Climate & Sustainability
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UC Santa Cruz pledges to become a “Clean California Community,” expands commitment to statewide beautification and environmental stewardship
The Clean California initiative is an effort to remove litter, restore public spaces, and inspire community engagement across California.
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Ancient DNA reveals Ice Age mammals thrived after volcanic eruption
UC Santa Cruz researchers were able to collect ancient DNA preserved in permafrost for insight into how a natural disaster impacted genetic diversity.
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Grants support DIY irrigation and smart, electric tractors for specialty crop growers
Two projects are receiving support from the USDA 2025 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program.
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The creation of the Cigarette Surfboard
Alumnus Ben Judkins’s (Kresge ’17, film and digital media) award-winning documentary follows the creation of the Cigarette Surfboard: A surfboard created by friend Taylor Lane from 10,000+ cigarette butts collected off beaches. Judkins’s documentary has helped influence legislation in Santa Cruz County, and will be screened at UC Santa Cruz on March 8.
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New study on avian malaria finds most of Hawaii’s birds contribute to deadly pathogen’s transmission
Research led by UC Santa Cruz finds that both non-native and native birds play a key role in the transmission of a disease that has contributed to the extinction of over a dozen species of Hawaii’s native birds
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Greener Greenhouses — a Q&A with Katia Obraczka
UC Santa Cruz professor Katia Obraczka’s Greener Greenhouses project uses energy-efficient IoT technology to precisely monitor greenhouse conditions, helping growers reduce water and energy use while improving crop production.
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Art confronts climate: A creative force in the environmental conversation
Groundbreaking art and science collaborations are reimagining how we understand—and survive in—a warming world.
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From Space to Soil, Alexie Leauthaud Bridges Cosmology and Environmentalism
UC Santa Cruz astronomer Alexie Leauthaud is bringing her cosmology expertise to climate action through Seed Spoon Science, a community-based gardening program focused on environmental justice and sustainability.
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Javier Gonzalez-Rocha maps air quality with drones
UCSC engineer Javier Gonzalez-Rocha is using drones and sensors to bring advanced air quality monitoring to underserved agricultural communities on California’s Central Coast.
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New study finds fishing-fleet movements can reveal marine-ecosystem shifts
UC Santa Cruz researchers show how vessel-tracking data mirrored tuna roaming beyond their typical territory due to unusually warm ocean temperatures
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The business case for insuring forests in urban areas
New report examines how insurance policies covering urban forests could be structured and whether it’s feasible
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Arts & Culture, Campus News, Climate & Sustainability, Health, Social Justice & Community, TechnologyNine major wins worth celebrating for 2025
From amazing research discoveries to high-impact new education and fundraising initiatives, UC Santa Cruz created significant positive change, despite headwinds