Hello, I am Teresa Holman, a senior at California State University Monterey Bay (CSUMB). I’m a former NPC intern, now a loud and proud forever volunteer.
On September 30, 2022, I had the privilege of interviewing Jonathan Hicken, the new Executive Director (ED) at the UCSC Seymour Marine Discovery Center. The Seymour Center started as one trailer back in the 1970’s and has now morphed into a 20,000 square foot award-winning museum that receives over 35,000 visitors annually (pre-pandemic).
Jonathan’s strategic plan includes designing creative ways to engage visitors. He has already developed two new youth programs for the children to handle and interact with marine life. With community involvement, he plans to find new ways to address issues such as climate change, the rising sea level, fishing health, and bio-marine diversity. UCSC’s Seymour Center recently hired Gyroscope, an Oakland-based Museum design firm to help renovate the visiting center and implement new exhibits.
As one can see, the Seymour Center is working hard and has received 20 million dollars from the state to perform coastal climate resilience research. If you are looking to get involved, Jonathan shares “I am looking for people in the community who believe that this is an important part of building a community that is preparing for life in the changing climate. In other words, we’re fundraising.” To peep out some more of Jonathon’s scientific wizardry you can visit the original Lookout Santa Cruz article: Imagining a new Seymour Center as climate change, and time, drive new realities. Stay tuned for a future update!