Edible Campus Program: Composting, Bird Watching, and more!

[Elizabeth Lane]

Dear Edible Campus Community, 

Happy week 5 of winter quarter! We hope you are having a nice start to your week. Here at ECP, we've got a lot of fun things coming up soon! Read below to find out more. 

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1) Building Garden Beds @ Friendship Manor (Special Volunteer Opportunity!)

Friendship Manor is a senior community here in Isla Vista! Many of the seniors love gardening, but this hobby is difficult for many of the residents because of limited mobility. Difficulty bending down is one of the many barriers to gardening at Friendship Manor. However, we are going to fix that by building elevated garden beds and preparing them with soil! Come volunteer with the AS Community Affairs Board and the Edible Campus Program to do a nice thing for the senior community! No gardening experience needed.

Where: Friendship Manor, 6647 El Colegio Rd

When: Saturday, February 21st, 2-4pm

Sign up here.

2) Upcoming Workshops

We host a variety of different workshops every week. Some are "garden education," where we teach you the basics of growing your own food at home or in a garden. Others are "nature wellbeing," which are more focused on mindfulness and getting you outside in nature! All are welcome to attend any of our workshops. Please sign up for one below:

 

2/3 - The Battle For Communication

Love competition and striving to be the best? Join us for a fun game of nature minefield where you will learn to find the best ways to communicate with your team and lead them to success!

📅 Date: Friday, 2/3/2026 1pm-2pm
📍 Location:  St. Michael's Community Garden (Google Maps Link)

2/6 - Composting 101

Ever wondered how compost turns your food scraps into rich, healthy soil? Want to use our microscope to see the invisible world of microbes that make it all happen? Join us for Composting 101 -- an interactive, hands-on workshop where you’ll dive into the fascinating science of composting and learn how to apply it.
📅Date: Friday, Feb. 6th @ 1 PM - 2 PM
📍Location: St. Michael's Community Garden (6586 Picasso Rd)

2/7 - Chirps & Chill: Bird Watching

Need a break? How about a bird break? UCSB Audobon and Edible Campus Program are collaborating in a bird watching event! No binoculars or bird knowledge required, just be ready for a good time with the beautiful avians of Santa Barbara.

📅 Date: Saturday, 2/7/2026, 8:00-9:00am
📍 Location:  Storke Family Student Housing ( Meet At The Garden )

2/10 - Sips of Calm: Writing Through Climate Anxiety 

Are you experiencing climate anxiety? If so, this workshop is perfect for you! This is a chance to talk about and express these difficult emotions. Through guided discussion, reflective journaling, and mindful moments shared over warm tea, students will learn to process these difficult emotions and find grounding in a community of students who feel the same way. This is a partnership with the Mental Health Peers.

📅 Date: Tuesday, 2/10/2026, 5:00-6:00pm
📍 Location:  Methodist Community Garden, 892 Camino Del Sur, Goleta, CA 93117 (Corner of Sueno and Camino Del Sur) 

2/12 - The World Still Turns: Releasing Daily Worries 

Are stressful thoughts stuck in your head? Join us through a scenic walk as we explore expansive natural landscapes, reminding us of how much big the Universe and our ecosytem are.  Through this activity you will learn about the resilience of nature and reconnect with your own internal resilience.  

📅 Date: Thursday, Feb. 12 @ 3:30PM - 4:30PM
📍 Location: Meet at Sierra Madre Villages Center (we will explore North Campus Open Space together from there!)

2/17 - Anxiety & Art: Hands-On Healing

Take a deep breath, get cozy, and let your hands lead the way to calm.
This workshop is all about easing anxiety through gentle, hands-on creativity like cross-stitching, and hands on crafting. When your hands are busy, your mind has space to settle, and this session is designed to help you experience that soothing shift.
You’ll learn simple, beginner-friendly stitching techniques while exploring how tactile activities can ground you, reduce stress, and create moments of stillness. No experience is needed, just a willingness to slow down and try something new.

📅 Date: Tuesday, 2/17/2026, 11:15 - 1:30pm
📍 Location:  Sea Lookout Park

3) Isla Vista Garden Clubs 

We host weekly garden club meetings at St. Michael's Community Garden & Methodist Community Garden. This is a great space to make new friends and become a leader in our community by helping decide what we plant. No sign up is necessary, just bring yourself! 

• St. Mike's Garden Club meets from 4-5pm on Wednesdays. 
  
• Methodist Garden Club meets from 2:30-3:30 on Fridays. 

4) Upcoming SMLs and Garden Volunteer Days

Please click on the links below to sign up!

2/7 - Storke Family Housing Garden

2/14 - Storke Family Housing Garden 

2/21 - 3 Sisters 4 Directions Garden

2/22 - Greenhouse & Garden Project

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That's all for this week's newsletter. Thank you for supporting our program. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or concerns!

Best, 

Elizabeth Lane