Santa Cruz County Sustainability Articles

‘Water’s Extreme Journey’ is designed like a game to inform visitors about the challenges local watersheds are facing

Solar power, and a network of giant battery storage facilities, are playing an essential role in moving California toward its goal of exclusive reliance on renewable energy sources.

For half a century, this group has reduced waste, reimagined local transportation and redesigned buildings. It’s all part of Ecology Action’s quest for sustainability.

Plus, the National Marine Sanctuary commemorates its 30th anniversary

Natural gas in homes could phase out

Last week, Scotts Valley held the unboxing of the $79,873 wastewater study it ordered for itself from Kennedy/Jenks Consultants Inc., during its regularly scheduled City Council meeting on Aug. 17. But unlike a small gadget shipped from Amazon, what the …

WATSONVILLE—Armed with grabbers, cans, garbage bags and gloves, more than 25 volunteers gathered at Murphy Crossing Road early on July 29 for a community cleanup of a portion of the Pajaro River on the outskirts of Watsonville. The volunteers picked …

Tahoe is majestic and awe inspiring with its jagged mountain peaks, thick forests, swift-running rivers and hundreds of glacial and alpine lakes.

The Amah Mutsun were the first people to care for this part of the Central Coast. Tribal Chairman Valentin Lopez talks about how the modern-day tribe is continuing that quest.

Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary

Beverages—not including those in reusable cups—purchased in unincorporated Santa Cruz County now have a 25-cent fee tacked onto the price

WATSONVILLE—In a special meeting as unpredictable as it was tense, Watsonville City Council could not come to a consensus on a deal that would have made a minor alteration to a critical ballot measure for the Nov. 8 election. The …

The Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, which will help pumas in the Santa Monica Mountains cross 10 lanes of Highway 101, will be the largest in the world.

California may soon shut down its last nuclear power plant, but Gov. Gavin Newsom who once championed the closure has had a change of heart. Federal funds may now keep the plant running.

WATSONVILLE—In spring 2018 Watsonville nonprofit Regeneración: Pajaro Valley Climate Action held a special event to announce results of a landmark community survey.  The event brought together a number of agencies and residents, and its success prompted the organization to kickstart …

By Pamela Morgan The air is crisp, the sky is blue, and everything is coming back to life! The trees are greener, the flowers growing, and the feeling is divine. Songbirds wing their way through the forest amidst the colors …

Tips for creating wildlife-friendly habitat in Santa Cruz County, no matter where you live.

WATSONVILLE—The Pajaro River levee restoration is one of four projects nationwide receiving funding from the federal government, with $67 million from President Joe Biden’s administration coming to help with the long-awaited renovation. Biden made the announcement on Tuesday. The funding …

In 2014 Elizabeth Hoover, associate professor in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management at UC Berkeley, set out on a road trip across the U.S. Hoover covered 20,000 miles over four months, visiting 29 different Indigenous communities and asking everyone she …

The Scotts Valley City Council voted unanimously at its Feb. 16 meeting to empower Public Works Director Chris Lamm to apply for a $20,000 state grant it thinks it can get from a pot of money meant to help communities …