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

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

The April 2nd Wake-Up Shake: Santa Cruz’s Seismic Secrets with Emily Brodsky

The morning of April 2nd gave Santa Cruz a sharp reminder that the ground beneath our feet is never truly still. In this episode, we use that recent shake to uncover the seismic secrets lurking under our feet with Emily Brodsky, an earthquake scientist and UC Santa Cruz professor. From the legacy of the 1906 disaster to modern earthquakes triggered by geothermal energy and fracking, we explore the chain reactions that link tremors across the globe. As human activity shifts the stress on these deep-seated faults, we investigate if we are unknowingly triggering a cycle we can't stop. Is it possible to predict the next big shake, or will the next shift in the California coast, like the one on April 2nd, catch us all by surprise? The Brodsky Lab at UC Santa Cruz👉https://seismo.sites.ucsc.edu/emily-brodsky/ [https://seismo.sites.ucsc.edu/emily-brodsky/]  USGS Earthquake Map👉 https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/map/?extent=30.20211,-134.84619&extent=43.53262,-103.20557&magnitude=all&listOnlyShown=true&showUSFaults=true&baseLayer=terrain&list=false [https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/map/?extent=30.20211,-134.84619&extent=43.53262,-103.20557&magnitude=all&listOnlyShown=true&showUSFaults=true&baseLayer=terrain&list=false]  01:48 - First Impressions of the April 2nd Earthquake 02:44 - Understanding the San Andreas Cycle and History 04:58 - The Mechanics of Faults and Plate Motion 09:20 - How Scientists Measure Friction and Take an Earthquake's Temperature 14:06 - Human-Induced Seismicity: Fracking and Geothermal Energy 23:33 - Global Chain Reactions and Triggering Patterns 36:28 - Comparing Local History: Loma Prieta vs. 1906 and Today 42:12 - Behind the Research: Living and Breathing Earthquakes

The Pavement Paradox: Why Narrowing Roads Might be the Secret to Mobility with Matt Miller

Santa Cruz is squeezed between the mountains and the sea, there is simply no more land to expand roads for more cars. Matt Miller, Director of Mobility Transformation at Ecology Action, is navigating this bottleneck through the Complete Streets Initiative: a plan to prioritize people over pavement. From the total makeover of Bay Street to new designs in Capitola, this conversation examines a future where streets function less like speedways and more like shared community spaces. But as the city begins to prioritize safety over speed, will these changes be enough to redefine the local relationship with the road, or will the friction of change prove too much for Santa Cruz to handle? Ecology Action’s Complete Streets Inititiative👉 https://ecoact.org/our-work/sustainable-transportation/complete-streets [https://ecoact.org/our-work/sustainable-transportation/complete-streets] 00:00 - Introduction to Mobility Transformation 01:04 - Matt Miller's Role and Background 03:11 - Lessons from the Netherlands 06:29 - The Complete Streets Initiative 14:06 - Infrastructure and Safety Measures 17:10 - Economic and Environmental Impacts 22:08 - Community Engagement and Policy 43:21 - Future Vision for Santa Cruz