Santa Cruz County Local News: Environment

San Benito County is one of the unsung jewels of the Central California Coast. Most people know of Gilroy, San Juan Bautista and the Pinnacles, but there is much, much more.

Elkhorn Slough, the vast natural area south of Watsonville that serves as a transition zone between land and sea and is home to myriad species of birds—as well as water and land animals—got a boost last week with a $6 million award.

In the wake of the California Marine Sanctuary Foundation’s recent historic $71 billion award, a look back at the first National Oceans Conference.

From the bluffs above the waves in San Mateo County, you can watch humpbacks breach—and feel the power of nature.

California Marine Sanctuary Foundation (CMSF) has advice for farmers who have accumulated huge heaps of used plastic, specifically used drip system tape and hoop house film.

In the decade between 2013-23, volunteers and nonprofits picked up 439,358 cigarette butts from Santa Cruz County’s beaches and natural areas, accounting for a quarter of all litter found here.

Santa Cruz County voters on Nov. 5 will consider a parcel tax for county, city and nonprofit projects to help reduce the risks of wildfires, floods and other catastrophes fueled by climate change.

In the decade between 2013-23, volunteers and nonprofits picked up 439,358 cigarette butts from Santa Cruz County’s beaches and natural areas, accounting for a quarter of all litter found here.

It’s summer again and all across the country Junebugs are busy with the business of procreation. Here in the sandhills of the San Lorenzo Valley and Scotts Valley, you may encounter a singularly rare species, the Mount Hermon June Beetle (Polyphylla barbata), which is found nowhere else on the planet.

The Fourth of July has long been a time of celebration in Santa Cruz County, a height-of-summer fete that draws hordes of people to local beaches to indulge in picnics, swim in the ocean and soak up the sun, and, for some, trash the place

The May 11 first-ever Pitch In All Santa Cruz Cleanup Event had a significant community impact, with more than 30 organizations and 431 individuals holding cleanups from Davenport to the Pajaro Valley, including the cities of Scotts Valley, Capitola, Santa Cruz and Watsonville.

Hundreds of dead and dying pelicans have washed up on beaches in recent weeks all up and down the California Coast. The staff at the Santa Cruz Native Animal Rescue center have been swamped with underfed and hypothermic animals.