Join CEC, the Society of Fearless Grandmothers Santa Barbara, and the Santa Barbara Sierra Club on the first Friday of each month to gather with fellow climate activists, students, allies, community partners, and friends.

What would it take to build a future that prioritizes people and the planet over economic growth? Join the Community Environmental Council (CEC) and the North American Center for Post-Growth Research for an engaging community conversation exploring the connections between degrowth, post-growth, and climate justice. We'll examine how our current economic systems contribute to climate change and discuss alternative approaches that support ecological balance, community well-being, and a more equitable future. This interactive Q&A offers an opportunity to ask questions, share perspectives, and reflect on how we can move beyond an extractive, exploitative, and anthropocentric system.

Join us for an evening of music, connection, and expression at the Community Song Circle, part of the Embodied Arts Workshop Series. Co-hosted by CEC and guided by Santa Barbara-based community song leader Heather Stevenson, this workshop invites singers of all levels to come together, share their voices, and experience the power of music as a tool for connection and celebration. Heather has been leading Song Circles since 2019, cultivating inclusive spaces where participants can feel uplifted, inspired, and soothed through song. Guiding singers with skill and humor, she teaches short, impactful songs, weaving music and camaraderie into a memorable experience that reminds us of our shared humanity.

Visit CEC’s Environmental Hub for a free community training introducing Santa Barbara residents to home electrification through California’s CalNEXT pilot program. Eligible homeowners can receive energy-efficient upgrades, including room heat pumps, heat pump water heaters, and heat pump dryers, at no cost. Participants will learn how electrification can improve home comfort, reduce energy use, and support a cleaner energy future. Contractors and community members who are not homeowners are also invited to participate, gain hands-on experience, and help neighbors make the transition to clean energy. No prior experience is required.

Visit CEC’s Environmental Hub for a free community training introducing Santa Barbara residents to home electrification through California’s CalNEXT pilot program. Eligible homeowners can receive energy-efficient upgrades, including room heat pumps, heat pump water heaters, and heat pump dryers, at no cost. Participants will learn how electrification can improve home comfort, reduce energy use, and support a cleaner energy future. Contractors and community members who are not homeowners are also invited to participate, gain hands-on experience, and help neighbors make the transition to clean energy. No prior experience is required.

Join CreativeMornings Santa Barbara for a free breakfast lecture exploring July’s global theme: Competition. This month’s gathering features Santa Barbara Run Club leader Aly Davis and will include comedy from Bear Cave Comedy. Come enjoy breakfast, conversation, and an inspiring morning with Santa Barbara’s creative community.

Join us for Repair Cafe Santa Barbara, a completely free, community-powered event where volunteers help fix broken items instead of sending them to the landfill. Bring up to two items —such as clothing, electronics, bikes, furniture, toys, small appliances, or knives for sharpening —and work alongside skilled fixers to bring them back to life.

Join the Community Environmental Council (CEC) to explore how kelp and seaweed-based innovations are helping tackle some of our most pressing environmental challenges. We'll screen Seaweed Stories, a film narrated by Forest Whitaker that takes viewers around the world to meet innovators, scientists, and Indigenous leaders using seaweed as a solution—from replacing plastic packaging to strengthening climate resilience. Following the film screening, a panel moderated by Karla Mora, Alante Capital CEO, will feature Julia Marsh, Sway CEO, Adam Bent, Lonely Whale CEO, and Gracie White, Director of Global Ocean Investments at Conservational International Ventures LLC, who will discuss the growing role of seaweed in building a more sustainable future. Enjoy refreshments and conversations with fellow community members passionate about ocean and climate solutions and stay until the end for audience Q&A.

Join CEC, the Society of Fearless Grandmothers Santa Barbara, and the Santa Barbara Sierra Club on the first Friday of each month to gather with fellow climate activists, students, allies, community partners, and friends.

Join us for an intimate discussion with Dr. Brett Caraway, author of The Critical Introduction to the Economics of Sustainability. Drawing on insights from economics, environmental studies, and public policy, Dr. Caraway explores the complex relationship between economic systems and sustainability challenges in the 21st century. Attendees will have the opportunity to hear directly from Dr. Caraway, ask questions, and gain fresh perspectives on today's environmental issues.

Join us for an uplifting and beginner-friendly workshop exploring movement, creativity, reflection, and play as pathways to deeper connection with ourselves, each other, and the natural world. Through guided exercises, participants will have the opportunity to cultivate curiosity, imagination, and presence while reconnecting with the wisdom of the body and the rhythms of life around us.

Celebrate summer in plastic-frees style! The Community Environmental Council and Santa Barbara Channelkeeper’s 5th annual Plastic-Free Expo features over a dozen local organizations, businesses, and government agencies offering information and resources for reducing and eliminating plastic. Join us to learn about plastic-free initiatives in our community and how you can get involved. Enjoy family-friendly activities, chances to win eco-friendly prizes, and opportunities to network over light refreshments.

When seconds count, your blood donation can make a life-saving difference. Join the Community Environmental Council (CEC) and Vitalant for a community blood drive and help support patients in need during the busy summer season. Donors who give blood will receive a $15 Rewards gift card through Vitalant’s donor rewards program when using the code JUNEGIFT-2026-V while scheduling an appointment.

Join CEC, the Society of Fearless Grandmothers Santa Barbara, and the Santa Barbara Sierra Club on the first Friday of each month to gather with fellow climate activists, students, allies, community partners, and friends.

This TEDx Santa Barbara Salon invites the community to the Community Environmental Council's (CEC) Environmental Hub for an evening of honest conversation, grounded science, and active hope in the face of the climate crisis. Anchored in CEC’s A Year of Active Hope and titled Climate Action: Energized by Hope, the session will explore how truth, voice, vision, and sustained action can move us beyond despair and into meaningful impact. Co-curated by CEC's CEO Sigrid Wright and Author Victoria Riskin, in partnership with Bluedot, we'll screen powerful TED Talks from climate thought leaders Dr. Katharine Hayhoe, Dr. Hannah Ritchie, and Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, paired with live discussion and audience reflection. Come discuss what it means to practice hope and commit to showing up for the future we want to build.

Join global facilitator and founder of the Integrative Psychology Institute, Mollie Mendoza, for an evening of embodied reflection, creativity, and connection. This restorative workshop begins with a gentle somatic practice accessible to all bodies before moving into prompted and free-form creative writing exercises designed to support self-expression, intuition, and inner clarity.

Participants are invited to explore writing as a daily ritual of self-care and a way to create coherence between inner experience and outer expression. Sharing and open dialogue will be optional, with space to move at your own pace. Please bring a journal, writing utensil, and a yoga mat or something comfortable to sit on. Extra blankets, paper, and pens will be available for those who need them.

Join the Community Environmental Council (CEC), the UC Santa Barbara Environmental Studies Program, and the Environmental Defense Center (EDC) for a discussion around the risks of oil extraction and the ongoing work to protect our region’s vital resources. This annual Memorial Lecture honors the legacy of Darcy Aston, a 1981 UCSB Environmental Studies alum and beloved member of the Santa Barbara community, and brings us together to explore solutions for water quality, watershed protection, and environmental stewardship. This year’s program will feature a moderated panel discussion led by Linda Krop, Chief Counsel at the Environmental Defense Center, featuring Assemblymembers Steve Bennett and Gregg Hart. They will reflect on the legacy of environmental action since the 1969 oil spill and examine the impacts of oil extraction and transport on water quality, the role of policy and advocacy in driving change, and the challenges and opportunities ahead. A reception with light refreshments will follow the discussion.

Join us to celebrate a key milestone for the State Street Master Plan, a visionary effort shaping the future of downtown Santa Barbara for the next 20–30 years. This community-driven process is reimagining State Street as a vibrant, safe, and sustainable destination that reflects the values of those who live, work, and gather here. Come learn about the progress of the plan, connect with community members and project partners, and be part of the conversation as we continue revitalizing the heart of downtown.

Join us for Repair Cafe Santa Barbara, a completely free, community-powered event where volunteers help fix broken items instead of sending them to the landfill. Bring up to two items —such as clothing, electronics, bikes, furniture, toys, small appliances, or knives for sharpening —and work alongside skilled fixers to bring them back to life.

Looking to make more informed decisions at the ballot box?

Join the Sierra Club Santa Barbara - Ventura Chapter for an opportunity to connect directly with candidates running in the 2026 local elections. This casual meet-and-greet will feature candidates endorsed by the Sierra Club Political Committee, offering you a chance to learn where they stand on key environmental and community issues.

Drop in, ask questions, and engage in meaningful conversations about the future of our region. Whether you’re a longtime voter or newly engaged, this is a great way to better understand the people seeking to represent you.

Join the Community Environmental Council (CEC) and the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden for an evening celebrating native plants and local biodiversity. Enjoy a short film, a panel discussion, and guided tours of the new State Street planters, along with light refreshments. As the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden marks its 100th anniversary — celebrating a century as the first U.S. botanic garden dedicated exclusively to native plants — this event will highlight the importance of native plant stewardship and share opportunities to get involved. Come learn, connect with your community, and discover how you can help grow a more resilient, climate-ready California.

Join us for a compelling conversation between the Community Environmental Council's (CEC) Director of Outreach and Education Kathi King and Pulitzer Prize–winning author Ed Humes, centered around his book “Total Garbage: How We Can Fix Our Waste and Heal Our World.” We'll explore the hidden systems behind what we throw away and the environmental, economic, and ethical consequences of our waste. Ed will also examine the role of journalism in discovering environmental truths and inspiring meaningful climate action. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from one of the country's foremost environmental storytellers.

This event is part of the inaugural Santa Barbara Literary Festival, with events taking place throughout downtown Santa Barbara on Saturday, May 2 and Sunday, May 3. The festival brings together leading voices in journalism, politics, and environmental writing for a weekend of thought-provoking conversations and community engagement. Learn more and register.

Join CEC, the Society of Fearless Grandmothers Santa Barbara, and the Santa Barbara Sierra Club on the first Friday of each month to gather with fellow climate activists, students, allies, community partners, and friends.

Join the Community Environmental Council and Santa Barbara City College Projects in Sustainability Club for a discussion around conversation and eco-action, featuring Alelia Parenteau, Director of the City of Santa Barbara’s Sustainability and Resilience Department. The event will include a panel discussion, resource tables, and opportunities to learn how local organizations and leaders are advancing sustainability in our community, with additional special guests to be announced. Come get inspired, get informed, and explore meaningful ways to take action locally.

Join us for a restorative evening of mindfulness, music, and reflection led by cellist and meditation instructor Ilan MacAdam-Somer. This 90-minute introductory workshop offers a practical, evidence-based approach to supporting mental and physical well-being through mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), a program developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn. Join the Community Environmental Council for a 45-minute guided meditation accompanied by a live cello sound bath, creating an immersive and calming experience.

Join the Santa Barbara News-Press for an evening with author and journalist Susan Page, featuring her latest book “The Queen and Her Presidents.” Page explores Queen Elizabeth II’s relationships with 13 U.S. presidents, drawing on her career as USA Today’s Washington Bureau Chief. This special event brings the community together for an exploration of current events, political insight, and the craft of reporting from one of the nation’s most respected voices in journalism. The evening will begin with a cocktail hour from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. with the author and News-Press team. A moderated Q&A and book signing will follow, led by Newsmakers' Jerry Roberts.

Women In the Water and the Sea League are presenting a film screening of Women & the Wind. This independent documentary follows three women on a 50-year-old wooden catamaran as they sail across the North Atlantic, documenting ocean plastic pollution while highlighting the raw connection between humanity and nature. This is a fundraiser event to raise money for the Sea League's "Big Blue Bridge" program which provides scholarships for kids to learn how to swim.

The Santa Barbara Sierra Club Group is part of the Santa Barbara-Ventura Chapter, covering Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties. For 75 years the Santa Barbara Group has been working to protect wildlife and wildlands, clean air and water, public health, a sustainable future and a healthy environment across the Santa Barbara region.

Join CEC and the Center for Restorative Environmental Work (CREW) Lab of CLAIR for an eye-opening lecture with author and environmental historian Christopher F. Jones. In his latest book, The Invention of Infinite Growth, he explores how the relentless drive for economic growth is pushing ecological limits. Drawing on decades of research and compelling storytelling, Chris will share insights on the balance between human ambition and the health of our planet through a hopeful lens. We invite readers, environmental enthusiasts, and all curious minds to come and engage with key questions about sustainability, Earth’s future, and how the choices we make as a society affect our world.

Join CEC, the Society of Fearless Grandmothers Santa Barbara, and the Santa Barbara Sierra Club to learn about efforts to form a new Marine Protected Area (MPA) in Santa Barbara County. Azsha Hudson, the Environmental Defense Center's Marine Conservation Analyst and Program Manager, Bella Sullivan, The Natural Resources Defense Council’s (NRDC) Next Wave Ocean Fellow, and Lennon Thomas, a UC Santa Barbara Project Researcher will highlight the critical role MPAs play in sustaining our ocean, assess the performance of California’s MPA network, and discuss how we can expand it. Come learn, connect with your community, and discover ways to take action for the future of our ocean!