stewardship - Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History

Video: Kelp and Conservation

This Collections Close-Up video explores two kinds of conservation: the preservation of biodiversity records in the form of marine algae specimens and the fight to save the kelp forests of the California Coast.

About the series: Zoom into the stories, secrets, and science of our collections during monthly webinars with Collections Manager Kathleen Aston. This live event is an extension of our monthly Collections Close-Up blog, with added insights and intrigue. Members are invited to participate in this program before it is made available to the general public as well as ask questions directly of Kathleen.

Not yet a member? Join today!

Resources:

Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History Algae of Monterey Bay Guide: https://www.santacruzmuseum.org/monterey-bay-algae-guide/
Collections Close-Up Blog: Kelp and Conservation: https://www.santacruzmuseum.org/category/collections-close-up/
AlgaeBase global algal database: https://www.algaebase.org/
Getting started with tidepooling: https://baynature.org/2019/08/20/how-do-i-start-out-tidepooling/
Video about algae preparation from the British Museum: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slitTRUgQA0
Jepson index of seaweed flora: https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/seaweedflora/kelp/index.html
Recent NatGeo article on the kelp crisis: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/04/california-critical-kelp-forests-disappearing-warming-world-can-they-be-saved
Peer-reviewed paper on North Coast kelp collapse: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-51114-y
Ocean Protection Council’s strategic plan: http://www.opc.ca.gov/webmaster/ftp/pdf/2020-2025-strategic-plan/OPC-2020-2025-Strategic-Plan-FINAL-20200228.pdf
Ocean Protection Council virtual meeting agenda (next Friday 6/19): http://www.opc.ca.gov/2020/05/ocean-protection-council-meeting-june-19-2020/
Reef Check California homepage: https://reefcheck.org/california/ca-overview
Watermen’s Alliance urchin removal events: https://www.facebook.com/groups/158992911481142/

Ohlone Matching Game | 3-4 grade

Native people living along the Central California Coast practicing the Ohlone culture understood nature and responsibly stewarded resources for their survival. Do you know what it means to be a steward of nature? To be a steward is to take care of something. To be a steward of nature you first must understand nature and then you can learn how to care for it and preserve it for the future. In the past and today people have depended on natural resources to survive. Today we are going to learn about natural resources that were important to the Ohlone.

Painting of a scene from an Ohlone village

Matching Game
This 20- to 30-minute activity is for students to learn about natural resources that were important to the Ohlone culture and reflect on natural resources that we rely on today. Students will look at photos and read descriptions of natural resources and match the resource with the artifact they think came from it. Students will check their own answers by reading facts about the artifacts. This activity was adapted for distance learning from the Ohlone Classroom Kit and was created for 3rd/4th graders.

Materials:

Ohlone Matching Game Teacher’s Guide (PDF | HTML)

Ohlone Matching Game Cards Download

Ohlone Matching Game Cards (Spanish Version)Download

Pick more resources about Native Californians in our Online Museum Store

Post by: Elise

Solo Beach Cleanup

Beach cleanups are a way we can all enjoy the outdoors while serving our community. Whenever you’re walking along a beach, river, or other waterway, you can help keep it clean. While there’s a lot we can all do with reducing our own waste, cleanups can prevent some of it from going into our oceans. (As with all activities, remember to practice good social distancing!) Here’s what you need to know about conducting your own beach cleanup:

Helpful Tips and Suggestions

Never touch anything with your bare hands. Be sure you’re wearing gloves. As for me, I use gardening gloves. The best thing is that they are washable, so I can keep reusing them. I also recommend close toed shoes.
I use a bucket instead of a plastic bag to reduce my waste. A reusable shopping bag is also effective.
Do not touch anything sharp or organic. If you find dead animals or waste (poop), just leave it. If you find a biohazard, like a syringe, do not pick it up. If you want, you can call the police and tell them exactly where the biohazard is located, but you are not obligated to.
If you see any living wildlife, give it plenty of space and do not disturb it. Even if that elephant seal is sitting right on top of a piece of plastic, let it be. Also, remember that all Marine Mammals are protected under the Marine Mammal Act.
Both the city and the county of Santa Cruz have specific but different criteria for what constitutes trash or recycling. I highly recommend you take a look at those before you start your cleanup:
- City of Santa Cruz recycling guidelines
- County of Santa Cruz recycling guidelines
  As a general rule, “when in doubt, throw it out.” It does not help our recycling industry if trash is found in recycling.
Pay attention to microplastics, or plastics that are smaller than 5 mm. Microplastics are by far the majority of the plastics that make it into our oceans. Just like larger pieces of plastics, any microplastic that gets ingested can’t be digested. And that’s not just for ocean animals. It’s estimated that we humans eat about a credit card’s size worth of plastic every week. Learn more here!
Take data! This will help researchers implement policies to reduce plastic pollution worldwide. I recommend you either download the Save Our Shores Marine Debris App or use the Save Our Shores data card. If you use a data card, you can take a picture of it and send it to us at volunteer@santacruzmuseum.org.

And lastly, remember to have a good time. Take a moment to enjoy the waves and the fresh air. We are so lucky to live in a place with gorgeous forests, a healthy ocean, and, most of all, with wonderful people.

Post by: Natalie