Local Briefs - Growing Up in Santa Cruz

UCSC Art Show Reveals Human Impact Through A Whale’s Eyes

Isabella Blevins — Fri, 10 Oct 2025 15:38:42 +0000

Weather and the Whale is a new multimedia installation at UCSC’s Institute of Arts and Sciences Galleries that explores climate change and the relationship between humans and marine life from a whale’s perspective. The exhibition is the result of a two-year collaboration between UCSC faculty, marine scientists, and ten internationally-acclaimed artists. UCSC marine ecologist Ari Friedlaender and IAS Galleries curators Rachel Nelson and Alexandra Moore put together the project and assembled the group of featured artists and scientists. Visitors of the exhibition are led on an audio-visual journey that offers a detailed and unrivaled look at the interconnection between whales, humans and their shared world. The varied significance of whales is examined and scrutinized through historical, scientific, and sociological lenses. A glimpse into the history of American whaling is provided by Whale Charts, which was created by the American zoologist Charles Haskins Townsend in 1935. It depicts a map of the world displaying numerous dots to indicate the locations where whales were hunted by American whalers from the mid-1700s to early 1900s. It wasn’t until 1986 that the International Whaling Commission officially banned commercial whaling in the United States. Near the Whale Charts, another display shows scrimshaws: engravings carved into whale bones and teeth, originally as a pastime for whalers while they were at sea. Most parts of the hunted whale carcasses had been previously considered useless, and whales were primarily hunted solely for their blubber. Townsend’s Whale Charts and the scrimshaw pieces serve as reminders of an enduring exploitation of whales on a scale both large and wasteful. Ocean Sentinels and Toxins in Monterey Bay, California evaluates more recent effects of human actions on California’s marine environment by measuring chemical compounds from pesticides found inside marine mammals living in the Monterey Bay. In a video, Logan Pallin, an encophysiologist at UCSC, shared that more than 140 different compounds were found inside the bodies of three different marine mammals last year: a humpback whale, a California sea lion and a California sea otter Pallin’s focus is on the present and future, as he voiced concern about the effects of Moss Landing’s battery storage fire on Monterey Bay and Elkhorn Slough marine life that has yet to be uncovered. Weather and the Whale will continue to be on view until March 8, 2026. Two additional exhibitions, Sam Williams: Deep in The Eye and The Belly at the Mary Porter Sesnon Gallery and Yolande Harris: Sound Portal for Whale Bubbles at the Seymour Marine Discovery Center, will open this fall.

The post UCSC Art Show Reveals Human Impact Through A Whale’s Eyes first appeared on Growing Up in Santa Cruz.

Stepping Up In Scouting America

Tarmo Hannula — Fri, 10 Oct 2025 15:30:16 +0000

The local Scouting America Unit 505 held their annual Bridging Ceremony Aug. 28 to recognize merits and those advancing up the ranks of cubs to Scouts in an organization that celebrated its 115th anniversary in February along with their official name change to Scouting America. Scout leaders handed out 30 merit badges, and five Webelos—both boys and girls—graduated to Scouts during the festive dinner that drew a wealth of families and community supporters. Webelos, an acronym for We’ll Be Loyal Scouts, was created to prepare younger Scouts for upper “ranks.” “This is a family-oriented Scout environment where we take a holistic approach on how we work together as a Scout family,” said Trina Coffman-Gomez, District Committee Chair for Loma Prieta Silicon Valley Monterey Bay Council. “Today we celebrate our Scouts’ growth and achievements as they move up to the next level.” Erik Sorroza, a parent with two children, 12 and 6—who just joined Unit 505—said her kids love being a part of the organization. “At first I was afraid they wouldn’t like it, but they integrated into the program well and have made many friends,” he said. “We enjoy the hospitality, all the different types of people in our

The post Stepping Up In Scouting America first appeared on Growing Up in Santa Cruz.

Golfing For Children’s Cancer Support Services

growingupsc — Fri, 10 Oct 2025 15:23:26 +0000

Growing Up in Santa Cruz was a sponsor of the Jacob’s Heart Golf Tournament Sept. 12 at Seascape Golf Club. This year we participated for the first time with a golf team! All proceeds from the Golf Tournament will go towards Camp Hearts + Hands. This 3-day summer-camp-style weekend is full of fun and joy for kids diagnosed with cancer and their families. From dance parties to arts and crafts, pony rides, and relaxing massages for parents, Jacob’s Heart families have a blast sharing in activities while building supportive relationships with others who understand the challenges of a pediatric cancer diagnosis. It is also an opportunity for families to establish trusting relationships and positive memories with nurses from Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, who volunteer their time to be family camp counselors. This is a healing experience for both nurses and families. The Growing Up in Santa Cruz foursome consisted of GUISC Marketing Manager Bobbi Jo Palmer, Golf Coach Walt Anderson from Center High School in Antelope, Ben MacDonald from California Grill & Bar and Lester Estate Wines and Adam MacDonald of Pacific Golf Center and Climbing Trees Band.

The post Golfing For Children’s Cancer Support Services first appeared on Growing Up in Santa Cruz.

Henry Cowell Campground Reopening Delayed

growingupsc — Tue, 01 Jul 2025 22:32:57 +0000

California State Parks announced that the seasonal campground at Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park (SP), which had been scheduled to reopen Aug. 1 following renovations, has been delayed until the 2026 camping season. Significant supply chain disruptions pushed back the completion of essential infrastructure upgrades, including accessibility features. “We will continue to work diligently with contractors to complete these essential upgrades and appreciate the patience and understanding of all our visitors as we improve the park’s facilities” said Santa Cruz District Superintendent II Scott Sipes. “We truly value the opportunity to provide quality camping opportunities for visitors to make memories and enjoy our beautiful parks and are disheartened to share these continued impacts to camping at Henry Cowell this season. We hope visitors will return next season and enjoy the upgraded, accessible facilities that will make this campground welcoming to all.” The campground is seasonal, operating from April 1 through October 31 annually. Due to the current project timeline, the campground is now scheduled to reopen April 1, 2026, for the start of the camping season. The project was initially scheduled during the non-operational period, with an anticipated completion date prior to the April 1, 2025, opening to minimize impacts to recreational opportunities. State Parks previously canceled reservations from April 1-July 31 due to unforeseen delays caused in large part by supply chain challenges. This additional delay reflects continued issues with procuring critical supplies. Due to the delay, camping reservations between Aug. 1 and Nov. 1 have been canceled. Affected guests will receive a full refund automatically and have been notified about the cancellation and refund process. Visitors interested in camping at Henry Cowell Redwoods SP are encouraged to monitor updates on the park’s website at parks.ca.gov/HenryCowell. Should the campground reopen earlier than anticipated, guests will be notified by email with an opportunity to book new reservations. For assistance with cancellations or refunds, visitors are encouraged to contact the ReserveCalifornia Customer Contact Center at 1-800-444-7275. Additionally, guests can explore alternative camping options and plan future trips at ReserveCalifornia.com. Campsites Available at Rancho del Oso Looking for a quiet coastal camping experience this summer? The walk-in campground at Rancho del Oso — the coastal side of Big Basin Redwoods State Park — offers a unique way to enjoy nature just north of Davenport on Highway 1. This temporary campground, located at the rehabilitated Horse Camp, is open to non-equestrian campers while coastal equestrian trails remain closed. There are five reservable walk-in sites and one shared, non-reserved bike-in site available. To check availability and make a reservation, visit www.thatsmypark.org/parks-and-beaches/rancho-del-oso-unit. Rancho del Oso is also home to the open Marsh Trail, where visitors can spot rabbits, dragonflies and songbirds among the creekside willows. Note, the nearby Skyline to Sea Trail remains closed due to CZU Fire damage. Across Highway 1, Waddell Beach is a top destination for windsurfing and kite surfing. The campground will eventually return to equestrian use once trail restoration is complete, but in the meantime, it offers a rare opportunity to camp in this recovering part of Big Basin.

The post Henry Cowell Campground Reopening Delayed first appeared on Growing Up in Santa Cruz.

Environmental Poster Contest Winner Announced

growingupsc — Tue, 06 Aug 2024 05:46:17 +0000

Brayden Willick, 12, from Branciforte Middle School, was the winner of this year’s Keep Santa Cruz Clean! poster contest, announced The City of Santa Cruz. This annual event encourages students to creatively express the importance of recycling and litter prevention. Brayden’s winning poster, which celebrates the three Rs of waste reduction—Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle—features a colorful hand-drawn dolphin and will be displayed on the sides of City recycling and refuse trucks throughout the next year. In an exciting addition, the City animated Brayden’s winning poster into a short video public service announcement to further spread the message about reducing waste and preventing litter. This video PSA helps celebrate Plastic Free July and will be shared across various platforms to engage the community in waste reduction and litter prevention efforts year-round. “We’re incredibly proud of Brayden’s inspiring artwork and the message it sends about the importance of waste reduction and litter prevention,” said Nathan Nguyen, Director of the City’s Public Works Department. “This contest highlights our young artists’ talents and reinforces our community’s commitment to a cleaner environment.” The contest was promoted to local schools in April 2024, with submissions due on May 17, 2024, before school was let out for the summer. CDPH Warns Consumers Not to Eat Sport-Harvested Bivalve ShellfishThe California Department of Public Health is warning consumers not to eat recreationally harvested mussels, clams or whole scallops gathered from Santa Cruz and Monterey counties. Dangerous levels of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxins have been detected. The naturally occurring PSP toxins can cause illness or death in humans. Cooking does not destroy the toxin. This shellfish safety notification is in addition to the annual mussel quarantine. The annual quarantine applies to all species of mussels harvested for human consumption along the California coast, as well as all bays and estuaries, and will continue through at least Oct. 31. This warning does not apply to commercially sold clams, mussels, scallops or oysters from approved sources. State law permits only state-certified commercial shellfish harvesters or dealers to sell these products. Shellfish sold by certified harvesters and dealers are subject to frequent mandatory testing to monitor for toxins. PSP toxins affect the central nervous system, producing a tingling around the mouth and fingertips within a few minutes to a few hours after eating toxic shellfish. These symptoms are typically followed by loss of balance, lack of muscular coordination, slurred speech, and difficulty swallowing.

The post Environmental Poster Contest Winner Announced first appeared on Growing Up in Santa Cruz.