Rachel Kippen, Our Ocean Backyard | Seymour Marine Discovery Center unveils new climate community hub and exhibit - Santa Cruz Sentinel

Rachel Kippen, Our Ocean Backyard | Seymour Marine Discovery Center unveils new climate community hub and exhibit - Santa Cruz Sentinel

A couple of weeks ago the Seymour Center posted a video of a staff member taking a sledgehammer to the organization’s front desk. The destruction was reminiscent of the famed baseball-bat-meets-printer scene from the movie Office Space, and similarly represented a marked turning point toward a different era.

Over the past several months, demolition has made way for transformation as the Seymour Center prepares to open its doors to a new exhibit and refined museum engagement strategy, inviting Santa Cruz locals and visitors to learn about climate science, climate action, and connect with nonprofits, businesses and community members who are bringing forward solutions.

The public is invited to celebrate the unveiling of these new experiences at the Seymour Center’s free and family-friendly “ Block Party on the Bluff” from 5:30-9 p.m. Friday featuring food trucks and live music. The center will host special programs throughout the weekend.

Jonathan Hicken, the organization’s executive director, believes the Seymour Center can fill an necessary niche in response to the climate crisis. “Coastal communities all over the world need to think about climate change. What’s really amazing about Santa Cruz is that we’ve got passionate, brilliant people doing boots-on-the-ground work. One of the gaps here right now is, ‘Who is inviting the community in to understand all of that, and most importantly, showing people how to plug in?’”

“A couple years ago we started thinking that what’s going on in the ocean is not only interesting, important, and awe-inspiring. But what’s going on out there shows up on the front porches and in the daily lives of the people who live, work, and play in Santa Cruz. Our community has been feeling climate issues in a very real way – whether it’s the damage to West Cliff, Pajaro flooding, the 2020 fires, or questions about freshwater resources, agricultural security, and the health of wildlife itself – so many of these issues are what UCSC scientists study.”

“In addition to scientists, there’s all these incredible people and organizations who work on solutions that are legitimate and possible and exist at all kinds of levels, whether it’s nonprofits or public agencies, and community groups. We’re bringing all of that together so that a visitor can come and discover the science and solutions to the local impacts of climate change and also walk out with some specific, meaningful ways that they can get involved and help build a resilient Santa Cruz,” Hicken says.

I’m not going to pull out all the spoilers because you should go see the exhibit for yourself. However, there’s a few aspects that stick out. Firstly, there’s lots of places to chill, which might sound silly but it’s intentional and it matters, especially considering the subject.

There’s even a free area with Wi-Fi, cold brew coffee for purchase, and cozy chairs for studying, teleworking, or simply taking a load off. Hicken tells me he noticed that every time staff put out an old sofa from a back office it would be well used by visitors.

The vibe is welcoming, and the layout feels notably different than before. There’s no rush to leave. Visitors are encouraged to putz around, participate in a workshop, or read a book to their kids.

Secondly, the entire exhibit is in Spanish and English. The hands-on exhibit components have movable panels for wheelchair accessibility. Seymour Center staff and local companies built it all from scratch, sourcing sustainable materials from start to finish. “We gotta walk our talk,” adds Lauren Donnelly-Crocker, the center’s deputy director.

Thirdly, the exhibits are responsive and unimposing. A ‘Maker Lab’ is dedicated for community-calendared workshops, including bicycle repair, yoga, and facilitated conversations. Art hangs on the wall designed by UC Santa Cruz students. Hicken points out four “story booths” that each feature a Santa Cruz climate issue like human development and wildlife corridors, wave intensity and erosion, urban flooding and flood plains, and alternatives to plastics.

The narratives will rotate and participants can build an “Atlas” book collecting new pages from each of the changing booths that highlight UCSC research, facts, and timely actions and events.

Hicken and Donnelly-Crocker act out one such booth with a banner above it reading “See cities as ecosystems.” Over a map of Monterey Bay land and sea, participants are prompted with questions about how to mindfully build housing out of blocks while utilizing UCSC data depicting wildlife habitat without causing habitat fragmentation. While there isn’t one prescriptive answer, it’s clear from the science: housing cannot sprawl out, it must go upward.

I questioned Hicken if he expects political blowback on sensitive subjects such as high density housing or West Cliff Drive. “Our role is not to convince anyone of anything politically. We’re here to elevate the science and solutions on the table. If someone feels very strongly one way or another, it’s our role to listen and to have that conversation. This is a safe place where we can have these sometimes tough conversations and parlay it into an educational moment for everyone. Solutions are going to be hard and we’re not shying away from that,” he says.

Lastly, it’s not depressing. “You’re not going to see a huge globe showing emissions or the planet on fire,” Hicken explains. “We’re jumping past the global climate change conversation and straight into ‘This thing happened, here’s the science behind it, and, most importantly, what are we doing about it?’ It’s tangible and always solutions-forward.”

Before you get your feathers ruffled (I, too worried about the fate of the decorator crab tank), Hicken assures me that the fan favorites will continue. The aquarium, marine mammal tours, school programs, field trips, and summer camps will all remain. “Those things are beloved. We love them, you love them, they are staying.”

“All of this for me is super motivated by what I saw happen at the MAH under former Executive Director Nina Simon. She really inspired me to see the power of focusing on the community. In the case of the MAH that was around art, culture, and creativity. At the Seymour Center, we’re using many of those same principles but applying them to science and climate solutions. This is a community hub for learning, celebration, and mobilizing people to get involved in ways they perhaps didn’t know were possible.”

Rachel Kippen is an ocean educator and sustainability advocate in Santa Cruz County and can be reached at newsroom@santacruzsentinel.com.