Events

Volunteer at the UCSC Arboretum
2027-01-12 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-12-08 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-11-10 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-10-13 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Arboretum, 122 Arboretum Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Volunteer Information Sessions at the Arboretum
Do you love gardens and gardening? The UCSC Arboretum & Botanic Garden has a wonderful community of staff, students, and volunteers, ready to welcome you. Opportunities include staffing our gift shop & retail nursery and working to care for our gardens and greenhouses.
To learn more, join us at one of our monthly information sessions. They go for about 45 minutes and include an easy walk through the gardens.
To attend, please fill out our simple volunteer interest form at the bottom of our volunteer webpage found here: https://arboretum.ucsc.edu/get-involved/become-a-volunteer/
If you need a different day and/or have mobility issues please let us know in the “Notes” section of the Interest Form.
Thank You!

Seymour Center's Seaside Storytime
2027-01-09 10:30 - 11:30, 2026-12-12 10:30 - 11:30, 2026-11-14 10:30 - 11:30, 2026-10-10 10:30 - 11:30 | Seymour Marine Discovery Center, 100 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060
Get ready to set sail on a storybook adventure! 📚 ✨ It’s the ultimate weekend treat to spark big imaginations, foster a love for nature, and nurture the next generation of ocean heroes! 🌊 🐚 📖
Our friends at Bookshop Santa Cruz have hand-selected a collection of books about the environment that are perfect for young readers. We hope to see you there!
Join Seaside Storytime on the second Saturday of every month!

First Saturday Tour at the Arboretum
2027-01-02 11:00 - 12:00, 2026-12-05 11:00 - 12:00, 2026-11-07 11:00 - 12:00, 2026-10-03 11:00 - 12:00 | Arboretum, 122 Arboretum Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
First Saturday Tours are a wonderful way to introduce yourself to the Arboretum or to deepen your knowledge of the Arboretum’s plant collections. Each tour is a little different depending on the time of year, the interests of the tour guide, and the people who join in. For example, you might learn about the birds and mammals that make this land their home or about the amazing physical adaptations that plants have evolved to better deal with our extreme weather and climate conditions. Tours are free with paid admission.

Seymour Center's Art in the Aquarium
2026-12-19 10:30 - 11:30, 2026-11-21 10:30 - 11:30, 2026-10-17 10:30 - 11:30, 2026-09-19 10:30 - 11:30 | Seymour Marine Discovery Center, 100 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060
Dive into your creative side and make a splash with us! 🎨🌊
Bring the whole family and unleash your inner artist while surrounded by fascinating ocean life. Whether you’re a budding painter or just looking for a fun weekend activity, you’ll leave with your very own sea-inspired masterpiece to take home! 🐠✨
Join us on the third Saturday of every month for a fun art project with a talented Seymour volunteer!

Social Justice in Climate Finance Symposium
2026-12-04 08:00 - 18:00 | Silicon Valley Campus, 3175 Bowers Avenue, Santa Clara, CA, 95054, United States
December 4, 2026 at UC Santa Cruz, Silicon Valley Campus
The Social Justice in Climate Finance Symposium brings together global communities within and beyond academia to envision how to mobilize climate financing for the benefit of frontline communities. To meet our collective climate challenges, we must reimagine how billions of dollars are invested into building resilient societies. We welcome climate and environmental justice leaders across sectors to propose their priorities and approaches for inclusive climate investments from public, private, and individual sources. The goal of the symposium is to identify pathways for adaptation and mitigation funding to protect and empower those experiencing the most acute climate impacts by aligning investment strategies with academic approaches and governmental policies, while centering community voices.
The in-person, one-day symposium will include two keynote addresses from our community keynote speaker, Silvia Paz, Founder and Executive Director, Alianza Coachella Valley, and Dave Jones, former California Insurance Commissioner.
We will also feature presenters, including local and global leaders from CBOs, Environmental Justice (EJ) and Climate Justice (CJ) practitioners, policymakers, and academics.
Participation will be limited to 50 people to ensure a meaningful discussion as a large group. Apply to attend or to host a breakout room discussion.
Visit our website to learn more
Sponsored by University of California Santa Cruz: Center for Analytical Finance (CAFIN), Institute for Social Transformation, Center for Coastal Climate Resilience, and Center for Reimagining Leadership.

Engineering Teaching Community (Faculty)
2026-11-25 12:00 - 13:00, 2026-11-11 12:00 - 13:00, 2026-10-28 12:00 - 13:00, 2026-10-14 12:00 - 13:00, 2026-09-30 12:00 - 13:00 | Jack Baskin Engineering, Baskin Engineering 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
During the chaos of a quarter, is it hard to find time to reflect and improve as an instructor? Would you like to be a part of an inclusive, supportive group of engineering instructors who do this in community? ETC is for sharing teaching experiences, classroom ideas, research on learning, and methods that support instructors and students. All are welcome, and lunch is provided. Please reach out to Jenny Quynn with questions.

23rd Annual Graduate Research Symposium
2026-11-06 13:00 - 17:00 | Physical Sciences Building, Physical Sciences Building, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
This event celebrates and highlights the work of UCSC graduate students in all academic divisions. Any enrolled graduate student is welcome to present either a poster, talk, or mixed media presentation. The event is free and open to the public.

Seymour Center Homeschool Day: Spectacular Science
2026-10-30 10:00 - 12:30 | Seymour Marine Discovery Center, 100 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060
Calling all homeschool families! Join the Seymour Center on Friday, October 30, at 10 a.m. for a morning of hands-on science investigations, aquarium feeds, a scavenger hunt, and lots more.
• Enjoy hands-on science investigations, crafts, and a scavenger hunt.
• Make an enormous whale skeleton appear in front of your eyes, then walk inside it with our special virtual reality experience.
• Touch live bat stars and crabs, and learn about bone-eating zombie worms and hagfish.
• Marvel at Ms. Blue, a massive blue whale skeleton, and discover how science and engineering innovations helped us restore this beloved Santa Cruz icon.
Admission fees apply. Special activities are included at no additional cost.
RSVP here by October 15 to receive details and activities.

Taking Charge of Change: Five Fundamental Truths for Mastering the Chaos of Life
2026-10-21 12:00 - 13:00 | CA
Taking Charge of Change: Five Fundamental Truths for Mastering the Chaos of Life With Jim Hjort
Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026 | Noon PT
Virtual via Zoom
Hosted by the UCLA Alumni Association, open to all UC alumni
Change is the only constant in life, and every day we are called to reckon with this. Today, it may be most apparent to you in national or global tumult, a career pivot you’re contemplating, or relationship dynamics you’re struggling to tweak or adapt to.
However it shows up, you can count on the rug continuing to shift beneath your feet. And your brain really doesn’t like that, at least by default. In its frenzy to find stability today, it will leap to ways of thinking and behaving that will leave you feeling even more stuck, stifled, and afraid tomorrow. Yet, if you are inclined toward personal growth, you can use the tidal forces of change to propel you to ever-greater wisdom, inner stability, and even growth.
LEARN MORE & REGISTER

Harvest Festival
2026-10-17 11:00 - 15:00 | UCSC Farm, 152 Farm Rd, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Connect with community on the campus farm at the annual Harvest Festival! Harvest Fest will have activities for all ages including face painting, flower pressing, pumpkin painting, cider pressing, tractor rides, live music, and more! Plus, enjoy food and treats from local food trucks, participate in an apple pie bake-off (more info coming soon), connect with local organizations, and enjoy the campus farm. Full list of activities coming soon.

Cost: $5 for general public; free entry for current students of UCSC, Hartnell and Cabrillo College, Friends of the UCSC Farm & Garden members, and children under 12. Cash preferred at the entrance gate.

Transportation and parking: We encourage carpooling, walking, biking, or taking the bus if you are able to! Parking info coming soon. Logistics: Please do not harvest any of the crops on the farm during your visit. The crops grown on the farm feed students in need and support our research and programming. We encourage you to bring a reusable water bottle to save plastic and stay hydrated! Pets are not allowed on the UC Santa Cruz campus (with the exception of service animals). The Harvest Festival is presented by the UC Santa Cruz Center for Agroecology, the Food Systems Working Group, Measure 43 and Life Lab.

The UCSC Farm has moderately steep slopes and uneven terrain. If you require accommodations to fully participate, contact agroecology@ucsc.edu.

Photo-Jim Clark

Free Guided Tour of the UCSC Farm
2026-10-03 10:00 - 13:30 | UCSC Farm, 152 Farm Rd, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Take a free, guided tour of the 30-acre organic UCSC Farm. Visitors can enjoy touring the organically managed greenhouses, hand-worked garden beds, orchards, row crop fields, and children’s garden, while learning about the history of the site and the basic concepts of organic farming and gardening. Perched on a meadow near the campus entrance, the farm also offers spectacular views of the Monterey Bay. Heavy rain cancels.
Tours will take place from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on the following dates (please RSVP for the tour of your choice):

Saturday, July 11
Saturday, August 1
Saturday, September 12
Saturday, October 3

The Mindful U: Finding Calm, Clarity + Connection in a Chaotic World
2026-09-30 12:00 - 13:00 | CA
The Mindful U: Finding Calm, Clarity + Connection in a Chaotic World With Jessica Sanam Hekmat
Thursday, Sept. 30, 2025 | Noon PT
Virtual via Zoom
Hosted by the UCLA Alumni Association, open to all UC alumni
This interactive session, led by career coach Jessica Sanam Hekmat, invites participants to pause and reset to cultivate presence and self-awareness as they navigate professional and personal demands. We’ll explore practical mindfulness tools and reflective prompts designed to foster resilience, regulate stress and re-energize focus. The conversation will balance strategy and self-inquiry, and we’ll ground ourselves together in real time through guided breathwork, reflection, and visualization. Participants will leave with practical ways to reconnect to their values and sense of purpose, even when the external environment feels unpredictable.
LEARN MORE & REGISTER

Science in the Neighborhood - Extrasolar planets and astrobiology: 30 years of discovery
2026-09-24 18:00 - 19:30 | CA
Presentation by Natalie Batalha, Professor, UC Santa Cruz
The presentation will be followed by a live Q&A. Free and open to the public. Register to attend.
The event is in-person only. More info coming soon.
September 24, 2026 | 6:00–7:30 p.m.
Location TBD
Science In the Neighborhood is a public lecture series hosted quarterly by the UC Santa Cruz Science Division.

ISO San Francisco Day Trip
2026-09-19 08:30 - 17:00 | Quarry Plaza, Student Union, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Welcome, New International Slugs!
Come join International Student Services and Programming and fellow new international students on a fun day trip to the city of San Francisco. We will be traveling together to visit some famous sites and catch a glimpse of one of the world’s greatest cities.

Click here to RSVP for our day trip. Confirmation emails will be sent to students prior to the event. Students must reply to the confirmation email to secure their spot on the bus.

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Date: Saturday, September 19
Time: 8:45 – 17:00
Meeting Point: Quarry Plaza – UCSC Campus
Destination: San Francisco, CA
Cost: $40 per person (billed to your student accounts)

Students must confirm or cancel their reservation via email by Friday, September 18 at 17:00.
Failure to cancel or being late and missing the bus will result in a $40 fee billed to the student’s account.

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Itinerary:

Board shuttle from Quarry Plaza at 8:45
Travel to San Francisco
Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Center
Pier 39/Fisherman’s Wharf (lunch and shopping)
Begin return trip to Santa Cruz at approximately 15:00
Drop off at Downtown Santa Cruz or UCSC Quarry Plaza at appx. 17:00
