Edhat Staff
Local agencies are hosting community cleanup events in honor of the official Earth Day this coming Monday.
For the past three years, after the conclusion of the lobster fishing season, Santa Barbara Channelkeeper has surveyed local beaches and partnered with the Commercial Fishermen of Santa Barbara to remove derelict traps from targeted shorelines.
The organization recently identified an onshore lobster trap debris hotspot between Goleta Beach and More Mesa. On Saturday, April 20th, from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm, the public is invited to help dig out buried lobster traps and place them at collection points along the beach where they will be loaded onto a commercial fishing vessel and transported to the Santa Barbara Harbor for reuse or proper disposal.
In addition to cluttering up our beaches, derelict lobster traps can entangle marine wildlife, release microplastics, and create safety hazards for vessels and beachgoers.
Volunteers will gather at Goleta Beach and will walk down the beach towards More Mesa to remove traps. Protective clothing and closed-toe shoes are required as traps can have sharp edges. Shovels, bolt cutters, and pry bars will be used to dig out buried traps, remove rocks and debris, and stage traps in piles for removal offshore to a commercial fishing boat.
Sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0944AEAB2F
On the same day, the City of Goleta is hosting a “Beautify Goleta” event and is also looking for volunteers. It all starts at 9:00 a.m. with a Community Cleanup at Bella Vista Park (intersection of Padova Drive and Placer Drive).
Volunteers will get a free cup of coffee from the Considered Coffee Bar and a limited edition Beautify Goleta Earth Day 2024 t-shirt while supplies last. The family friendly event will include a MarBorg Touch-A-Truck for the kids and food for purchase from Elubia’s Kitchen (please bring your own reusable utensils and coffee cup).
That’s not all, there are other Beautify Goleta Earth Day activities happening at the same time including a cleanup at Ellwood Beach and a Bulky item Drop off at Brandon School.
Here is what you need to know before you go.
Community Cleanup
The Cleanup is at Bella Vista Park from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Spotlight Captain Montessori Center School of Santa Barbara is leading the community cleanup. In addition to new Beautify Goleta shirts there will also be Waste Free Goleta & Go Green Goleta themed prize giveaways for event participants.
Bulky Item Drop Off
You can declutter your home, garage or yard and drop off large, unwanted items for FREE to Brandon School (195 Brandon Drive) from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Please note, the drop off will close early if capacity is reached before 1:00 p.m. Electronics, medicine and hazardous waste will not be accepted.
Beach Cleanup
New for Beautify Goleta Earth Day is the beach cleanup from 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Come volunteer to pick up litter and debris from Ellwood Beach with the City’s Parks and Open Space Manager, George Thomson. Please meet at the Ellwood Beach access trail, closest to the ocean off Santa Barbara Shores Drive.
Beautify Goleta is not possible without the help of volunteers and captains. Sign up to participate at www.CityofGoleta.org/BeautifyGoleta and learn more by watching this video. If you are interested in being a captain please email EnvironmentalServices@CityofGoleta.org.
Yo Edhat, that link to the lobster trap cleanup doesn’t work, but this one did:
https://www.sbck.org/brigade/watershed-brigade-event/
Thanks for the heads up, this has been corrected.
Hold industry responsible! Why pass the burden to volunteers? Some traps have ID tags, the owners can be identified and fined for littering the waterways and beaches. 10x the cost of a trap at least per trap. Every trap should be accounted for beginning and end of season. If you’re missing a trap at the end of the season, you got a pay up because that thing is sitting on the seafloor or on the beach.