The University of California is not only committed to public service, we also recognize the importance of ensuring that the campus and regional community is meaningfully engaged in developing and implementing sustainability efforts. In order to successfully tackle regional sustainability issues, we partner with and learn from local organizations, agencies, and business leaders.
Santa Barbara County Food Action Network
The network grew out of a comprehensive Food Action Plan, which includes actionable goals and strategies to help build and sustain a more prosperous and resilient food system.
UC Santa Barbara is represented on the Advisory Board, participates on several implementation teams, and leads one of the projects, IV and UCSB Garden Community, funded through an implementation grants.
Kids in Nature
The CCBER program enriches the learning experiences of underrepresented and underserved youth in the Santa Barbara community by taking them out of the urban setting, introducing them to the natural environment, and teaching them how to preserve our ecosystems.
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Central Coast Sustainability Summit
Annually, UCSB hosts a local summit, the Central Coast Sustainability Summit, where local governmental staff, elected officials, citizens, business leaders, regional schools, and non-profit organizations come together to share ideas and best practices; and strategize how we can better partner regionally. UCSB partners with the Cities of Santa Barbara, Goleta, and Carpinteria, the County of Santa Barbara, and the Community Environmental Council to host the annual Summit.
The Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration (CCBER): provides public tours of their animal, plant, and special collections, and showcases the restored natural areas that the Center manages on campus. The Campus Flora Project was created out of former Chancellor Vernon Cheadle’s wish to develop the campus environment into an outdoor classroom. Walking tours and online maps are available for anyone to experience the living collection of hundreds of plant families from six continents.
UCSB manages four natural reserve systems. All of these natural reserves offer public tours, educational programs, and volunteer opportunities for the community.