Explore Carpinteria: Making a Connection
Website: explorecarpinteria.com
The Santa Barbara County Trails Council, with seed funding from the Morning Rotary Club of Carpinteria, is launching Explore Carpinteria—a community asset mapping project that highlights the city’s natural, cultural, and historic resources, including its trails. Through bilingual outreach, public engagement, and ArcGIS tools, the project will create both an interactive online map and a large-format print map showcasing community assets and connections. A key aspect of the initiative is for community members and organizations to share their knowledge and expertise about the treasure trove of assets that have shaped Carpinteria over the last two centuries.
The overall goal is to strengthen community identity, enhance public access, support active transportation, and promote economic vitality by celebrating and linking the places and stories that define Carpinteria.
Mission
Explore Carpinteria is a community asset mapping initiative led by the Santa Barbara County Trails Council, with support from local partners. Our mission is to celebrate, protect, and share Carpinteria’s unique resources.
Goals and Objectives
- Generate New Knowledge – Collect data on Carpinteria’s natural, cultural, and historic resources through bilingual community outreach and public engagement.
- Collaborate with the Community – Partner with a broad network of individuals and organizations to identify and document treasured community assets.
- Enhance Accessibility – Identify connections linking assets to rail, bus, bicycle, and pedestrian networks, making outdoor and cultural experiences more accessible.
- Demonstrate Economic Impact – Lay the foundation for showing how outdoor recreation and cultural tourism contribute to local jobs, wages, and revenues.
History
Explore Carpinteria is rooted in a long-standing community vision carried on by generations of people who have chosen Carpinteria as their home. The project aims to enhance connections between people and places while preserving the unique identity of Carpinteria as a small, vibrant beachside town.
Helpful Definitions
- Heritage: Making use of history
- Cultural Heritage: Celebration and making historical use of folk and fine arts, customs, and languages
- Natural Heritage: Celebration and making historical use of flora, fauna, geology, and natural habitats
- Built Heritage: Celebration and making historical use of buildings, structures, monuments, or installations
- Trail Heritage: Celebration and making historical use of ancient and modern era trails