Sheltered Spring: Recent Episodes
UC Santa Cruz Campus Natural Reserve
COVID-19 has the world sheltering in place. Here in our place of coastal California, spring is happening. Eight undergraduate students from University of California, Santa Cruz lift the blinds and peel back the petals. These students are your guides as we ponder springtime happenings in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Join us as we explore intersections of humans and nature in the lockdown era. We’re stuck inside, but spring is happening outside. This is Sheltered Spring.
In this installment of Sheltered Spring, I’m inviting you to West Cliff. This popular scenic drive is one of my favorite things about Santa Cruz, California and in this episode I’m walking you through a typical meditative session at my West Cliff sit spot. I share my observations and the entries from my field journal to bring the California coast to wherever our listeners find themselves. Here, we appreciate the invasive ice plant for what it is and we get to know the popular surf spots along this portion of the coast!
As we get to know West Cliff, I’m hoping to amplify the beauty of exposure to nature as therapy. It’s something we probably all need after a year of pandemic restrictions. Reimagining everything for a digital space may have become our normal, but that just means we each need to start reaching for an emotional affinity toward nature.
Music:
Pleasant Porridge by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/7614-pleasant-porridge
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Sounds:
Audio from West Cliff Drive by Naomi San Jose
Audio from Mitchell’s Cove by Naomi San Jose
Audio from Dog Beach, West Cliff by Naomi San Jose
In this episode, Emily takes you on an audio tour of her chosen sit spot at the northwestern edge of UC Santa Cruz's East Meadow. She describes what she sees, hears, and experiences throughout her spring 2021 visits. She notes differences in temperature, plant life, and widlife based on the time of day she witnessed them and notes the changes between now and when she started this naturalist journey in early spring. She noticed many changes in the span of three months spent in the environment, and asks you to visualize them as she describes her surroundings.
Attributions:
31153__uataudio__walkmeddrygrass
167455__kneedless__fly01: https://freesound.org/s/167455/
466129__pianofarm__crows-attacking-red-tail-hawk-03-13-2019: https://freesound.org/s/466129/
479610__craigsmith__r30-34-red-tailed-hawk: https://freesound.org/s/479610/
Pollinator sounds by Alex Jones, used by permission
In this episode, Megan explores the many wonders of Arcata Community Forest in Arcata, California. Joined by the cacophony of the redwood forest, this episode reflects on a life changed by the pandemic, the importance of connectivity in disastrous times, and the fascinating nature of fungus. Interview snippet with Christian Schwarz. Christian Schwarz is a naturalist currently living in Santa Cruz, the land of milk (caps) and honey (mushrooms). He studied Ecology and Evolution at UCSC, and now spends his time photographing, teaching about, collecting, and researching macrofungi. He is coauthor of Mushrooms of the Redwood Coast. Fungi satisfy his curiosity with their seemingly endless forms – from the grotesque to the bizarre to the sublimely beautiful. Besides dabbling in mushroom taxonomy, he loves fish, plants, nudibranchs, moths, and dragonflies. He is passionate about ccommunity science, especially iNaturalist.
Credits:
Introduction music by Graham Davis
Music: Thinking Music by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4522-thinking-music
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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’
VA Mycorrhizae Information: This Article by Randy Molina of USDA Forest Services
Related but not Directly Cited: This Article by Allison Arteaga Soergel off the UCSC Newscenter
This Article by Claire Willing from UC Berkeley
Soundscapes:
- Assorted Field and Narration Recordings
From Jan. 4th to Mar. 4th, 2021 Matt Lee, Santa Cruz, CA * “Trees Creaking (speak to me.....)” Posted Feb. 19th, 2014 on YouTube by Adam Hiscox * “🎧 Creaking trees, forest, winter…” Posted Feb 8th, 2014 on YouTube by Sound Berries * “Tree falling in the woods” Posted Jul. 22nd, 2013 on YouTube by Mark Hall
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
Elevator Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJMK2lIReIg&t=4s
Soundscape
Assorted Field and Narration Recordings
Jan. 4th to Feb. 5th, 2021
Matt Lee, Santa Cruz, CA
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:
Three sites mar otherwise Glowing beach water quality. (2020, February 06). Retrieved March 01, 2021. https://www.ptreyeslight.com/article/three-sites-mar-otherwise-glowing-beach-water-quality
County of Marin - news releases - BEACH water quality. (n.d.). Retrieved March 01, 2021.
https://www.marincounty.org/main/county-press-releases/press-releases/2019/cda-beachwaterquality-062719
https://www.marinwater.org
Kimmerer, Robin Wall. 2013. Braiding Sweetgrass. Milkweed Editions, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Music :
Resonance of the Gods by anankalisto
cloth_music.aif by james_longley
Piano - Fairy Tale Intro.wav by GregorQuende
Vibrant Steps: Sparkling Indie Shoegaze Intro Music by jjmarsan
Wind_magical_Aeolus_soaring.aif by Dynamicell
Soundscape:
underwater ambience by akemov
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:
Rain Fall Through Trees by acollier123
Birdsong and crows in fog.aiff by andymanister
CafeAmbience.WAV by nickrave
Gravel path countryside ambience.mp3 by watercool
People talking loud in the distance at late night - Outside Ambience by clawbase
Lagunita Creek Flow
Lagunitas,CA
By Samantha Carreno
Rainfall
Lagunitas,CA
By Samantha Carreno
Inkwells intro audio
By Samantha Carreno
We're back with our third season, with new UCSC undergrad podcasters Meg, Ajith, Sam, and Matt. Listen in on an introductory conversation and get to know them a bit before their own Season 3 episodes, where they will immerse you Arcata's Community Forest, Santa Cruz's Natural Bridges and Pogonip, and Sonoma County's Lagunitas Creek and their experiences of intersecting their human with the nature of those places during the tail end of COVID-19 Year One. We're kind of not stuck inside anymore, it's (or it was) winter outside, and this is still Sheltered Spring. Written and produced by Alex Component loop and sound effect credits: fream by nightingale wet sounding bass by pablo21 funkee harmonics 90 bpm A by skyrider r a i n d r o p by renegadeonthebeat downtempo drums by danke old school drums by pacosferreira driveby hip hop drums by doku soft lo-fi rhodes by thechokehold lo-fi modern hip hop xylobells by thechokehold drums sad rap pop by mefbeats boo 4 disapproval by jayfrosting audience unison yes by unchaz lexie nope by javapimp read my lips no by nuncaconoci dangerous stranger by nightingale overtone 1 by jadrian
Red-winged blackbirds settling in for the evening at Kalkar Quarry. Mild mannered humans conversing in the background; try not to get too distracted.
10 October 2020
Santa Cruz, CA
Recorded by Alex
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.
Special thanks to Ron Goodman, Kate Jaffe of Santa Cruz Kids in Nature, and Maddie's grandpa.
Episode written and produced by Maddie Pyorre
3:30 am rain and thunder from the event that sparked the CZU Lightning Complex Fire. Thunder so loud it made my car's "back-off" alarm sound.
16 August 2020
Aptos, CA
Recorded by Alex
At her sit spot in Escondido, California, Jessica notices a strange anomaly for fall 2020--clean air. This sparks some discussion and research into the impacts of climate change on California's now nearly year-round wildfire season.
Credits:
"The african moon lullaby-for danke" by Orlando51
Boruna, Alejandra. 2020. The science connecting wildfires to climate change. Published online at https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/09/climate-change-increases-risk-fires-western-us/#:~:text=Increasing%20heat%2C%20changing%20rain%20and,they%20have%20in%20the%20past on 17 September 2020.
Coyote barks while sitting next to a backyard chiminea fire, wood a little wet (sizzlepops start part way through).
9 Dec 2020
Branciforte Creek, Santa Cruz, CA
Recorded by Alex
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:
-
Soundscape Premium - Nature and birds 1 by MINOR2GO
-
Armando by LiddellC
Relevant articles used for research:
Frederica Bowcutt "Tanoak Landscapes: Tending a Native American Nut Tree," Madroño 60(2), 64-86, (1 April 2013). https://doi.org/10.3120/0024-9637-60.2.64
Anderson, K. M., & Moratto, M. J. (1996). Native American Land-Use Practices and Ecological Impacts (Vol. 2, pp. 187-206) (United States, USGS). Davis, California: University of California, Centers for Water and Wildland Resources. https://pubs.usgs.gov/dds/dds-43/VOL_II/VII_C09.PDF
Anderson, K. M. (2007). Indigenous Uses, Management, and Restoration of Oaks of the Far Western United States (Vol. Technical note No.2) (United States, USDA, NRCS). Davis, California: National Plant Center.https://directives.sc.egov.usda.gov/OpenNonWebContent.aspx?content=25907.wba
Pileated woodpecker feeding pecks on Douglas-fir snag, with lots of bits of tree falling down around the base of the tree and the recorder. "Background" birds: red-shouldered hawk, pygmy nuthatch, chestnut-backed chickadee, American robin.
29 Dec 2020
Nisense Marks State Park, Aptos, CA
Recorded by Alex
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:
“Huge Oil Spill Cleanup Advances” - Sally Ann Connell
“Silent Spill: The Organization of Industrial Crisis - Carol M. Parker
Music Attribution:
“Nostalgia of an ex gangsta rapper” by deef is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-ShareAlike.
Morning birds adajcent to Valencia Creek, Polo Dr. Highway One and Soquel Ave in the background. And camcorder noise too. But hey. It's real life. Oak titmouse, acorn woodpecker, California scrub jay, American robin, oak titmouse, American crow, European starling, and likely other stuff too.
2 November 2020
Recorded by Alex (audio ripped from some acorn woodpecker video footage)
In the early 2000s, a television scandal rocked the golf world and the bird world alike. What came out of it?
Post-script amendment: 29% of nearly all North American* (not global) bird populations have declined since the 1970s (Rosenburg et al. 2019 downloaded at from here).
Episode written and produced by Ishana Shukla
Special thanks to Sanjana Raman, Isabel Cortez, and Kelli Haupage for providing voice-overs.
Credits:
Pied Billed Grebe calls by Dennis Davenport
Mourning dove by MyBackyardBirding
Song Used: In the Hall of the Mountain King - Grieg
Hello--it's Jennifer, Maddie, and Maya here, and we'd like to introduce ourselves and our sit spots to you. Throughout this fall quarter, and seemingly never-ending quarantine, we've gotten creative in finding ways to connect with nature! From getting familiar with a coastal lake in southern California to the forests—and even an abandoned quarry— near UC Santa Cruz, we've each learned so much about nature and ourselves. Get to know us, and hear our thoughts on what we find the most interesting about nature at each of our observational sites. (Oh, and stay tuned for our individual episodes included later in this season!).
Credits:
“Siesta” by Jahzzar is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
“Nostalgia of an ex gangsta rapper” by Deef is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0
Season 2's return of the sound(e)scape, ag-style. Our sound(e)scape bonus mini-eps are your aural palate cleansers between full Sheltered Spring episodes. 3 minutes of a particular place, at a particular moment. I really screwed up by not having the students record sound(e)scapes from their particular sit spots, which we could have posted following each of their full episodes. Oops.
Some serious ASMR going on here, goat style. Dinner time at the hay racks. Stick around to the end for deep thoughts.
4 September 2020
Mystery Bay Farm
Marrrowstone Island, Nordland, WA
Recorded by Alex
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:
- 0051 Trap Rhodes by TuesdayNight
2. 0039 Trap Synth Chord Progression by TuesdayNight
Jessica:
-
“Wild West by Maria mae” by mariamae
-
“Paris in Love” by cobius
-
“Uke sad” by pinkpandah
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.
Written and produced by Alex Jones, UCSC Campus Natural Reserve manager
Original music by Alex Jones and Jon Weil of Bob's Daughter
Coyote field recording: Alex Jones
Other sound effects:
• Dheming Breaking_Ice_01.wav https://freesound.org/s/268023/ Creative Commons Attribution License
• Be_a_hero_not_a_patriot stone throw on thin ice on lake, ice breaks, water splash, clothes, long - Stereo.wav https://freesound.org/s/331717/ Creative Commons 0 License
• lwdickens brook winter ice forest_3.wav https://freesound.org/s/269413/
• Micndom Black-capped chickadee - Mesange a tete noire.flac https://freesound.org/s/27387/ Creative Commons Attribution License
• SpliceSound Green frog, croaking.wav https://freesound.org/s/188195/ Creative Commons 0 License
• Spandau walkinginsnow.aif https://freesound.org/s/30833/ Creative Commons 0 License
• NALALIONGIRL aww mom do i have to made by me https://freesound.org/s/439899/ Creative Commons Attribution License
• NoiseCollector excited.wav https://freesound.org/s/113238/ Creative Commons Attribution License
• THE_bizniss car horn.wav https://freesound.org/s/58202/ Creative Commons Attribution License
• Rasunter255 country morning late September.wav https://freesound.org/s/416234/ Creative Commons 0 License
Elegant terns by creek mouth on early morning beach. Occasionally freaking out. Them, not me. Well, me too. But only on the inside. Aptos, CA 27 July 2020 Recorded by Alex
With all the trees and meadows and banana slugs and whatnot, it's sometimes hard to remember that UC Santa Cruz has nearly 20,000 students roaming about. It's just kinda quiet out there. Put on the pandemic, though, and it's even quieter. The students are gone, but how are they doing? And what is life like for them when they are here, if they are members of a group that comprises just 1% of the entire student population? In this episode we speak with Dr. Rebecca Hernandez, Director the UC Santa Cruz American Indian Resource Center, to hear about the AIRC, its students, and how we can increase our sensitivity to what it's like to be Native American at UC Santa Cruz. Check out the American Indian Resource Center's YouTube page to view recent events and learn more. Thank you to Dr. Hernandez!
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.
If you would like to help the Amah Mutsun during this difficult time, please consider donating to the Amah Mutsun Families COVID-19 Relief Fund on GoFundMe (https://charity.gofundme.com/o/en/campaign/amah-mutsun-families-covid-19-relief).
To learn more about their Campaign to Protect Juristac, one of their most sacred sites, from a sand and gravel mine, please visit https://www.protectjuristac.org/
Connect with the Amah Mutsun Land Trust and consider a donation: https://www.amahmutsunlandtrust.org/donate-2
Thank you to Chairman Lopez.
Music: Thinking Music by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4522-thinking-music
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Episode by Alex
Creek trickle.
I hope this doesn't make you have to pee.
Aptos, CA
7 May 2020
Recorded by Alex
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.
Featuring guest Dr. Winifred Frick: http://frick.eeb.ucsc.edu/
Please contact Ishana with any questions or concerns at ishukla@ucsc.edu.
Swainson's thrush and son. And the highway, the ever-present highway. And a few others:
Black-headed grosbeak
American robin
Wilson's warbler
Steller's jay
Aptos, CA
7 May 2020
Recorded by Alex
In this episode we explore two spring animal migrations in the Santa Cruz, CA area through a 'shelter in place' lens. I know, it's "not fair": other animals get to move around while we can't. Might as well learn a little bit about them and the research that goes into studying their movements. Special thanks to UCSC undergraduate student Thomas Savoie and Año Nuevo Reserve Director Dr. Patrick Robinson. Learn more about Northern Elephant Seal research (and more!) at anonuevoreserve@ucsc.edu
Intro and outro music by L C Baron.
Hummingbird sounds recorded by Alex Jones.
Male northern elephant seal sound recorded by Caroline Casey and used by permission.
Other music credit:
Fuzzball Parade by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/5044-fuzzball-parade
License:http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Perched upon a log, listening to a creek.
Aptos, CA
7 May 2020
Birdies:
Black-headed grosbeak
Pacific-slope flycatcher
Recorded by Alex
Interested in salmonids? Learn about Coho salmon and Steelhead trout life history and behavior during this spring time when most humans are unfortunately stuck inside. We also dive into the interactions that humans have with salmonids in a research setting and how we are threats to them. We offer the question: will the lack of humans in salmonid space have an affect on their population size? We also cover how researchers like Katie Kobyashi have been affected by the shelter in place orders.
Written and performed by Hannah and Nicole
Produced by Alex Jones and to the UCSC Campus Natural Reserve and the Environmental Studies department.
Katie Kobyashi website with contact information: https://www.katie-kobayashi.com/
Music credit
Easy Lemon (30 second) by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3695-easy-lemon-30-second-
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
User: ermine - Waves on shingle beach » 061013_felix_waves_10m_ecm957_tr003.mp3
Link: https://freesound.org/s/23723/
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/legalcode
Our second 3-minute aural immersion mini-ep, this one from a small creek in Aptos, CA.
Some feathered friends you might hear, listed in order of appearance (a-hear-ance?):
Pacific wren
American robin
Pacific-slope flycatcher
Wilson's warbler
mourning dove
Steller's jay
Acorn woodpecker (pecking)
Brown creeper
Can't get away from car sounds, like almost ever. Funny how you really notice it when you're trying to record "nature."
Recorded by Alex
17 May 2020
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.
Featuring guest Dr. Justin Suraci: https://justinsuraci.weebly.com/
Please contact Ishana with any questions or concerns at ishukla@ucsc.edu.
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."*
--http://www.californiaherps.com/frogs/pages/p.sierra.html
Can you hear any of the calls he describes?
Recorded by Alex
24 April 2020
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
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4560-unanswered-questions
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
- Twisted by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4552-twisted
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
- Tranquility Base by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4542-tranquility-base
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
COVID-19 has the world sheltering in place. Here in our place of coastal California, spring is happening. Eight undergraduate students from University of California, Santa Cruz lift the blinds and peel back the petals.
These students are your guides as we ponder springtime happenings in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Join us as we explore intersections of humans and nature in the lockdown era. We’re stuck inside, but spring is happening outside. This is Sheltered Spring.