Edible Campus Program: IV Block Party, Volunteer Opportunities, and more!

[Elizabeth Lane]

Dear Edible Campus Community, 

Happy week 4 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. 

1) We Are Isla Vista: Community Care Project (Volunteering + BLOCK PARTY!) 

This week, we have multiple different volunteer events that are part of our Community Care Project with IVCSD & IVRPD. Click on the links below to sign up for one: 

January 29th - Composting Day

January 30th - Garden Makeover Day at Storke FSH 

January 31st - Garden Volunteering at West Campus FSH (this is our Saturday Morning Live for the week!)

Also, we're hosting a block party and open mic this Sunday, February 1st to celebrate our volunteers. There will be free lunch, music from IV bands, community organizations tabling, and an opportunity to share your talent in the open mic. All are welcome! Sign up below: 

February 1st - Community Block Party

2) Building Garden Beds @ Friendship Manor (Volunteering 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.

3) 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:

1/28 Mindfulness for Political Anxiety 

Step away from the news cycle and into a peaceful outdoor reset. Join us for a gentle, grounding workshop where we’ll share what’s been stressing us out, learn mindfulness tools for navigating political overwhelm, and reconnect with nature. 

📅 Date: Wednesday, Jan. 28 @ 4:00 - 5:00PM
📍 Location: St. Michael's Community Garden (6586 Picasso Rd)

1/29 - Gardening 101

Join us while we create miniature homes at the Methodist Community Garden for our neighborhood fairies, gnomes, and other small magical creatures.  This is an event for folks of all ages.

📅 Date: Sunday, 1/29/2026, 3-4pm

📍 Location: Storke Family Student Housing Garden (Google Maps Link)

1/31 - Seed Starting @ GHGP 

Looking to start a new garden? Come over with us to GHGP to start on your seed starting journey. At this workshop we will provide hands on experience on how to grow your own plants and take care of your new seedling!

📅 Date: Saturday, 1/31/2026, 2-3pm

📍 Location:  Greenhouse & Garden Project

1/31 - Chirps and Chill: Bird Watching

Need a break? How about a bird break? UCSB Bird Club and Edible Campus Program are collaborating in a bird watching event! No binoculars required, no bird knowledge required, just be ready for a good time!

📅Date: Monday,  1/31/2026, 8-9am
📍Location: South West Corner of West Campus Family Housing by 730 Sierra Madre Ct.  Entrance way into the North Campus Open Space.

 

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)

4) 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. 
  

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