On Friday, June 28, a group of junior high and high school students from the Boys and Girls Club of Santa Barbara took a long and windy van ride up the mountain to help clean up trash around La Cumbre Peak. For many, it was the first time they had been able to visit the peak overlooking Santa Barbara.
The students—who are currently enjoying summer break—signed up to help clean up trash in the mountains in lieu of spending a day at the pool.
Upon arriving at the peak, the group geared up and received a safety talk about rattlesnakes, heat, other hazards. In no time, they were racing off into the chaparral and Coulter pines around the area, picking up cans, bottles, and pieces of broken glass. By the end of the cleanup, they had collected more than 30 pounds of microtrash scattered around the peak.
Afterward, the group got to relax and enjoy the views of Santa Barbara, the Pacific Ocean, and the Channel Islands. They also learned about some of the special plants growing at the top of the mountain.
Thank you to these amazing students who opted into cleaning up their local national forest. We’re so lucky to get to work with them and the wonderful staff at the Boys and Girls Club of Santa Barbara!
See below for more photos from the cleanup:
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