News & Events

ELI in the News: Environmental Leadership Incubator Project Launches Campus Shoe Drive

A first-of-its-kind recycling program at UC Santa Barbara has a plan for your old shoes — instead of throwing them out, give them new life.  Spearheaded by second-year environmental sciences major Matthew Schoen for his project in the Environmental Leadership Incubator (ELI), a large-scale shoe drive on campus runs April 1–12, with drop-off bins located at the Recreation Center (Rec Cen), Intercollegiate Athletics Gym (ICA) and the San Miguel, San Nicolas and San Rafael residence halls.

ELI in the News: Edible Insect Art Show Displays Culinary Diversity & Sustainability

Did you know there are over 2,000 different types of edible insects, and each one has a different flavor profile? There can be subtleties too, such as, if you feed them mint, they’ll take on a minty flavor, or some just taste more meaty and fatty like bacon, while others hit a bit lighter, in a way comparable to shellfish. 

Upcoming Event: Edible Insect Initiative Art Exhibition

Join us for this year's Edible Insect Initiative Art Exhibition. Through the creative efforts of ELI student Alex Carlin and Anthropology PhD candidate MacKenzie Wade, the exhibit will be up in the UCSB GlassBox Gallery during the week of April 1st to April 5th, with a reception event taking place on April 4th from 5:00PM to 7:30PM. 

Second Fix-It Fair Comes to Isla Vista

ELI students, Eva Mills and Molly McGee, are hosting the winter quarter Fix-It Fair on Sunday February 25th from 1-4 pm at the Isla Vista Community Center.

Repair Fairs Welcomed in Isla Vista

Fix-it Fairs in Isla Vista give students and community members an opportunity to rethink and repair broken items.  

Polar Plunge wraps up the 2023 fall quarter

The first of many polar plunges occurred this past weekend as part of an ELI project, led by ELI student, Lior Kishinevsky, to raise awareness and hope for the planet. Stay tuned for the next one to welcome 2024 and learn how you can get involved.

Litter Free IV: ELI Students for a Cleaner Community

This raccoon graphic will soon welcome visitors to Devereux Beach and remind them to pack in or pack out, or at least use provided trash receptacle, thanks to ELI students, Sophia Glover and Dani Bier (ELI Class of 2023), who tackled the IV pollution problem with a new trash can near the entrance to Devereux Beach.

UC More Bats: ELI Students Bring Bats to Campus

ELI students, Shannon Carew and Fiona Jeweler, get their hands dirty, bringing native plants to the North Campus Open Space to restore the site to help declining bat populations.

Low and Slow: Fashion the Sustainable Way

ELI students, Ellah Foster and Vincent Cuenco (2022-2023), created digital magazine—Low and Slow—focused on the Isla Vista’ slow fashion scene, clothing sustainability, style, and everything in between.

The Great Outdoors: ELI Students Develop Green Study Space

Finding a decent spot in the library is a struggle known to all Gauchos. Any lack of seating in Davidson is only part of the issue, though–why isn’t there adequate seating outside? ELI students Isabella Puchkova (Environmental Studies BS, ‘24) and Erica Kinsel (Environmental Studies BA, ‘25) sought to remedy the lack of outdoor study spaces on campus by installing a green study space for all UCSB students to enjoy. 

Climate Convos: Addressing Eco-Anxiety and Climate Grief

ELI student (2022-2023), Danica Kern, brings Climate Convos, a student club where members can discuss emotions associated with caring deeply for the planet, to the UCSB campus.

ELI Student Brings Sustainable Reading to Campus

Communications major, Shoshana Medved, brings little free libraries to the UCSB residence halls to promote book sharing and sustainability.

“Free little libraries”--small boxes filled with donated books from neighborhood residents–are often an iconic and quaint facet of any neighborhood, including our very own Isla Vista. However, there were no free little libraries on the UCSB Campus, a significant lapse considering a large portion of students opt to live in residence halls rather than in Isla Vista.