Main Content
Education
Building environmental awareness and stewardship, changing attitudes and influencing the decisions of tomorrow by educating policy makers, students and the wider community about the biggest threats to the Santa Barbara Channel and its watersheds and solutions to address those threats.
Field Work
Patrolling the Santa Barbara Channel and its tributaries to identify and deter pollution and respond to citizen reports of pollution. We conduct scientific research to investigate critical threats facing our waters, and collect and disseminate scientifically sound water quality data.
Advocacy
Representing our community’s interest in clean water by providing expert, science-based stakeholder advocacy and testifying before government officials to influence policies to better protect our waters and habitats.
Enforcement
Ensuring that entities, both public and private, comply with environmental laws, and that government agencies enforce those laws. Channelkeeper occasionally uses citizen lawsuits to protect the public interest in clean water and healthy aquatic habitats.
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VOLUNTEERS ENGAGED
36k
KIDS EDUCATED
10k
LBS OF TRASH CLEARED
Our Blog
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June 15, 2020Plastic in the Time of Pandemic
It’s ubiquitous—found in the deepest recesses of the Mariana Trench, the bellies of fish, the air we breathe, and our blood. Plastic pollution in all its forms is a mounting global concern, but it appears to have taken a backseat during the COVID-19 pandemic. Plastic production worldwide has quadrupled in the past four decades, according to […]
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June 4, 2020Backroom Deal Could Saddle Santa Barbara with Dirty Desal for 40 Years
Last week Channelkeeper noticed an item on the consent agenda for the Santa Barbara City Council’s June 2, 2020 meeting which would have serious implications for the future of our city and its long-term impact on the environment. The City was preparing to sign a contract with the State Department of Water Resources for a […]
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May 15, 2020The Deflating Reality of Balloons
Balloons are a festive decoration for celebrations, but after the party is over where do they go? Used balloons end up in one of two places: nature or a landfill. When released, balloons can travel many miles before they deflate and fall to Earth, often entering the marine environment. Balloons act similarly to other plastics, […]
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