Mark your calendars for Explore Ecology’s Coastal Cleanup Day on Saturday, September 19! The largest single volunteer event on earth, Coastal Cleanup Day is a day to give back to the ocean, beaches, parks, and creeks that make Santa Barbara County such a wonderful place to live. Get outside, enjoy nature, and remove marine debris from our beaches and waterways.

Volunteers of all ages can participate at any of the 2026 cleanup sites, including the following in Goleta: Devereux Creek, Ellwood Bluffs & Beach, Haskell’s Beach, and Lake Los Carneros, , and in close proximity: Goleta Beach and Phelps Creek & North Camps Open Space.. Pre-registration is not required but encouraged – sign up here.

Each site will have a captain on hand to provide instructions and supplies. Please bring your own gloves, buckets, and other reusable cleanup supplies to lessen the plastic footprint of this event. If you don’t have any, we will have plenty.

Coastal Cleanup Day kicks off Creek Week – stay tuned for details.

The City of Goleta has cleanup events throughout the year with our Beautify Goleta program. Thanks to everyone who participated in our most recent Plastic Free Beautify Goleta event on July 18.

Impact by the Numbers:

• 26 dedicated volunteers rolled up their sleeves and picked up 139 lbs of trash from local streets and public spaces.
• 37 vehicles swung by the Goleta Community Center to drop off over 8,000 lbs of bulky items, keeping heavy waste out of neighborhoods and landfills.
• The event was also a great opportunity for the communityto learn about the City’s Plastic Free Goleta initiative and the Old Town Goleta Neighborhood Creek Project, ensuring debris is stopped before it ever hits local aquatic ecosystems.

Keep the Momentum Going!

Plus, here are five fun and easy ways to keep Goleta Plastic Free:

• Refuse Single-Use Food Ware: Align with our local Plastic Free Goleta ordinance by asking to opt out of plastic cutlery, straws, and disposable containers whenever you order takeout or dine out locally.
• Shop the Produce Aisle Plastic-Free: Bring reusable mesh or cloth bags to local grocery stores and farmers markets to skip those hard-to-recycle single-use plastic roll bags.
• Pack a Daily Reusable “Go-Kit”: Keep a reusable water bottle, travel mug, and shopping tote in your car or bag so you’re always prepped to say no to single-use plastics while on the move.
• Do a 5-Minute Household Plastic Audit: Scan your kitchen or bathroom for single-use plastic items—like plastic wrap, liquid hand soap pumps, or synthetic sponges—and swap just one or two out for sustainable alternatives like beeswax wrap or bar soap.
• Keep Plastics Out of Our Creeks & Watersheds: Tightly secure your outdoor trash and recycling lids to prevent loose plastics from blowing into our creeks and watersheds.

Thanks for helping to Beautify Goleta!