Green Fix
Younger Lagoon Reserve Tour
This 90-minute behind-the-scenes hiking tour takes visitors into Younger Lagoon Reserve adjacent to the Seymour Marine Discovery Center. Part of the University of California Natural Reserve System, the Younger Lagoon Reserve contains many diverse coastal habitats and is home to birds of prey, migrating sea birds, bobcats, and other local wildlife. See what scientists are doing to track local mammals, restore native habitat, and learn about the workings of one of California’s rare coastal lagoons. Participants must be physically able to walk up and down steep inclines. Space is limited to 14, so sign up early.
INFO: 10:30 a.m. Select Thursdays and Sundays, including Thursday, Aug. 16. Seymour Marine Discovery Center. 100 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz. 459-3800. seymourcenter.ucsc.edu. Free with $9 general admission to the Seymour Center.
Art Seen
‘Planet Pulse’
Today’s museums, galleries, and private collections are overflowing with landscape paintings that showcase the pristine beauty of our natural world. But what happens when the real-life versions of these images no longer exist? Or when the sprawling fields of green and the glistening waves of the ocean are replaced with landfills and oil spills? The latest show from the Santa Cruz Art League combines art and science to put Earth and climate change at the forefront of conversation. “Planet Pulse” highlights artists whose works heighten discourse and consciousness about the present and future state of our environment and our home.
INFO: Show runs through Sunday, Sept. 9. First Friday reception 6-8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 7. Santa Cruz Art League. 526 Broadway, Santa Cruz. scal.org. Free.
Thursday 8/16
Fifth Annual Desi Comedy Festival
The largest South Asian Comedy Festival is stopping in Santa Cruz this week, featuring seven comedians from the Bay Area and Los Angeles. During their 11-day, nine-city tour, the comedians on the Desi Comedy Festival hope to use comedy to express their various cultural, ethnic and religious backgrounds while providing a space for South Asian voices.
INFO: 8 p.m. Kuumbwa Jazz Center. 320 Cedar St., #2, Santa Cruz. kuumbwajazz.org. $17-$50. Ages 18-plus recommended.
Thursday 8/16
‘Perfect Little Worlds’
Award-winning local author Clifford Mae Henderson’s fifth book Perfect Little Worlds is set in Santa Cruz in October 1989, during the Loma Prieta Earthquake. The novel details the true story of people getting trapped in the tunnels that were once used as delivery tunnels below the Pacific Garden Mall. Henderson worked as a baker at the Plaza Bakery (where Jamba Juice is currently located) at the time, and her book is a blend of fictional characters and nonfiction recollections of the earthquake.
INFO: 7 p.m. Bookshop Santa Cruz. 1520 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. 423-0900. bookshopsantacruz.com. Free.
Wednesday 8/15-Sunday 8/19
‘The Producers’
Based on Mel Brooks’ Academy Award-winning movie, The Producers is a hilarious musical comedy that took Broadway by storm, winning 12 Tony Awards and three Olivier Awards. Impoverished by a string of flops, New York producer Max Bialystock recruits timid accountant Leo Bloom to help him pull off Broadway’s greatest scam. They aim to produce the worst show ever and run away with millions, but they soon learn that show business can be a kick in the teeth. Photo by Steve DiBartolomeo.
INFO: 2 and 7:30 p.m. Cabrillo Crocker Theater. 6500 Lower Perimeter Road, Aptos. 479-6154. cabrillostage.com. $21-$46.
