Recent cuts to social services at the county and to our public school systems have had a sorry impact on important programs and many nonprofits in our area. Among the programs affected by reduced resources are Santa Barbara schools, and, by extension, Explore Ecology, the nonprofit home of the well-known Art from Scrap Creative Reuse Store and the School Gardens and Garden Explorers Programs.
Explore Ecology has provided upkeep and management of precious garden spaces on campuses for years. Science and other subjects come alive in school gardens where children learn organic gardening, composting, and seed saving. Reduced funding lessens the opportunities students have to learn important nutrition, botany, biology, and ecology lessons outside. It also eliminates jobs for garden educators who guide nature exploration and inspire care for the earth and living things. These specialized educators are knowledgeable about concepts like decomposition, pollination, soil erosion, and seasonal planting. Another important aspect of learning outdoors is experiencing the inter-connectedness of nature and human lives. These concepts are part of the required science curriculum.
How better to teach them than in an actual garden? How better to secure the health and welfare of our students than to spend time outdoors in a structured environment built for student access and engagement?
Here’s the good news! AB 2158, The Outdoor Learning and Environmental Literacy Act of 2026, passed the California Assembly Floor on May 27, 2026, on a vote of 61–0. California and especially Santa Barbara care about outdoor learning and environmental literacy. We need this bill to pass the State Senate with equal bipartisan enthusiasm! It’s time to let our representatives know what we want for our schools and children: Keep the funding for Outdoor Learning and Environmental Literacy!
