Central Coast Naturalist

This week on Santa Cruz Naturalist Emily explores the beautiful UC Fort Ord Reserve with the reserves' field manager, Joe Miller.  Tune in to hear more about what makes the Fort Ord Reserve such a special place! If you'd like to learn more about the reserve please visit: https://fortordreserve.ucsc.edu

This week on Santa Cruz Naturalist, Emily chats with Reef Check CA's climate change coordinator, Kate Vylet. Tune in to hear more about how Reef Check trains volunteer citizen scientists to monitor climate change. To learn more about Reef Check, visit reefcheck.org.

We talk with Regina Spranger, a Ph. D. student at UC Santa Cruz, about California Giant Salamanders and where to find them. Ever wondered how they go from eggs to adults? The amazing things that happen during metamorphosis? They live up to their name and can grow to be up to 12 inches long. Learn all about these enormous salamanders who are the banana slugs’ only predator! You can imagine how diff...

This week on Santa Cruz Naturalist we follow up with Dr. Zeka Glucs, Director of Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group because we just couldn't get enough of the peregrine falcons (the intro 41 seconds in the same, but don't worry, everything is brand new). In this interview (find part one here ) Dr. Glucs tells us about her work with monitoring Peregrine Falcons, how they learn about them, and...

This week on Santa Cruz Naturalist Emily chats with Alex Krohn, the Assistant Director of the Ken Norris Center for Natural History at UCSC, and Cathy Flores, a UCSC undergraduate intern with the center. Listen in as Alex and Cathy explain the art of taxidermy as a way to preserve natural history specimens.

This week on Santa Cruz Naturalist Emily chats with UCSC PhD Candidate Doriane Weiler, about mosquitofish. Listen in as we venture to Antonelli pond on Santa Cruz's westside to find juvenile mosquitofish and learn more about these interesting little fish.

Kelley interviews UCSC doctoral candidate Helen Holmlund has traveled all over the world to study the fascinating physiology of ferns. She has even risked being eaten by Australian crocodiles in order to collect her data! Locally, she studies resurrection ferns, which may appear dead in the dry season, but come right back to life when they’re watered again! Listen in for more on Helen’s work in th...

This week on Santa Cruz Naturalist Emily chats with Chris Lay, the director of the Ken Norris Center for Natural History at UC Santa Cruz. Chris tells us a little about one of Santa Cruz's most influential naturalists, Ken Norris, as we walk through the redwoods surrounding UCSC's upper campus. If you'd like to learn more about the Ken Norris Center please visit: https://norriscenter.ucsc.edu .

This week on Santa Cruz Naturalist we talk with Dr. Zeka Glucs, Director of Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group. She tells us about their work with monitoring Peregrine Falcons, how they learn about them, and what sorts of behaviors they exhibit in the wild. Come listen and learn about birds that were once on the brink of extinction and how they are thriving today! For more information about...

Join us this week on Santa Cruz Naturalist as the Director of the Younger Lagoon Reserve, Elizabeth Howard, takes Emily on a tour of the lagoon. This feature is just Part 1 of an interview with Elizabeth where she delves in to the interesting flora and fauna found within the Younger Lagoon. Tune in again the week of October 14th to hear Part 2 of this interview where we will explore the unique dun...

This week on Santa Cruz Naturalist Emily continues her discussion with UCSC graduate candidate and SCN co-host Kelley Voss about her work on octopuses.

This week on Santa Cruz Naturalist, Emily returns to Elkhorn slough with UCSC graduate candidate, Kat Beheshti to learn more about unique ecosystems found within the slough. 

This week on Santa Cruz Naturalist Emily takes a walk through Natural Bridges State Beach with UCSC graduate student Christa Siedl. Christa introduces listeners to some of the common birds found within the park.

This week on Santa Cruz Naturalist Emily chats with Ornithologist (and SCN co-host) Theadora Block about her work on golden crowned sparrows.

This week on Santa Cruz Naturalist Emily chats with UCSC graduate candidate Kelley Voss (and SCN co-host) about her work on octopuses. This is part 1 of an interview with Kelley. Tune in on the week of July 15, 2019 for part 2.

This week on Santa Cruz Naturalist, Emily Donham takes a walk through the intertidal with Dr. Kristen Heady-Kusic to search for some of her favorite seaweeds. 

This week on Santa Cruz Naturalist Emily chats with Dr. Gina Contolini to learn about some of her dissertation work in the rocky intertidal found along Westcliff. Her work focuses on marine snails that spit acid to dissolve the shells of their prey, mussels. Tune in to learn more!

This week on Santa Cruz Naturalist Emily ventures into the woods surrounding Aptos with local mushroom expert, Philip Carpenter. If you'd like to learn more about mushrooms around Santa Cruz (and beyond) please visit the Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz at: http://ffsc.us/

This week on Santa Cruz Naturalist, Emily Donham chats with Dr. Josh Smith about some his work on kelp forests in Monterey Bay. He explains how changes to predators and prey can have major impacts on kelp within the bay.

On the first episode of Santa Cruz Naturalist Emily chats with Sarah Lummis, UCSC graduate student and seagrass expert, as she explores the seagrass beds found along East Cliffs rocky intertidal.