A group of UC Santa Cruz undergraduate students are hosting both a film festival and an ambitious art installation this fall at the Seymour Marine Discovery Center, and both events are open to the public. The students aim to showcase local conservation efforts in Monterey Bay, as well as the damage done to the ocean by single-use plastics.
For months, students in Professor Don Croll’s Marine Conservation Biology course at UC Santa Cruz have worked to develop self-directed four-minute documentary shorts. The films cover topics across the conservation spectrum—from fish hatcheries, to marine mammal rescues, to California condor recovery—all focused on conservation work happening in the Monterey Bay area right now. Join us on Saturday, December 1 at 1 PM at the Seymour Center to see the films and celebrate the work of the next generation of marine conservationists.
The whale of a weekend continues with the unveiling of an art installation––inside the famous blue whale skeleton, an icon of Santa Cruz. The installation, made of non-recyclable, single-use plastics, is an effort to highlight unseen effects of plastic pollution and to illuminate ways to stop trash flowing into the ocean. From Friday, November 30 through Thursday, December 6, the installation will hang under the ribcage of the big blue whale at the Seymour Center. The students are inviting members of the community to come see the whale, and share their impressions and images on social media using the tag #whaleofaproblem.
The students’ message is two-fold: stop the use of single-use plastics by switching to reusable containers, and prevent non-recyclable plastics from entering the recycle stream. In collaboration with the Santa Cruz Resource Recovery Facility, the students aim to focus on non-recyclable plastics, which can cause significant problems for efficient recycling.
“A surprising amount of plastics put into recycling bins cannot be recycled,” said Croll, faculty in the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department. “The worst offenders are those “clamshell” plastic containers from grocery stores––they’re everywhere, and can really foul up the recycle stream.”
Many of the undergraduate students will be on hand throughout the weekend to provide information and answer questions. “Many Santa Cruz residents may already know that we have a whale of a problem, but they don’t know what they can do about it,” said Grace Reed, a fourth year student in the course. “Our installation will highlight the unseen effects of plastic pollution and let people know what they can do to stop it.”
The 87-foot blue whale skeleton is one of the largest skeletons of its kind worldwide and is often affectionately referred to as “Ms. Blue.” The immense female whale died of unknown causes and washed ashore near Pescadero in 1979.
ABOUT THE SEYMOUR CENTER: Overlooking the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, the Seymour Center is a “living classroom” featuring exhibits, aquariums, touch pools, whale skeletons, full-scale elephant seal models, the Ocean Discovery Shop, and unsurpassed ocean vistas. The aquariums and exhibits feature the everyday tools of ocean exploration and focus on research conducted by scientists locally and around the world. Interactive stations provide hands-on learning experiences, and docents lead tours and bring marine science to life. The Seymour Center is open Tuesday–Sunday, 10 AM–5 PM, and every day in July and August.
WHAT: A Whale of a Weekend: Art Installation and Marine Conservation Film Festival
WHEN: Art Installation: November 30–December 6; Film Festival: December 1, 1–2:30 PM
WHERE: Seymour Marine Discovery Center, UC Santa Cruz Coastal Science Campus. 100
McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA 96060
ADMISSION and SEATING: The film festival is included with admission* to the Seymour Center. Seating may be limited and is first-come, first-served.
No late seating (no entry after 1 PM)
Doors open to the lecture hall at 12:30 PM
Passes available at the admissions desk starting at 12 PM
*Adult $9 | Senior (65 and older) $7 | Student (with ID) $7 | Child (3-16 years old) $7 | Toddler (2 and under) Free | Members Free | UCSC undergraduate with valid ID Free
No admission fee required for outdoor viewing of the art installation.
INFORMATION: (831) 459-3800 or seymourcenter.ucsc.edu
