Community Environmental Council — Community Song Circle is sold out

Sold out – thank you!

Stay tuned for the next Embodied Arts Workshop

We’re thrilled to share that the Community Song Circle is officially SOLD OUT!

Thank you to everyone who RSVP’d — we’re so inspired by the enthusiasm for this gathering of music, connection, and shared expression.The Community Song Circle, part of our Embodied Arts Workshop Series, brings people together to raise their voices in celebration of community, nature, and our shared humanity. Santa Barbara–based community song leader Heather Stevenson has been leading song circles since 2019, creating inclusive spaces where participants feel uplifted, inspired, and soothed. In this workshop, you’ll learn short, meaningful songs taught by ear. No experience or ability to read music is required. Each song highlights our connection to the Earth and the natural world, fostering community, peace, joy, and healing.

This free event is part of CEC’s A Year of Active Hope, an event series designed to bring people together and inspire collective action for our planet. The Community Song Circle offers an experience that nourishes the spirit and strengthens community — because a thriving climate movement must also sustain the people within it.

Couldn’t get a spot this time? Stay tuned. The next Embodied Arts Workshop will be held on March 31, led by 5Rhythms dance teacher Kiaora Fox (registration coming soon). Be sure to mark your calendar — the series continues on the last Tuesday of each month through August. We look forward to welcoming even more of you to our future gatherings.

Non-profit Office Space Available

Are you a non-profit looking for a downtown Santa Barbara office space? Located at 1219 State Street, this ground-floor office in the Community Environmental Council’s Environmental Hub is a vibrant, inspiring space for work and collaboration.

Become a Resilience Hub and Help Your Community Prepare for Disasters

The California Central Coast faces growing challenges from extreme heat, wildfire smoke, flooding, and poor air quality. Community resilience hubs — trusted local spaces like schools, libraries, community centers, and churches — can provide aid and resources before, during, and after these events. CEC can help activate your site to:

1. Provide clean air during smoke events

2. Act as cooling locations during extreme heat

3. Distribute food

4. Serve as an emergency shelter or hub for emergency services

5. Facilitate disaster preparedness training and neighborhood organizing

6. Host off-grid charging during power outages or shutdowns

Learn more about Community Resilience Hubs, take our short survey, and use our toolkit to get started today.

Other Events

Students in grades six through 12 who are ready to take meaningful climate action are invited to a free, hands-on workshop at CEC’s Environmental Hub. Join CEC and Santa Barbara High School’s Environmental Advocacy Club to learn how you can help advance the proposed oil and gas production phase-out in Santa Barbara County. Sierra Club Santa Barbara–Ventura Chapter Chair and CEC Climate Stewards alum Maureen Ellenberger will share the latest updates on the proposed phase-out and practical ways students can get involved. Participants will also take part in an interactive Climate Solutions Mapping activity to explore climate solutions, identify opportunities for impact, and collaborate with peers on strategies to strengthen climate resilience in their community. Along with free snacks and community service hours, students will leave with new connections, practical tools, and clear pathways to engage in the climate movement. Learn more and register.

The PBS series Wild Hope spotlights changemakers around the world who are restoring our Earth and reimagining our relationship with nature. Through captivating storytelling, episodes explore bold solutions and collaborations, showcase nature’s resilience, and spark renewed hope for the future of our planet. We’ll screen Episode 44: City in Nature, which shows how Singapore is integrating urban living with biodiversity by carving out wildlife habitats amidst the built environment. CEC’s Bre Sliker and Santa Barbara Botanic Garden’s Eric Cardenas will share their expert insights on local biodiversity efforts, connecting the global conversation to Santa Barbara County. We’ll also watch Episode 38: Significant Otters, where the return of sea otters to Elkhorn Slough sparks a remarkable ecological recovery. The Nature Conservancy’s Dr. Phoebe Racine will provide updates on local initiatives aimed at restoring our wetlands following the screening. We hope you’ll join us for this evening of optimism and inspiration! Learn more and register.

The event draws more than 30,000 attendees and 150+ eco-friendly exhibitors for a vibrant weekend jam packed with live music and speakers, CEC’s Environmental Hero Award ceremony, a robust Green Car Show, a plant-forward food court and beer garden, and family-friendly programming. Presented by the Community Environmental Council and CarpEvents. Learn more.

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Support Critical Work Like This

Recognized as a 2020 California Nonprofit of the Year and a City of Santa Barbara Climate Hero, CEC is led by CEO Sigrid Wright, 2022 Congressional Woman of the Year. See our most recent impact report to learn how we are serving California’s Central Coast by advancing rapid and equitable solutions to the climate crisis.

Learn more about how you can invest in CEC’s work to accelerate regional climate solutions at cecsb.org/donate.