UCSB organizations celebrate first UCSB Earth Month

April 30, 2026 at 1:00 pm by Lola Hadley and Gabriel Welch

On Jan. 28, 1969, an offshore drilling rig operated by Union Oil burst due to extreme pressure underwater off the Santa Barbara coast. The subsequent impact on the coastal environment caused UC Santa Barbara students, faculty and environmental activists to help clean up the tarred beaches and injured animals and inspired an environmentalist movement across the United States.

A.S. Sustainability hosted its kickoff event, the Zero Waste Festival, on April 11 at Little Acorn Park. Shengyu Zhang / Daily Nexus

According to the Daily Nexus archives from 1969, about 20,000 gallons of oil were “spewing out of the platform” and moved both inland and south toward Santa Cruz Island.

Earth Day has been celebrated at UCSB for over 50 years, and students at UCSB are known to be particularly environmentally minded. However, this year’s initiative is the first time UCSB has hosted a larger-scale Earth Month initiative, shedding light on sustainability and environmental action over a longer period throughout April. Realizing the value in having an extended initiative about these issues across 35 events featuring 27 different local organizations, members within the Associated Students Office of the President organized Earth Month.

The first Earth Day was celebrated on April 22, 1970, after U.S. Senator from Wisconsin Gaylord Nelson visited the spill site off the Santa Barbara coast and was inspired to protect the environment. The day consisted of groups across the nation, including the Community Environmental Council (CEC), participating in events, rallies and teach-ins that helped lead to national legislation changes.

Throughout April, UCSB Sustainability has hosted a variety of events as part of their Earth Month campaign leading up to Earth Day. Organized through the Associated Students (A.S.) Office of the President’s sustainability team, these events featured various on-campus and local environmental organizations including the Zero Waste Committee, Isla Vista Surfrider, UCSB Excursion Club and A.S. Recycling, among others.

EAB members promote a plastic reduction Plastics Free Fair on April 9. Sherine John / Daily Nexus

Matthew Schoen, fourth-year environmental studies major and commissioner of environmental sustainability within the Office of the President, helped establish Earth Month at UCSB this year in conjunction with two other UCSB Sustainability members.

UCSB Sustainability hosted its kickoff event, the Zero Waste Festival, on April 11 at Little Acorn Park. Along with stands from over 10 different organizations, there was also live music and a bouncy house obstacle course. Organizers of the event distributed free burritos and Red Bulls to attendees throughout the day. Schoen explained that this event was important in kick-starting the message they were trying to convey this Earth Month.

“I think this festival just definitely embodies what we’re trying to do with Earth Month, which is just get everyone across different majors on campus and in Isla Vista involved in learning about the environment [and] getting involved with sustainability,” Schoen said.

Third-year environmental studies and geography double major Livia Cherry and fourth-year environmental studies and political science double major Lilly Walsh helped plan and coordinate the events.

Make your own cardboard bouquets event with CUFA and Arts and Crafts Club at UCSB. Bryce Hutchins / Daily Nexus

“A lot of the reason why we started Earth Month … was to get a wide range of UCSB students involved in what it means to be an environmentalist,” Cherry said. “It doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be an environmental studies major to care about the planet.”

UCSB Sustainability rounded off its celebrations at the 56th annual Santa Barbara Earth Day festival on April 25 and 26, at Alameda Park in downtown Santa Barbara. Schoen emphasized the importance of environmental activism and taking care of the planet every day.

“I think this is hopefully just the start or catalyst for someone wanting to implement more sustainable practices in their life, because it’s practice. It’s behavior change,” Schoen said.

According to Schoen, as the event wrapped up on April 26, over 1000 students engaged across the 37 events.