From Advocacy to Exploration: Youth Advocates in the California Central Coast

The California Central Coast is a prime example of a beautiful ecosystem, featuring abundant natural resources, picturesque coastlines, and a diverse array of native and endemic species. From the Chumash marine sanctuary to the Channel Islands, communities have lived in and enjoyed this abundance of resources and its rich history. 

But like many communities, the challenges posed by climate change and environmental injustices continue motivating communities like mine in the California Central Coast to rise up and take action. Youth in these communities demonstrate their commitment for positive change by actively leading campaigns, participating in actions, attending events, and being part of organizations that enhance their leadership skills and knowledge. 

The Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Environment (CAUSE) is a Central Coast, California-based grassroots organization committed to tenants, workers, and environmental justice. Operating in five cities across Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, it organizes communities of color, youth, and Spanish-speaking adults.

Every year they celebrate youth who complete their leadership program in the Summer by inviting them to a significant site in their community, celebrating their achievements and deepening their connection to nature. This year the celebration took place at the Channel Island National Park in Santa Cruz Island. I was honored to be invited to lead a hike for some of their youth leaders on Santa Cruz Island during their yearly summer celebration.

Throughout the hike, I not only had the opportunity to speak with the youth, but I also got to listen to their ongoing campaigns, issues, and concerns about their towns and futures. We talked about topics ranging from the island’s rich Chumash heritage, history of the Channel Islands, and environmental injustices. 

Remembering those who came before us

Before starting our hike, we took a moment to honor the land of the Channel Islands, recognizing it as the ancestral homeland of the Chumash people and reflecting about the cultures, histories, and struggles of the Chumash and other Indigenous island people in the face of institutional destruction of their lands and societies to this day.

We shared the Rainbow Bridge story, the Chumash creation story that describes how Earth Mother Hutash created the first Chumash people on Limuw (Santa Cruz Island), and when the island became overcrowded, she created a Rainbow Bridge for them to cross to the mainland, transforming those who fell into the ocean into dolphins to protect them.

After sharing this story the youth reflected and recognized that preserving and sharing these stories was a powerful act of respect to keep those stories alive and told, so it became an important starting point of the island exploration. The opportunity to hike this land and engage in these discussions is especially important for this group, as it aligns with their advocacy work for green accessibility, highlighting the need for equitable access to natural spaces for all communities.

Throughout the hike, we made several stops to discuss the island’s natural habitats and draw comparisons to the youth’s own towns. For instance, the chaparral biome, also known as the Mediterranean forest biome, which we encountered during our hike, reminded them of their hometowns—an ecosystem of short shrubs that often turn brown in the summer due to lack of rain.

For many of the youth, this was their first time hiking at the Channel Islands, so we also took time for scenic photos along the way. We reflected on how hiking on Santa Cruz Island felt like stepping back in time, with only a few buildings scattered across the island, native animals roaming freely, and the landscape resembling what California might have looked like in the past.

CAUSE’s wins and ongoing campaigns

This group of youth leaders come from different cities in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, but they have one thing in common: they all advocate for environmental justice along the California Central Coast area. Their issues are all different but they connect back to their desire for their community to thrive and prosper. From Santa Paula’s heat resilience campaign to Santa Maria’s Pesticides concerns, the youth of their respective cities are developing the skills they need to make their advocacy efforts stronger. 

Some of the high school youth have seen tremendous victories during their time advocating with CAUSE. For example, in 2022, youth leaders from CAUSE in Santa Maria celebrated their win for the extension of the Santa Maria River levee trail, a project aimed at doubling the public trails in northern Santa Barbara County. With limited green spaces in their community, CAUSE worked to convince the County Board of Supervisors to invest in the project by gathering public support through petitions, surveys, and community events. 

Some campaigns are ongoing, like the efforts against the Ormond Beach Generating station decision that extended the facility until 2026 after it was originally planned to be shut down in 2020. It is the hard work of youth leaders in the Central Coast that enable communities to take a stand against environmental injustices even when results are not seen right away.

These young advocates continue to canvas, survey their community, organize town halls, facilitate focus groups, deliver presentations, and conduct outreach efforts to engage residents, all while being full-time students at their local schools. It is both inspiring and empowering to see young leaders take initiative, drive change, and advocate for their community’s needs with passion and determination.

In these spaces, where youth lead the change in selecting causes to support and organizations to partner with, they gain confidence in using their voices. Community-led organizations play a vital role in shaping policies, laws, and decisions that are made by and for the people. When young people step into these spaces, their connection to advocacy grows stronger, empowering them to see their voices as powerful tools for change—not just for themselves, but for their communities. This awareness sparks a passion for activism, motivating them to dive deeper into the issues affecting their lives, collaborate with peers and mentors, and create ripples of change with the potential to transform society.

Reflection

This trip was heartwarming, as I got to experience firsthand the dedication our community has to improving our future every day. California is often seen as a beautiful state, with stunning beaches, parks, diverse wildlife, and a thriving economy.

However, another important truth is that our community must continually advocate for their rights in this fast-changing world. While this doesn’t diminish the beauty of California, it highlights how vital our ongoing advocacy has been in shaping the state into what it is today—and what it will continue to be in the future. From environmental justice to workers’ rights, the triumphs we’ve seen are the result of strong community advocacy. 

Call to action

Reflecting on how environmental justice can create a better future during this trip was a powerful moment. These high school students showed deep understanding and empathy towards the problems that their communities and others in their cities are facing. They are an example of how youth, with new ideas and thoughts of which the world is in dire need of, are indispensable partners in environmental and climate justice.

Young people are demanding more support and it’s up to us to answer the call by attending community events hosted by youth advocates to learn about their concerns, collaborating with community led organizations, by including youth in decision making spaces, and by financially investing in their projects and programs. These you are a perfect example of the way youth participate and show up for communities can be influenced by the presence of safe spaces for students. 

Let’s invest in youth advocacy today for a just and brighter tomorrow!