UC Santa Barbara lagoon
UCSB Environmental Organizations
UCSB Adventure Programs exists to enhance campus and community life by providing educational and recreational experiences through wilderness trips, outdoor recreation classes, ropes courses, and climbing center programs.
Aqua international’s mission is to aid developing regions throughout the world in establishing safe and sustainable water sources. We provide aid through education, volunteerism, and fundraising
The Students Bike Shop is a student-funded non-profit organization dedicated to education, service, and safety. We have everything needed to get your bike running safely and smoothly. You bring your ID card, your bike, your time, and an inclination to learn. We provide the tools and the advice.
Associated Students B.I.K.E.S. (Bicycle Improvements Keep Everyone Safe)
AS BIKES is an on campus bicycle system advocate. With an $88,000 budget each year, the student committee works to fund UCSB campus bikeway improvement projects as well as increase student, staff, faculty, and administration awareness and involvement with bicycle system issues.
Associated Students Coastal Fund
This organization provides funds to enhance, protect, and restore the local shoreline through preservation, education, open access, research, and restoration. Apply for funding today!
Associated Students Department of Public Worms
We are a student-run, student-funded organization with a focus on on-site composting on campus and on encouraging students to compost at home. We believe that composting food and other organic waste is not only an excellent way to reduce the pressure on landfills, but also to improve landscapes and gardens without the use of chemicals or artificial products and in a closed-loop cycle. We strive to encourage these environmentally friendly closed-loop systems on our campus and in our communities through education, demonstrations, and outreach. We highly value hands-on experience and believe that composting is often best viewed up close and personal.
Associated Students Environmental Affairs Board
The Environmental Affairs Board (EAB) is the largest and most active environmental group on campus. The charge of EAB is to protect, preserve and enhance the environment, principally at UCSB and its surrounding communities. We focus on ecology, energy, food, climate change, water policy and conservation, the economy, environmental justice and other issues.
The Associated Students Food Bank is a student-run service that is available to all UCSB students, both graduate and undergraduate. We aim to eradicate hunger from our campus community by providing basic food supplies, toiletries, and information about additional resources to students in need.
Associated Students Food Cart Working Group
The student-run sustainable food cart aims to develop an inclusive community with student input built upon providing affordable, nutritious, and high quality food. Active promotion of healthy living through education and awareness of social justice issues is the base of student empowerment while promoting sustainable practices.
Associated Students Humyn Rights Board
The Humyn Rights Board of Associated Students is a coalition of human rights and social justice organizations at UCSB. The Board recognizes their mission of inclusively by creating forum that encourages, advocates, and promotes respectful and honest communication regarding the education and awareness of basic human rights principles.
AS Recycling is a student funded, student run organization that plays a critical role in the day-to-day recycling, composting, and electronic waste collection services at UCSB that have helped make this campus a state and national leader in waste reduction for nearly 20 years. At the same time, we recognize that teaching students and staff how to recycle, compost, and reduce waste can have a huge impact both on and off campus, and is the only way to achieve lasting change. We value our campus and community, and are committed to a goal of zero waste by 2020 at UCSB!
Associated Students Zero Waste Committee
The Zero Waste Committee strives to eliminate waste by promoting reduction, reuse and recycling of all materials used on the UCSB campus and the surrounding community, promoting composting, promoting the buying of recycled and sustainable products on the UCSB campus, and by working closely with other environmental groups.
Bee Conscious is a collective group of students concerned about the future welfare of the planet’s honey bee populations. This group learns, discusses, and spreads awareness on a variety of topics regarding honey bees – including but not limited to colony collapse.
Bren Students Sustainability Committee
The mission of BSSC is to continuously improve the environmental performance of the Bren School and its students. The BSSC is made up of a diverse set of people who all have an interest in sustainability and in improving Bren, the UCSB campus, and our community.
A public interest advocacy group fighting for environmental and social causes through legislative change.
California Student Sustainability Coalition
The California Student Sustainability Coalition is a non-profit organization that supports and connects students from across California to help them transform their educational institutions into models of sustainability.
Coal Oil Point Natural Reserve & Snowy Plover Docent Program
The Coal Oil Point Reserve is part of the University of California Santa Barbara Natural Reserve System. Learn about classes on the reserve, local stewardship, and the snowy plover docent program.
Community Affairs Board is dedicated to enhancing the educational experience of all UCSB Students by providing information and easy access to community service work.
The Educating Leaders for the Future Program inspires youth to pursue sustainable academic and career pathways. We do this through classroom presentations in local high schools and through after school programs. Sustainability is being integrated into every sector of our economy and every major in higher education and yet not enough programs are preparing our youth for this shift.
Environmental Planning Coalition
The Environmental Planning Coalition enables environmentally-minded students to network and gain a deeper understanding for the planning profession.
ECOalition is an on campus coalition of many organizations working together to discuss environmental issues affecting the campus, to provide sustainable resources to the campus and community, and to bring a unified voice to UCSB’s environmental movement.
An outdoor adventure club offering hiking, kayaking, climbing, and a variety of other activities and trips.
Gaucho Certified Farmers Market at UCSB
The Gaucho Certified Farmers Market is an avenue for staff, students, faculty, and the local community to access fresh, locally grown produce and artisan goods. We will bring together all facets of sustainability, helping to educate the UCSB community on healthy eating and living. We meet every Wednesday, 11-2 pm near Campbell Hall.
A student-led organization that focuses on reforestation, sustainable agriculture, waste management, and education by empowering members of rural communities in east Panama.
A student-led organization that assists in designing and implementing water systems to prevent water related illnesses in communities with limited access to clean water.
Greeks Gone Green is an organization consisted of Greeks and Gauchos dedicated to promote sustainability within the Greek community. The GGG campaign focuses on four areas of sustainability: recycling, energy efficiency, green purchasing, and composting.
Isla Vista Community Relations Commission
IVCRC is an Associated Students committee that works to promote and educate the Isla Vista community by nurturing the relationships between the long-term and short-term residents. In addition, IVCRC funds on-campus and off-campus groups that work to improve the community.
The Greenhouse and Garden Project is an enjoyable and educational organization at UCSB that welcomes students, faculty, and staff to maintain their own plot to garden on.
As the only consumer cooperative in the county, our purpose as a community-owned business is to be a trusted source of natural and organic products and a reliable resource for consumer information–driven not by profit, but by a motivation for community autonomy, mutual aid, and environmental justice.
Isla Vista Surfrider Foundation
An organization dedicated to protecting our oceans and beaches through education and activism.
The UCSB Living Lab program highlights research that is related to or has implications towards sustainability or environmental issues through our blog, news articles, twitter, and the web. We also encourage UCSB faculty and researchers to share their expertise and engage with each other and the local community.
Natural History Collections Club
This organization provides members of the UCSB community with the opportunity to explore the world of natural history collections which are preserved for scientific and conservation purposes, as well as to engage the community in learning more about the importance of these collections as valuable historical records.
Plastic Solutions at UC Santa Barbara is a student led organization which seeks to reduce, and eventually eliminate, the use of single-use plastics in the UCSB community through education, policy initiatives, and the promotion of sustainable alternatives.
PowerSave Green Campus Grogram
PowerSave Campus is a network of student interns that work to promote energy efficiency in and around college campuses.
The REI GB was formed in September 2010 as a consultative and decision making student-majority governance board with fiduciary responsibility for the total proceeds from the Renewal Energy Initiative student fee that was passed in spring 2010 and went into effect fall 2010.
Santa Barbara Student Housing Co-op
The purpose of the Santa Barbara Student Housing Co-op (SBSHC) is to provide low rent co-op housing for student, staff, and faculty of the University of California at Santa Barbara, regardless of gender, race, social, political, or religious affiliation, and thereby influencing the community to eliminate prejudice and discrimination in the community. We strive to engage in continuous educational programs that further the principles of cooperation through mutual, self-help living at a minimal cost.
The Mermaids act as ambassadors for the sea by educating our community about human-sourced ocean pollution and advocating for behaviors that benefit the ocean environment. Our goal is to educate the public in a fun and creative way on how our actions affect the ocean environment as well as teaching lifestyle habits to prevent further harm and benefit the health of the sea.
The organization’s purpose is to create a social network and encourage safe and responsible diving practices. We also host monthly guest speakers highlighting different aspects of ocean related careers.
Sustainable Services Learning Initiative – Partners in Environment
A group of students promoting sustainability focused service learning efforts. Our largest current project is the launching of a joint volunteer management program which will connect groups on and off campus.
System Change Not Climate Change – Santa Barbara
System Change Not Climate Change (SCNCC) is an organization that discusses anti-capitalist perspectives to climate change, as we believe that both ecological destruction and economic inequality are intricately linked to the profit-motive under capitalism. We offer a space to converse and network with other students, faculty, and community members who share a view that capitalism is the driving force behind climate change.
The Green Initiative Fund (TGIF)
The Green Initiative Fund (TGIF) was the first green fee in the UC system. It was created by students in the spring of 2006 with a charge to reduce the University’s impact on the environment.
The Wildlife Society is dedicated to the responsible conservation of wildlife through learning, teaching, and community outreach.
United States Green Building Council (USGBC) Students – UCSB
USGBC Students recruits, connects, and equips the next generation of green building leaders by empowering them to transform their campuses, communities, and careers.
Santa Barbara’s branch of CoFED — the Cooperative Food Empowerment Directive. The time is ripe for a sustainable, fresh, healthy and delicious food options on campus, sold at an affordable price and run by the students for our campus community.
UCSB Sustainability Internship Program
The UCSB Sustainability Internship Program offers a wide array of opportunities for current undergraduate and graduate students to participate in campus and community based programs and initiatives. We serve as a launching point for new internship projects, much like an incubator for start-up companies.
Dedicated to enjoying Santa Barbara on bicycle power in both recreational and competitive settings.
Your Children’s Trees at UCSB provides technical advice and logistical support for urban forestry projects. This student-led organization looks to provide educational outreach services and to the community through urban forestry related projects and internships.