ISLA VISTA, Calif. – Earth Day is officially celebrated on April 22, but for some Isla Vista students, every day is Earth Day.
“There’s a lot we can do, and Earth Day shouldn’t just be one day. As everyone says, Earth Day should be every day,” said Stephen Bond, an Environmental Studies major at UCSB.
The Isla Vista Recreation and Park District, along with the UCSB Associated Students Environmental Affairs Board, celebrated Earth Day with a clothing swap, informational tables, live music from bands like Fig Jam, and more.
“It’s been a culmination of a lot of hard work. We’ve pretty much been working on this the whole year,” said Ash Clancy Prast, Earth Day Co-Chair at the AS Environmental Affairs Board. “We’ve got around 30 organizations tabling here, showcasing sustainability.”
Students at the event shared tips on living eco-friendly in Isla Vista.
“Picking out sustainable food places like farmers markets, eating locally, stuff like that,” said Clancy Prast.
“Doing everything we can, whether that’s recycling thin film plastic or educating the public,” added Bond.
Earth Day was first created in 1970 following a massive oil spill, which at the time was one of the largest in U.S. waters.
“Earth Day was kind of started in Santa Barbara because of the big oil spill,” said Ella Graban, an Environmental Studies major at UCSB. “And I don’t think we should forget the roots of that. We need to keep fighting for the Earth, because no one else is going to do it for us.”
Despite some earlier rain, students still came out to connect with the Earth and dance on the grass under clearing skies.
“It’s just a really awesome way to highlight sustainability — and get a lot of freebies,” said Clancy Prast.
Earth Day events serve as a reminder to the community to protect the planet and continue using eco-friendly habits.
“When we’re harming the planet, we’re harming ourselves. You’ve got to put your best effort into recycling and other eco-friendly efforts,” Graban said when asked about the importance of celebrating Earth Day.
