter will be joining us to help coordinate Coastal Cleanup Day 2024.

Elsa is an incoming senior at UCSB, majoring in Environmental Studies and minoring in Art. She has a deep passion for merging the gap between art and science for the greater good and hopes to continuously learn more about how art plays a pivotal role in advancing environmental justice.

From a young age, Elsa has loved spending my time outside– hiking, camping, and traveling. She also finds herself getting immersed in all sorts of creative projects, ranging from drawing and sketching to creating murals, giving old items new life, or learning how to crochet, sew, or throw a ceramic wheel. Elsa also loves the ocean, cooking, yoga, and spending time with her community of family and friends.

Welcome, Elsa! We're so excited to have you on board and can’t wait to see all the amazing contributions you’ll bring to Coastal Cleanup Day 2024! 🌍❤️

🧵✨ Join Our Monthly Sewing & Mending Club! ✨🧵

Discover the joy of creating and repairing with our welcoming community at the EE Makerspace! Whether you're a seasoned seamstress or just starting out, our monthly club is the perfect place to bring your projects to life.

🗓️ When: July 10th and on the Second Wednesday of the Month
🕠 Time: 5:30-7:30 pm
🎟️ Tickets: $15 (Teens 13+ & Adults)

Bring your sewing ideas, projects, or mending needs to the EE Makerspace, equipped with nine sewing machines and a wide array of materials to fuel your creativity. Our knowledgeable staff will be on hand to offer guidance, tips, and tricks to help you realize your vision.

Join us for a night of creativity, camaraderie, and crafting excellence. Your next sewing adventure awaits. See you there!

https://exploreecology.org/event/monthly-sewing-mending-club/2024-07-10/

🌿✨Meet Josh, the newest member of the Explore Ecology team!✨🌿

Josh was born and raised in Santa Barbara, where his passion and curiosity for the environment began and has continued to grow. During his undergrad, he pursued this interest at UC Santa Cruz, receiving a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Studies.

Josh would describe himself as fun, optimistic, easy going, and excited about life. Outside of teaching at Explore Ecology, Josh enjoys going to the beach with friends, playing volleyball, skateboarding, and surfing.

He's excited to educate the next generation on environmental topics and to share his love and excitement about the earth to anyone who wants to listen. Welcome aboard, Josh! 🌎💚