WiSE Naturalists
See calendar for events and facebook for updates
This group is designed to facilitate the sharing of nature knowledge,
identification skills, and passion for the outdoors. Each outing is lead by an experienced peer.
All are welcome!
You can also join our WiSE Naturalists facebook group for information about future events and the opportunity to connect and share with other WiSE Naturalists.
Upcoming Events
For questions or if you have event ideas, contact cseidl at ucsc dot edu
Past Events
May Day Flower Hike
When: Saturday, May 2nd 2021
Where: Mima meadows
Join us for a morning in the meadow, as we learn to identify the beautiful blooming botanical beauties of UCSC. Resident plant expert and WiSE member, Julia Harencar, will lead us on a walk about, to identify as well as collect flowers for pressing.
All folx are welcome and encouraged to join! No botanical background required.
Backyard Naturalists Challenge #2
When: Thursday, July 30th to Sunday, August 2nd
Where: Your backyard, neighborhood, etc.!
Join us over four days by visiting your backyard or local natural area and posting pictures of the organisms you encounter to our iNaturalist Project, “UCSC WiSE Backyard Naturalists.” This time, each day is themed: birds, fungi, invertebrates, or plants! We will post an introduction to each category on our Facebook page “UCSC
WiSE Naturalists Group” by a member of the WiSE community that is passionate about the day’s group of organisms. Your challenge is to upload observations of a different group each day:
Day 1 (Thursday, July 30th): BIRDS with Christa Seidl
Day 2 (Friday, July 31st): FUNGI with Erin Aiello
Day 3 (Saturday, August 1st): INVERTEBRATES with Nikka Malakooti
Day 4 (Sunday, August 2nd): PLANTS with Julia Harenčár
Our goal is still to create a community of Backyard WiSE Naturalists, learn more about making scientific observations,
and increase our appreciation for the wildlife in our backyards. We can’t wait to keep the challenges going!
Backyard Naturalists Challenge #1
When: Friday, May 15th to Friday, May 27th
Where: Your backyard, neighborhood, etc.!
Even under Covid-19 shelter-in-place orders, there are many great opportunities to explore nature! You can
see amazing organisms from your window or balcony, in your yard, or while walking your neighborhood or a nearby natural area.
So, for the next week, we challenge you to take 10 to 15 minutes (or more if you want!) every day to observe your surroundings and post pictures of the organisms you encounter to our iNaturalist
Project, “UCSC WiSE Backyard Naturalists”.
Choose a single spot and note how it changes or find a new area each time — the choice is yours.
Not in Santa Cruz? That’s fine! Participate wherever you are, as long as you are following local shelter-in-place regulations and social-distancing guidelines. At the end of the week, we’ll be issuing awards and prizes, including most species observed, most consistent observations, and some fun ones as well.
Our goal is to create a community of Backyard WiSE Naturalists, learn more about making scientific observations, and increase our
appreciation for the nature in our backyards. We can’t wait to get started!
Walk with the Monarchs
with Natural Bridges State Beach docents
When: Saturday, November 16th, 11:45 am - 1:30 pm
Where: Natural Bridges State Beach
What’s not to love about monarch butterflies? Every fall, thousands of monarchs make a quick stop in Santa Cruz during their yearly migration. Join us to watch as they wake up with the warm morning light and learn about their amazing life cycle and migration, and how we can help conserve them.
This is for all ages; bring your families and friends!
Summer Stargazing
with Kat Feng and the UCSC Astronomy Department
When: Friday, July 19th, 9:30 - 11 pm
Where: UCSC Main Campus, meet at the West Remote Parking Lot Bus Stop to walk to the nearby stargazing location
Join us as we take advantage of the lack of streetlights in Santa Cruz and scan the skies for stars, planets, and anything else that comes our way with UCSC Astronomy Ph.D. student Kat Feng! We might also see some nocturnal wildlife.
We’ll have telescopes, snacks and drinks, but we recommend that you bring a mug, layers, flashlights, blankets or camp chairs, and anything else that you need to be comfortable outdoors.
All experience levels and ages are welcome!
Morning Birdwatching Walk
with Christa Seidl
When: Thursday, May 23, 2019 7am - 8am
Where: UCSC Farm, lot 168
Join us for a guided walk to observe and identify local birds and their interesting behaviors with UCSC Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Ph.D. student Christa Seidl. We’ll look for golden eagles and other raptors, red-winged blackbirds, black phoebes, and many more.
Plus, we’ll have coffee and breakfast treats!
All experience levels and ages are welcome.
We’ll have binoculars available, but please bring your own if you have them. Wear long pants and sturdy, closed shoes and apply bug spray, as there may be ticks.
Spring Wildflowers from Around the World
with Ferd Bergholz
When: Sunday, April 28, 2019 1 pm - 2pm
Where: UCSC Arboretum
Explore the plant biodiversity of Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and California on a docent-led walk through UCSC’s Arboretum.
Unwind from your hectic life for an hour, surrounded by the bright colors and lovely scents of the Arboretum. Learn about rare and threatened plants, check out the diverse adaptations these plants have made to their native continents, meet other flora enthusiasts and practice your naturalist observation skills. There should be opportunities for bird watching as well.
All experience levels and ages welcome!
Elephant Seal Guided Walk
When: Tuesday, February 19, 2019 12pm - 4:30pm
Where: Ano Nuevo State Park
Come meet the northern elephant seal! Año Nuevo, just 30 minutes north of Santa Cruz, is home to the northern elephant seal. The animals spend much of the year feeding out at sea, but from December through March, they return to the beach for the breeding season. Now is the best time to see them!
We’ll carpool from the Coastal Biology Building to Año Nuevo and take a 2.5 hour (3 mile) docent-led tour to view and learn about the elephant seals.
WiSE will pay for parking and admission, so all you have to do is bring walking shoes, weather-appropriate clothes, and water.
This trip is restricted to 15 people due to tour sizes; RSVP by next Friday, February 8th if you want to participate.
Waking Up With the Monarchs
with Ed Rice
When: Saturday, November 3, 2018 10:00am - 11:00am
Where: Natural Bridges State Park
Who doesn’t love monarch butterflies? They’re back in Santa Cruz for a quick stop on their migration south! Come join us Saturday morning to watch as they wake up in the morning’s first rays of sunshine through the Eucalyptus forest (let’s be honest, we’ll still be waking up too) and begin their busy day.
Ed Rice will be leading us through the Monarch Grove forest to learn more about these magnificent creatures and their interesting life cycle. For all ages; bring your families and friends!
Note: If it’s raining or otherwise inclement, we will postpone the walk.
Evening Tidepool Adventure
When: Thursday, October 5, 2018 6:30pm - 8:00pm
Where: Natural Bridges State Park
Come explore the tidepools! It will be a very low tide, perfect for saying hello to all sorts of species in the intertidal zone. Keep your eyes out for extra special guests; evening is the favorite time of day for octopuses, and sunset brings many seabirds and shorebirds flying home from their day of fishing or foraging.
Please bring appropriate footwear for walking on uneven or slippery ground, a flashlight or headlamp for after-dark safety, and your friends! Come prepared to learn names and fun facts about our local tidepool creatures. For all experience levels and ages.
Use Your Senses!
with Mia Waters
When: Saturday, September 29, 2018 2pm - 3pm
Where: UCSC Campus, North Perimeter Parking Lot
We will explore the redwood forest habitat around us by visually observing, listening, smelling, touching, and possibly even tasting if you’re so inclined! Our senses are so important to us as naturalists for making new observations and discoveries about the world, yet in our everyday life it is easy to become insensitive to all the details around us.
This series is designed to remind help us heighten our awareness of our surroundings, learn new things about our local habitats, and slow down to appreciate the details of nature.
We recommend bringing writing materials to document your observations.
This event will take place rain or shine, all are welcome!
Herp Walk! Reptiles and Amphibians on Campus
with Pauline Blaimont
When: Saturday, March 17, 2018 10am - 12pm
Where: UCSC campus, at the Core West parking structure
All this winter moisture makes for prime salamander and newt
hunting conditions! Herpetologist and EEB graduate student
Pauline Blaimont will be our guide for one of our favorite walks of
the year, as we search the forest floor for amphibians and reptiles.
Please bring appropriate footwear for walking on uneven ground,
and your friends! Come prepared to learn names and fun facts
about our local rain-loving creatures. For all experience levels and
ages! This event will take place rain or shine!
