Alix Soliman, Author at Lookout Santa Cruz

In Taylor Seamount's "Rio Del Mar Slough," on the left is a painting from the top of one of the piles of sand scraped out of the Rio Del Mar neighborhood after the 2023 winter storms. The painting on the right depicts a future where the community has stewarded Rio Del Mar’s return to wetland in response to climate change.

Through paintings, local artist Taylor Seamount reimagines Santa Cruz as an eco-utopia

by Alix Soliman March 22, 2024March 22, 2024

To combat the hopelessness they feel, Taylor Seamount has turned to an environmental art movement called solar punk – a utopian artistic and literary genre that pictures a world where humanity addresses climate change, environmental destruction and social inequality.

A female harlequin duck photographed catching crab in the Santa Cruz Harbor in November. The duck is a rare sight in the Santa Cruz area and sent local birdwatchers into a frenzy.

Environment

Rare harlequin duck spotted in Santa Cruz sparks frenzy among birdwatchers

by Alix Soliman December 4, 2023December 4, 2023

Throngs of birdwatchers have gathered at the Santa Cruz Harbor to catch a glimpse of a female harlequin duck, which is rarely spotted this far south, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

A patch of Humboldt County milkvetch in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Environment

Rare plant spotted for first time in Santa Cruz County reveals hidden ecosystem reborn in fire

by Alix Soliman November 27, 2023November 29, 2023

A hobby naturalist walking in the Santa Cruz Mountains discovered a patch of what turned out to be Humboldt County milkvetch, a rare plant that had never been spotted south of Mendocino County. Scientists believe the plant — known as a fire-follower because it often appears after a great disturbance to the landscape — actually has a far wider range than initially understood, but its seeds lay dormant here for decades until the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex fire. The discovery sheds light on how forestry practices that emphasized fire suppression have reshaped the landscape, reducing the biodiversity of plant life.

The blue whale skeleton exhibit at the Seymour Marine Discovery Center, affectionately known as "Ms. Blue"

Ms. Blue is coming down — what happened to Seymour Center’s iconic whale skeleton and what’s next

by Alix Soliman November 2, 2023

After taking a beating from the elements at UC Santa Cruz’s coastal campus, the structure supporting the blue whale skeleton affectionately known as Ms. Blue has been deemed unsafe. But fear not, says Seymour Marine Discovery Center director Jonathan Hicken — the bones are staying, and the center wants input on the next chapter of the whale’s legacy.

The Bokariza-Drobac Infiltration Basin on Driscoll's property east of Watsonville.

Environment

Some Pajaro Valley farms are paid to solve California’s water crisis by returning stormwater to the ground

by Alix Soliman October 25, 2023

Can agriculture, long considered a drain on the state’s water resources, help solve California’s water crisis? In the Pajaro Valley, some farmers are being paid to return stormwater to the ground. The effort is part of a joint project among local agencies, landowners and UC Santa Cruz to install groundwater recharge basins on some local farms. Participating farms receive cash rebates based on how much water they capture. But while early results are promising, many challenges remain.