In this episode, host Frankie Gerraty talks to fire ecologist Nicolás Cruz about forest fires, cultural burning, and his research on the role of fire in wetland ecosystems. 

In this episode, host Frankie Gerraty discusses the important ecological roles that fallen trees play as they move from forests to rivers to oceans. 

On today's episode, host Niki Sridhar talks about the sunflower seastar. A now critically endangered species that plays an important role in kelp forest dynamics.

This week on the Santa Cruz Naturalist, Frankie talks to Moss Landing Marine Labs masters student Jacob Harris about ongoing efforts to restore Olympia oyster populations in Elkhorn Slough. 

This week on the Santa Cruz Naturalist, Frankie talks to UCSC marine mammal biologist Allison Payne about ocean acoustics and eavesdropping on rare, deep-ocean whales. 

Niki Sridhar continues her conversation with Aspen Ellis, discussing conservation strategies for protecting seabird populations. 

On this episode, Niki Sridhar speaks with PhD student at UC Santa Cruz, Aspen Ellis, about the life of a seabird ecologist and why seabirds are quite an extraordinary taxonomic group!

In this week's episode of Santa Cruz Naturalist, Chloe wraps up their series on the Norris Center by speaking with Dr. Gizelle Hurtado about community and outreach events, and where the field of natural history is going over the next 20 years.

Even though this series is at an end, you can still visit the Norris Center! For more information, including the current operating hours, check out https://norriscenter.ucsc.edu/

This week on Santa Cruz Naturalist, Chloe sits down with Dr. Gizelle Hurtado, Assistant Director of the Norris Center.  We hear about Dr. Hurtado's background and some of the amazing work she does at the Norris Center

Chloe continues their conversation with Dr. Andy Kulikowski, the lead entomologist at the Kenneth S. Norris Center for Natural History at UC Santa Cruz.  Dr. Kulikowski talks about how the Norris Center interfaces with education and conservation, and tells us about some interesting specimens in the museum.

Norris Center Fall 2022 hours:

Monday - Thursday 10am - 4pm

Friday 10am - 2pm