By the end of the 9-week program, the Ventura Youth Council will have collected and analyzed litter data from Surfers Point, mapped litter and trash-can patterns, and identified realistic ways to reduce litter. The goal is to move beyond simply cleaning up trash and develop a youth-led solution based on what the data shows.

Young people use Ventura’s beaches and will inherit responsibility for protecting these spaces in the future. Through this project, Youth Council members are not just volunteering for a cleanup—they are acting as community researchers and problem-solvers. They are collecting real data, exploring why litter happens, developing potential solutions, and sharing what they learn with their community.

The team will measure its impact through pounds of litter removed, survey transects completed, pieces and types of litter documented, trash cans surveyed, litter hotspots identified, and community members reached through outreach. During the first survey alone, the group removed 2.5 pounds of litter and completed seven transects along the walking path.

As the project develops, the team will use its findings to create a youth-designed solution for Surfers Point. This could include improved signage, community outreach, recommendations for trash-can placement, or another intervention based on what the data reveals. The team will also look for ways to measure whether its final solution creates a visible improvement at Surfers Point.

We will host a community beach cleanup on Friday, October 23, from 4:00–6:00 PM at Surfers Point. If you would like to participate, please email tara@thecrew.org for more information.So far, our group has been working to better understand and address heat islands in Ojai. We began by creating a map of Ojai that highlights major heat islands and shows local areas that absorb and retain more heat than others. After identifying these hotspots on the map, we selected several potential locations where planting trees could help reduce heat in the community.

Next, we visited these hotspot locations in person to observe the areas and take photos. During these site visits, we evaluated each location to determine where tree planting might be possible and most effective.

Our next step will be to present our findings, including the map, photos, and proposed tree planting locations, to the Ojai City Council and Ojai Trees. We hope to lead 3 tree planting community events in mid Fall 2026 to help get trees into the ground and will work with the CREW to maintain and water our trees until they are established.