Students and community members gathered at Trigo-Pasado Park to share items and knowledge as part of the first-ever “Barter 4 Better” trading event on April 19. The event provided a space for bartering — the direct exchange of goods and services without using money.
“Barter 4 Better” aims to find new homes for otherwise discarded items and build community in I.V. Sherine John / Daily Nexus
About 40 people attended the event, trading a variety of objects and skillsets, including homemade baked goods, palm readings and bicycle repairs. The project was created by second-year feminist studies major Lula Rosenbach and second-year environmental studies and political science double major Juliette Allayaud through UC Santa Barbara’s year-long undergraduate Environmental Leadership Incubator (ELI) program, which focuses on creating positive environmental impacts on campus and in the Isla Vista community.
Barter 4 Better aims to find new homes for otherwise discarded items and build community in I.V. The project was developed with mentorship from Myah Mashhadialireza, the Isla Vista Community Services District (IVCSD) community programs and engagement director.
Rosenbach expressed disappointment over how residents leave personal belongings around the streets of I.V.
“We were noticing that people were throwing a lot of things away on the street in I.V., and that was upsetting,” Rosenbach said. “There’s just not a lot of awareness, for a school that supposedly is so environmental.”
Allayud recalled seeing people “dumping their entire houses” on the street. Incoming freshmen commonly purchase the exact items seniors dump, she added.
To reduce the amount of items that end up becoming waste, Rosenbach and Allayaud decided to focus on creating a circular economy, or a system that facilitates the recycling of items and materials to reduce waste, pollution and carbon emissions. Bartering is also an opportunity for students to get involved with a system where money is not exchanged for goods and services.
“We also wanted to encourage people to look at their own skills differently,” Allayaud said. “Our idea is that everyone has something to offer, whether it’s a skill or something physical.”
Although he was not seeking any specific items, first-year computer engineering major Finn Zeugswetter was interested in the social aspect of the event and decided to barter his electronic repair services.
“I do electronics repairs and work on computers and phones and things like that, [and] music-related electronics,” Zeugswetter said. “I heard about [the event] in the Arbor, and I just decided I’d come by and check it out, see what it’s like, meet some people.”
Similarly, first-year environmental studies and psychological & brain sciences double major Serena Faravardeh chose to offer attendees bass lessons in exchange for another form of lesson — preferably surfing lessons, she said.
“I think this is a pretty unique experience, because you usually don’t see a community this intertwined, such as a college campus,” Faravardeh said. “Might as well get some cool stuff out of it as well without having to pay.”
Sherine John / Daily Nexus
Longtime I.V. resident Henry Sarria, who previously provided bicycle repairs during Thriftopia and the Fix-It Fair, volunteered bicycle and skateboard repairs at the event. Although he wasn’t there to barter anything in exchange, he was happy to offer his expertise.
Simone Edwards, a second-year writing and literature major who was trading palm readings, shared her personal connection to bartering.
“My parents met at a barter party [in college], and when they had their 25th wedding anniversary, they went to a barter party reunion,” Edwards said. “My mom bartered with advice.”
Edwards’ previously piqued interest in barter events brought her to Barter 4 Better. She has been reading palms for a few years and was happy to share her skill.
For fourth-year film and media studies and comparative literature double major Arlo Piper, the event provided an opportunity to reduce their own waste and gain new items and experiences. As Piper prepares to move away from UCSB, they hoped that they could reduce the amount of clothes they own through bartering. Additionally, they were inspired by the event’s waste reduction potential.
“I feel like people have so much cool stuff here, and are always throwing stuff out just because the turnover here is so high,” Piper said. “This is just such a perfect opportunity to decrease waste, but also find some really awesome gems and stuff, because people have cool stuff and skills to trade.”
Similarly, third-year biopsychology major Kai Christensen came to the bartering event hoping to offload some underused belongings while socializing with his peers.
“I wanted to get out into the community and just meet people, and I also had some things that I wasn’t using that I thought I could trade,” Christensen said. “I traded a pair of cowboy boots and a leather jacket, and I got a pair of computer speakers and a piece of banana bread.”
Sherine John / Daily Nexus
Second-year environmental studies and economics double major Maaz Khan was drawn to the event by both the social aspect and its environmental benefits. Although he did not come to the event searching for any items in particular, he said he felt satisfied with the objects and experiences he was able to barter for.
“It’s been a lot of fun. I’m really passionate about the circular economy. I think it’s a really interesting dynamic, and it’s really important to take a look at our own consumption and make it more sustainable,” Khan said.
Ideas and perspectives like Khan’s are why Rosenbach and Allayaud decided to launch Barter 4 Better – to build a community centered around environmentally conscious consumption. The co-founders envision the event happening at least once a quarter.
“Part of the idea is that it’s this thing that’s fueling itself,” Allayaud said. “I want people to keep bartering and connecting beyond the event.”
A version of this article appeared on p. 5 of the April 30, 2026 print edition of the Daily Nexus.
