Nestled in the picturesque landscape of Santa Barbara, Â鶹avÓ³»´«Ã½ is a place where a passion for environmental stewardship meets a foundation of Christian faith and values.
Launched with a commitment to nurturing our campus, community, and planet, Sustainable Â鶹avÓ³»´«Ã½ integrates efforts in biodiversity conservation, sustainable food practices, and waste management that reflects a theology of care for the Environment.
Through a combination of campus wide initiatives and educational outreach, Â鶹avÓ³»´«Ã½ embraces a campus culture that honors both our world and faith, creating a sustainable future rooted in community and responsibility. Join us!
What We’re Doing
Move Out Mindfully
Moving out? Don’t toss it—donate it! As part of Â鶹avÓ³»´«Ã½â€™s sustainability efforts, our Move Out Mindfully program makes it easy to give your gently used items a second life. In partnership with Alpha Thrift, donation stations pop up in every residence hall during move-out season. From clothes and books to mini-fridges and mugs, your reusable items stay out of the Tajiguas Landfill and go on to support our local community. Clean out, give back, and leave your dorm a little greener!
Â鶹avÓ³»´«Ã½ Garden Farm Stand
The Â鶹avÓ³»´«Ã½ Garden Farmstand brings Â鶹avÓ³»´«Ã½ Garden's fresh, organically grown produce to the campus community once a month. Each farmstand features a rotating selection of seasonal fruits, vegetables, and herbs harvested right from the garden using sustainable, chemical-free practices. The farmstand is free for Â鶹avÓ³»´«Ã½ students, faculty, and staff. Check your Â鶹avÓ³»´«Ã½ email each month for the date and location of the next farmstand, and enjoy fresh, hyper-local food while supporting the college's commitment to sustainability, community, and ecological stewardship.
Oak Woodland Restoration
Our coast live oaks are making a comeback! Â鶹avÓ³»´«Ã½ is teaming up with UCSB, Montecito Fire, RWMP, Kitson, and the SB County Conservation Blueprint to restore a native oak woodland on campus. After removing invasive eucalyptus between the baseball field and Las Barrancas, we’re replanting the live oak forest that once thrived there. With a 94% survival rate and major growth already, our student-led monitoring is showing great success—and the area may soon serve as a site for ecological research! Come get your hands dirty and help grow a forest for the future!
Living Prayer Labyrinth
Set beside the Â鶹avÓ³»´«Ã½ Garden, the Prayer Labyrinth invites students into a quiet space to pray, reflect, and meditate on God’s Word. Surrounded by native plants that support our campus ecosystem, the labyrinth is both a spiritual and ecological sanctuary. Rooted in Christian tradition, this path helps guide hearts toward God. As Psalm 16:11 reminds us, “You show me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy.†Walk with intention. Rest in His presence. Find joy in the journey.
OUR INITIATIVES
Campus Compost
We're composting food waste from the Dining Commons and Global Leadership Dorm Kitchens in our own garden! The fresh soil is added to our rows to grow veggies for the campus community.
To get involved, join the Garden Club, apply for an internship in the garden, or take the PEA class Active Gardening for credit!
OUR INITIATIVES
Supporting Student Projects
Students provide a wealth of ideas and enthusiasm for sustainability at Â鶹avÓ³»´«Ã½! Recent projects include adding a , launching a free little (mug!) library near Ritchie’s, and increasing our recycling efforts for hard-to-recycle items.
If you’re a Â鶹avÓ³»´«Ã½ student with a campus sustainability idea, reach out to Prof. Seibert!
OUR INITIATIVES
Careers in ENV Studies lecture series
To support students interested in sustainability across all majors, we host a lecture series highlighting various career paths available. So far, we’ve hosted Uber’s Head of Electrification, a UCSB researcher working on environmental toxin exposure, and a community organizer.
We hope you join us at the next lecture!
Garden Intern
Young Evangelicals for Climate Action Fellow
