FIELD DIARY: Gena Bentall on Sharing the Surf with Our Sea Otters

FIELD DIARY: Gena Bentall on Sharing the Surf with Our Sea Otters

When Otter 841 started hijacking surfboards at Steamer Lane, she exposed a much deeper conflict brewing just beyond the breakers. In this special episode, guest host Cassidy Beach hits the cliffs of Lighthouse Point with Gena Bentall, director and senior scientist of Sea Otter Savvy. Together, they look past the viral headlines to track the energetic costs of sharing an intensely crowded coast with wild marine mammals. But as human curiosity pushes deeper into these fragile kelp forests, the boundary between innocent admiration and a dangerous ecological deficit is wearing thin. With surf lineups more congested than ever, the future of coastal coexistence is being tested, leaving local communities to re-evaluate what it truly means to be a good neighbor to the wildlife in our backyard. Sea Otter Savvy👉 www.seaottersavvy.org/ [http://Savvy👉www.seaottersavvy.org/]  Gena’s Recommendation: Serendipity by Jim Estes👉 www.barnesandnoble.com/w/serendipity-james-a-estes [http://Estes👉www.barnesandnoble.com/w/serendipity-james-a-estes]  Gena’s Recommendation: Serengeti Rules on PBS Nature👉 www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/serengeti-rules-dhbtnm/19906/ [http://Nature👉www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/serengeti-rules-dhbtnm/19906/]  01:22 - Gena Bentall's Journey into Marine Biology 05:00 - Field Research and Sea Otter Tracking 09:19 - Human Disturbance and Sea Otter Savvy's Mission 13:22 - Energetic Costs of Human Interaction 21:10 - Entering the Field at Lighthouse Point 28:18 - Ecological Importance of Sea Otters 35:00 - Solutions and Certification Program 45:41 - Hope and Resilience in Conservation Efforts

Transforming the Pájaro River Levee with Andrew Fisher

Andrew Fisher, a distinguished professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at UC Santa Cruz, shares insights on hydrogeology, water management, and flood risk mitigation along the Pájaro River. Discover how long-term monitoring, community engagement, and innovative engineering are shaping sustainable solutions for flood control, habitat restoration, and groundwater recharge. 00:00 The Pájaro River Flooding and Community Response 10:14 Understanding Flood Risk and Management Strategies 25:56 Exploring Co-Benefits of Flood Risk Mitigation 33:35 Innovative Flood Management Strategies 34:07 Community Engagement in Environmental Science 38:48 Balancing Flood Control and Habitat Preservation 44:35 The Complexity of River Management 50:51 Groundwater Recharge and Its Importance 54:27 Long-Term Environmental Restoration Efforts UC Santa Cruz Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences - https://eap.ucsc.edu/ [https://eps.ucsc.edu/] Army Corps of Engineers - San Francisco District - https://www.spn.usace.army.mil/ [https://www.spn.usace.army.mil/] Environmental DNA (eDNA) technology - https://ucedna.com/ [https://ucedna.com/] The Dreamt Land by Mark Arax - https://mark-arax.com/the-dreamt-land/ [https://mark-arax.com/the-dreamt-land/]

The Puma Guy, Chris Wilmers, on the Science of Coexisting with Local Mountain Lions

Mountain lions are slipping through our neighborhoods under the cover of darkness, radically altering their behavior just to avoid us. In this episode, Chris Wilmers, UC Santa Cruz professor of wildlife ecology, pulls back the curtain on the cryptic world of our region's apex predators. From a toothless "old man" puma targeting local livestock to the hidden ways backyard rat poison disrupts local food webs, Wilmers breaks down the true cost of human coexistence. As concrete barriers slice ancient habitats into fragments, local conservationists are fighting back with innovative wildlife crossings. Can these modern solutions truly mend a fractured landscape, or will a dominant male's desperate attempt to cross Highway 17 end in disaster? Santa Cruz Puma Project👉 https://www.santacruzpumas.org/ [https://www.santacruzpumas.org/]  01:04 - Meet Chris Wilmers: The Puma Guy 03:07 - Impact of Wolves on Scavengers 04:07 - Studying Mountain Lions in Human Landscapes 07:11 - Nocturnal Habits and Human Avoidance 10:10 - How Mountain Lions Choose Their Homes 13:19 - Scavenging and Hunting Near Humans 20:28 - Habitat Fragmentation and Its Effects 36:58 - Mountain Lions During the Pandemic

Mayor Fred Keeley on How Santa Cruz Reshaped California’s Ocean Protection Laws

How does science actually become law? In this episode current Santa Cruz Mayor, Fred Keeley, reflects on his legendary career rewriting California’s ocean protection rules. From body surfing through literal oil slicks as a nine-year-old to passing the historic Marine Life Management Act at the final midnight hour of a governor's term, Keeley shares what it really takes to build a "Blue Wall" for the coast. But with old political battles over offshore drilling and seabed mining rearing their heads once again right here in the Monterey Bay, the stakes have never been higher. As one of our region’s most iconic policymakers prepares for retirement, he passes the baton to a new wave of local coastal leaders who must now defend these waters. California Ocean Science Trust👉 https://www.oceansciencetrust.org/ [https://www.oceansciencetrust.org/]  The Marine Life Management Act👉https://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Marine/MLMA [https://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Marine/MLMA]  01:16 - Get to Know Mayor Fred Keeley 03:47 - Early Influences and Environmental Awareness 10:14 - Legislative Wins in Ocean Protection 19:19 - Building Coalitions for Marine Life Management 35:15 - Reflections on Monterey Bay's Progress 44:29 - Optimism for Future Ocean Policies 55:15 - Challenges in Environmental Legislation 63:28 - Transitioning Leadership and Future Plans

FIELD DIARY: Patrolling Peregrines on Site with Zeka Glucs

The California coast is witnessing a silent crash in peregrine falcons that threatens to outpace the devastating legacy of DDT. In this guest-hosted episode, Zeka Glucs, Director of the UC Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group leads us into the field to track the invisible killer: bird flu. From the studio to the windswept bluffs of Devil's Slide, we witness the frontlines of an ecological battle against a virus these apex predators simply can't outfly. As Zeka's team monitors this unfolding crisis, we’re forced to confront the fragility of a recovery we once thought was permanent. We’re left to wonder: can these icons survive a second near-extinction, or are we witnessing the final flight of the peregrine on the Santa Cruz coast? Predatory Bird Research Group & Nest Cams👉 https://predatorybirdresearch.sites.ucsc.edu/nest-cams/ [https://predatorybirdresearch.sites.ucsc.edu/nest-cams/]  Volunteer Opportunities👉 www.californiaperegrines.org/ [http://www.californiaperegrines.org/]  02:04 - Zeka Glucs' Journey into Bird Research 03:33 - Impact of DDT on Raptors 10:14 - Recovery Success Story 16:26 - Captive Breeding Strategies 26:34 - Threat of Bird Flu 35:24 - In the Field: Research Expedition 50:00 - Conservation and Community Involvement 52:05 - Finding Optimism Amidst Challenges