Earth Day Celebration Santa Barbara Sunday, April 19, 2009

Santa Barbara's "Green" extends from its lush mountains to the beach where tourists sleep
 

Santa Barbara Earth Day is held annually, and grows in attendance each year so that it has become one of the best known such events in California. This well-attended event get to the heart of the green issue, educating youth who carry awareness of the environment into their adult lives.

Earth Day's conception is attributed to a Santa Barbara event. Senator Gaylord Nelson visited SB after a major oil spill off along the Santa Barbara County coast in 1969. Outraged by what he saw, he passed a bill designating April 22 as a national day to celebrate the earth. See Santa Barbara Earth Day site, SBEarthDay.org for annual day-long event in Santa Barbara. Community Environmental Council was also created out of this oil spill event, making Santa Barbara the birthplace of the environmental movement. The first Earth Day was celebrated in 1970. Since 1990 the Community Environmental Council has hosted the event, built a sponsor list, arranged exhibits and educational displays and promoted the opportunity to the public and media.

Santa Barbara has grown its green scene with original programs, companies and organizations. One of our favorites is an art gallery called Art from Scrap. Items that normally are considered trash have been turned into unique art pieces, and community classes are held regularly to teach youth and adults or allow them to explore ways turn recyclables into "gold."

New Location: Alameda Park, Santa Barbara, CA. Due to the huge attendance at this event, the 2009 celebration has relocated from the Courthouse lawns to the park, which can accommodate larger numbers of visitors and displays.

Resources: greensantabarbara.com