Ready to Explore Carpinteria?
The Santa Barbara County Trails Council, with seed funding from the Morning Rotary Club of Carpinteria, is launching a new initiative called Explore Carpinteria to highlight our community’s unique treasures.
We’re starting with community asset mapping, a collaborative process that identifies and celebrates the things that make Carpinteria special—from its natural landscapes to historical landmarks. Our goal is to create a comprehensive map that not only showcases these incredible links between natural heritage, cultural heritage, and built heritage assets but also connects them to various modes of transportation, including walking, biking, and public transit.
To make this happen, we’re teaming up with residents, groups, businesses, and agencies. We want to hear from you! By bringing our community together, we can lay the foundation for a map that everyone can use.
The benefits of this project are huge! The map will be a powerful tool for residents and visitors alike, helping to:
- Strengthen our community by connecting our natural spaces and businesses.
- Boost our understanding of Carpinteria’s rich heritage.
- Enhance our sense of place and foster community pride.
- Promote wellness by inspiring us to get outside and explore.
- Support our local economy by attracting visitors and boosting business.
By working together, we can empower future generations to enjoy the outdoors and ensure Carpinteria remains a vibrant, thriving place to live and visit.
Let’s Go
The initial step involves gathering data on tangible natural, cultural, and built assets within the Carpinteria Valley and the City of Carpinteria. Although not part of the core project, we will collect information on intangible assets as it becomes available.
- Tangible Assets: These include museums, historical sites, theaters, art centers, public art, cultural organizations, landmarks, and natural heritage sites, such as the Carpinteria Salt Marsh.
- Intangible Assets: These include the stories, traditions, cultural practices, and networks within the community that define its unique identity.
The Explore Carpinteria community asset mapping initiative relies on extensive public outreach, education, and transparency to create an interactive online map cataloging the community’s physical assets, including natural heritage (parks, trails, and open spaces), cultural heritage (arts, museums, and cultural facilities), and built heritage (historic sites, landmarks, and monuments). Bilingual outreach staff will collect data from residents and visitors in collaboration with our community partners. We will use various methods to collect data. The emphasis is on learning and sharing, not on auditing and counting.
- We are using online and in-person surveys and interviews to gather input from individuals, organizations, businesses, residents, and community groups.
- We are collecting existing data from online resources, city staff, institutions, organizations, and historical records.
- We are hosting bilingual community-based mapping sessions where people can identify and share natural, cultural, and built assets.