Sheltered Spring

Having observed a dramatic period of change in the first episode, we now look to studies of forest ecology in order to understand the implications of our observations, as well as to receive a general education on the functioning of forests. In this episode, Peter Wohlleben’s book “The Hidden Life of Trees” is used as the main source material from which quotes are taken and sections are paraphrased, however, other works are cited and sourced from as well. This episode will effectively initiate even the novice into knowledge of how forests function, though the study is one in which one can delve infinitely into. By the episodes completion, we’ll understand why we saw the levels of destruction we did in the first episode, as well as the connections between all the organisms we had observed.

Music Attributions:

Introduction Music: Graham Davis

Resource Attributions:

Bulk Forest Ecology Material: Peter Wohlleben’s ‘The Hidden Life of Trees’

Tired of being stuck inside and staring at screens all day?. . yeah, me too. So let’s go on an adventure through the forests surrounding the UC Santa Cruz campus and appreciate the beauty of the trees. This first episode documents the changes I observed after a huge wind storm swept through Santa Cruz, ensuring it did not pass unnoticed by tearing apart the canopies and shedding countless leaves and branches. These events and the subsequent observations bear intrigue and prompt us to investigate forest ecology to understand what role they play in the dynasties of forests. So listen in to wet your ecological appetite.

Music Attributions:

Introduction Music: Graham Davis

Sam here, after exploring my sit spot I decided to reach out of my environment and take on the lens of the Lagunitas wildlife. Animating the creeks and scenery, I examined the water quality and integrities Lagunitas Creek has. In this episode I research and analyse the importance the creek carries for the endangered coho salmon. With special guest Eric Ettlinger, I tackle previous questions on my observations that I have made in relation to human to environment relationships.

Featuring:

Eric Ettlinger: Aquatic Ecologist, Marin Municipal Water District

Braiding Sweetgrass narration by Kelley Tillman

Resources on the Matter:

In this episode I invite you to join me at a destination spot I hold dear to me. I’m Sam and I’d like to take us on the journey of exploring my sit spot and all it has to offer. In this episode I walk through my processes of capturing the thrill of the swimming holes called The Inkwells. I examine it during two different seasons and dive into the importance it carries within its natural ecology.From swimming holes to spawning creeks, let’s observe the relationships between humans and the environment.

Music:

Grahams Jam by Graham Davis

Soundscapes:

What is this place— an abandoned rock quarry? A neighborhood park? Is that pond natural? Were those trees planted? These questions ran through my mind as I first stumbled upon this ”natural” space...

Welcome to Kalkar Quarry: a piece of land that has taken on a variety of identities throughout the past 200 years. As I got to know this place, I questioned and analyzed the definition of nature through the eyes of residents to the quarry, local mineralogy records, and even children’s outdoor education programs. Join me as I piece together the evolution of this space, and why it is so important to our past, present, and future community.

Check out https://www.newspapers.com/clip/8570621/kalkar-quarry-purchase/ for a few more things not mentioned in the podcast.

After smelling smoke from his sit spot in San Francisco, and the subsequent clean air as fall progressed, Razi remembers childhood visits to California Indian acorn grinding rocks. This episode recounts his research into the Traditional Ecological Knowledge and land management practices of California Indians that stewarded oak trees and their acorn crops.

Music credits:

Hello! I’m Jennifer, please join me on exploring Oso Flaco Lake and its surrounding areas. This podcast will give a general overview on the local oil industry and a specific spill that occurred under Unocal, and it’s relation to the land on the California central coast. This group of small towns have a story that can relate to many worldwide. It’s had to grapple with global struggles of the repercussions of industry and current day efforts for remediation and restoration. If you want to read more depth of the history of the oil spills on the central coast here are some sources that have covered the Guadalupe Oil Spill specifically:

In the early 2000s, a television scandal rocked the golf world and the bird world alike. What came out of it?

Meet Jessica, Ishana, Grace, and Razi. Meet the places that they decided to visit repeatedly through the fall and get a small taste of their process of getting outside and embarking on--or continuing--their naturalist learning journey.

Credits:

Ishana:

Pied Billed Grebe calls by Dennis Davenport

Razi:

We're back with a new crop of UC Santa Cruz student podcasters for our COVID-weary world. Come along for an extended trailer for Season Two of Sheltered Spring.

We are honored that Chairman Lopez of the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band took the time to speak with us on Sheltered Spring. In addition to providing an in-depth history of his people, Chairman Lopez discusses the Amah Mutsun Land Trust and how the Native Stewardship Corp and his tribal members are coping with COVID-19.

Many of us are hearing the term "social distancing" for the first time. However, many different taxa practice social distancing during times of disease, and they might be able to show us how it's done.

How are animals reacting to a sudden lack of humans during quarantine? On this episode of Sheltered Spring, Dr. Justin Suraci gives us insight into how the world of animal behavior is changing, and how it might impact our future.

Welcome to the first sound(e)scape mini-ep. Between each Sheltered Spring episode we'll be cleansing your aural palate with three minutes of soundscape recording. This first recording was done at night next to an Aptos, CA neighborhood backyard frog pond. This track features the Sierran treefrog (Pseudacris sierra). Or a bunch of them, that is. Here's what Gary Nafis says on his excellent californiaherps.com website:

"Advertisement calls are heard during the evening and at night, and during the daytime at the peak of the breeding season.
Males produce two different kinds of very loud advertisement calls: a two-parted, or diphasic call, typically described as rib-it, or krek-ek, with the last syllable rising in inflection, and a one-part, or monophasic call, also called the enhanced mate attraction call.
They also produce a slow trilled encounter call, a release call, and a land call, which is a prolonged one-note sound that is produced much of the year, especially during the beginning of the fall rains."

How is sheltering in place affecting traffic in greenspaces? What greenspaces are being visited? Who has access to greenspace, and who does not? This episode investigates trends in the traffic in greenspaces both nationally and locally from the start of the Shelter in Place Mandate until now. I also look at environmental justice issues involving access to greenspace and what that means right now during the global pandemic. Join me as I explore greenspaces that became spring break quarantine destinations, share visitation data from two trail systems in Santa Cruz, and point out issues to greenspace access in the midst of this global pandemic.

Written and produced by Stacy

Music Credits:

• Unanswered Questions by Kevin MacLeod