Where to do a Beach Cleanup in Santa Barbara in 2025

Paddling out to the lineup and seeing pieces of trash amongst the kelp, always puts a damper on the surf day.

It’s a bummer to see people's careless actions negatively affecting the ocean, a place so sacred to surfers. 

Luckily, there is a lot of action the surf community can take to make a difference in the health of our oceans, and the community of Santa Barbara is certainly doing its part. 

Beach cleanups in Santa Barbara 

There is no shortage of beach cleanups to attend in Santa Barbara, put on by the plethora of local Non-Profits and Ocean Conversation Organizations committed to keeping our coastline clean and healthy. 

Explore Ecology 

The second Sunday of every month from 10am to noon, you’ll find community members picking up trash from the shores of the beautiful Arroyo Burro Beach. 

Explore Ecology, a local environmental education nonprofit, holds this once a month event. When you arrive, sign in at the Watershed Resource Center and head down to the beach with the rest of the volunteers from there. 

And if the satisfaction of cleaning up the beaches isn’t enough to convince you, every participant also receives a coupon for a free cup of chowder from Santa Barbara Shellfish Co!

Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History

At East Beach on the third Sunday of every month, the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History’s Sea Center hosts a beach clean up from 10am to noon. 

In order to attend, arrive at East Beach and meet up with the organizers behind Skater's Point Skate Park. Bring your own bags and gloves if you have them, but if you don’t– they’ve got you covered. 

For updates, times, and to RSVP visit their website!

Channel Keeper

Twice a year, passionate volunteers set out from Ventura Harbor to the Channel Islands with one goal in mind: collecting as much trash as possible. Thanks to Santa Barbara Channel Keeper, a local non-profit committed to ocean conservation, this trip is completely free for volunteers!

During a full day out on the Islands, attendees experience the beauty of California’s least visited National Park, and have the chance to kayak to remote areas in pursuit of litter. 

In addition to this trash cleaning expedition, Channel Kepper hosts many weekend cleanups around Santa Barbara, including lobster trap cleanups, neighborhood and beach cleanups, as well as collaborations with companies, school groups, and other non-profits. 

Santa Barbara County Coastal Cleanup Day

Annually, Santa Barbara County participates in Coastal Cleanup Day, a statewide beach cleanup event.

Across the state, California Residents pick up nearly a million pounds of trash from beaches and waterways every year. Last year, this event brought together over 1000 volunteers who worked together to remove over 5000 pounds of litter from Santa Barbara County. 

This year Coastal Cleanup Day will take place on Sep 20, keep an eye out for the location and time!  

Tidy Seas 

Volunteers in red white and blue sweep the beaches for holiday trash a few days after the fourth of July, and many of the same volunteers get into costume for a "trick or trash” cleanup in October. 

These themed clean ups, which are the perfect mixture of fun and stewardship, are put on by  Tidy Seas, a Santa Barbara Founded non-profit whose goal is to keep trash out of the ocean.  

View their schedule of upcoming festive beach cleanups and other events here!

Surfrider

If you’re an avid surfer, chances are you’ve heard of Surfrider. As a worldwide organization focused on ocean conservation and protection, they regularly host beach cleanup events. 

There is a chapter in Santa Barbara as well as a smaller chapter run though UCSB in Isla vista, both of which regularly host beach cleanup events. 

While there is no set schedule for these cleanups, check their instagrams or websites to view up to date information on their upcoming events!

The Bottom Line: Beach Cleanups in Santa Barbara

From a free trip to Channel Islands National Park, to a free cup of Santa Barbara’s finest clam chowder, there is no lack of incentive to get involved in beach clean ups in Santa Barbara! 

Join your community in protecting Santa Barbara’s beloved coastline at one (or several) of the many beach cleanups in the area!