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WHAT: Summer of Ocean Love, a free, all-ages scavenger hunt inviting Santa Barbarians to celebrate and help protect the coast through fun, hands-on summer "missions" — ocean art, beach cleanups, wildlife spotting, and learning how our coast has been protected. Played on the free GooseChase app. Missions are listed in both English and Spanish. The winning team receives $500, and there are prizes throughout the game!
WHEN: Launches Friday, June 20 (Summer Solstice); runs through August 29, 2026. Participants can join at any time! New missions and prizes will be added throughout.
WHERE: Launch at Summer Solstice; missions happen throughout SB County. Sign up at https://santabarbarascavengerhunt.com/ or visit our booth at Solstice (in Funtopia, near the corner of Micheltorena and Santa Barbara St.!
WHO: Created by Katie Joseff, a born-and-raised Santa Barbarian, with Santa Barbara Channelkeeper, the Community Environmental Council, 805Action, The Surf League and Save Our Shores.
COST: Free and open to all ages.
WHY: A joyful on-ramp to a worthy cause — protecting the Santa Barbara Channel and its uniquely rich biodiversity! Whales, sea otters, kelp forests, and eelgrass meadows are threatened by the recently restarted Sable Pipeline and the drilling and deep-sea-mining leases proposed for federal sale in 2027. Per the Business Alliance for Protecting the Pacific Coast, 90+% of California's coastal economy is tourism, recreation, and maritime, and more than 80% of coastal and 70% of inland Californians oppose the pipeline — a rare point of bipartisan agreement.
"Take an action, make a ripple, create a wave. surfer and longtime ocean advocate.