City of Santa Barbara Invites You to ‘Own Your Impact’

Environmental issues can feel big and overwhelming — like the world is on fire and we’re powerless to stop it from burning. 

But even small actions can help fight the flames. 

Imagine a “choose your own adventure” book focused on these simple acts for Santa Barbara residents. That’s the city’s new “Own Your Impact” campaign. 

It’s designed to help residents build green habits. Sign up online, and the city will send you a newsletter with that month’s theme — like waste reduction or energy use. You can then commit to “pacts,” or simple ways to help the community and environment. 

Jennifer Hollywood, outreach coordinator for the city’s Sustainability & Resilience Department, said they were inspired by a similar campaign in Denver, Colorado. They took the idea, scaled it down, and designed it to fit Santa Barbara. 

“We really want to focus on: ‘What can one person do?’” Hollywood said. “If everyone does simple little things, then it all adds up and makes a bigger impact.” 

March’s theme, for the first month of the campaign, is “Protect What You Love.” Participants are encouraged to reconnect with nature and reflect on what makes Santa Barbara special. This month’s theme is meant to ease people into the program, Hollywood said.

She hopes people will take note of what they love about Santa Barbara — the ocean, local parks, community gardens — so they’ll feel more motivated to protect it. 

April will be all about waste reduction, or “Waste Less, Live More.” May’s theme will be “Grow Where You Live,” and will include actions like visiting the farmers’ market, planting native plants, or enjoying a meatless meal. 

“Even just making a simple reduction can be helpful,” Hollywood said.

As part of the campaign, the department is hoping to partner with local businesses and plan community events that align with the themes, she explained.

June’s theme, for example, will be “Rethink What You Wear.” Hollywood wants to host mending workshops and a community clothing swap to get residents excited about cutting their textile waste.

About 150 people have signed up so far. The city is not expecting perfection — just accountability. But it’s designed to be flexible, practical, and judgment-free. “We’re all about positive reinforcement,” Hollywood added. 

Participants can earn digital badges each month, with opportunities to win fun prizes throughout the year. Prizes will include plants and other theme-specific rewards, with some potentially big prizes down the road. This month, participants will be entered into a raffle for a gift certificate to one of the city’s certified “Clean Creek” businesses. 

It will continue through December, capping off the year by reflecting on a year of impact and how to “Carry It Forward.”

“We work for Santa Barbara, and we want to work together with Santa Barbara,” Hollywood said, adding that they plan to highlight the programs and events already taking place in the city, such as their monthly neighborhood cleanups.

The goals of the program — reducing local greenhouse-gas emissions, supporting cleaner air and water, lowering energy use, and strengthening community-led climate solutions — overlaps with the city’s Climate Action Plan, a roadmap to reduce local emissions and achieve carbon neutrality by 2045. 

All community members are invited to participate, whether renters or homeowners, longtime locals or newcomers, and whether they choose one action or many, Hollywood said. Community organizations, businesses, schools, and neighborhood groups are also encouraged to sign up to participate as collectives or help promote the campaign.

To participate, community members can sign up any time at Own Your Impact.