FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: February 2, 2026
SCMSN: Dylan Skybrook, dylan@scmsn.net
OSA: Charlotte Graham, 408-439-6541, cgraham@openspaceauthority.org
Midpen: Leigh Ann Gessner, 650-691-1200, lgessner@openspace.org
First-Ever Science Symposium a Success in Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, CA— The sold-out Science and Stewardship Symposium took place in Santa Cruz January 30, bringing together more than 250 leaders working on scientific research and hands-on land stewardship in the Santa Cruz Mountains region.
“The Symposium is designed to spark new connections, provide a platform for knowledge-sharing and build partnerships that inspire science-based solutions that help us care for the landscapes, plants, wildlife and human communities of Santa Cruz Mountains region,” said Santa Cruz Mountains Stewardship Network Manager Dylan Skybrook. "The symposium brings diverse perspectives into one room to learn from one another, align goals and strengthen communication and partnerships.”
The event was hosted by the Santa Cruz Mountains Stewardship Network, a coalition of 25 organizations, and presenting partners including the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority and others. The all-day program featured dozens of presentations and posters bridging science and care of the land by scientists, Native Tribes, policy makers, land managers and more.
“The Santa Cruz Mountains are part of one of the world’s most biologically rich areas, making it an important place to apply science-based land management,” said Midpen Natural Resources Manager Kirk Lenington. “This region’s unique mix of ecosystems, located so close to one of the most populated areas in the state, makes it especially vulnerable and valuable for conservation. There is so much still to be learned about caring for these essential landscapes.”
The Santa Cruz Mountains are part of what is known as the California floristic province, one of 36 recognized biodiversity hotspots in the world due to its high diversity of plants and wildlife including dozens of rare and endemic species found nowhere else on earth.
“Science-based care of protected landscapes supports not only plants and wildlife, but also the quality of life for millions of nearby residents by providing essential services such clean air, clean water, buffers against wildfires and floods, local food, and cultural and recreational opportunities that nurture human health and community identity,” said the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority’s Natural Resources Manager, Aaron Hébert.
Learn more at scmsn.net/symposium.
Publishable event photos available upon request.
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The Santa Cruz Mountains Stewardship Network is a collaborative of 25 organizations who steward land in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Its mission is to help cultivate a resilient, vibrant region where human and natural systems thrive for generations to come. The SCMSN acts as a vehicle for its member organizations to act collaboratively, across property boundaries and jurisdictions, on issues that are important to the region, like fire, forest health, climate change, and recreation. For more information, please visit https://www.scmsn.net.
The Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority conserves the natural environment, supports agriculture, and connects people to nature, by protecting open spaces, natural areas, and working farms and ranches for future generations. Since 1993, the Authority has protected almost 30,000 acres of open space, natural areas and working lands, watersheds, and wildlife habitat – providing ecologically friendly outdoor recreation and preserving the natural beauty and environmental health of the Santa Clara Valley. For more information, please visit openspaceauthority.org
The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District is a local public agency whose mission is to acquire and preserve a regional greenbelt of open space land of regional significance in perpetuity, protect and restore the natural environment and provide opportunities for ecologically sensitive public enjoyment and education. On the San Mateo County Coastside, our mission also includes preserving agricultural land of regional significance and rural character and encouraging viable agricultural use of land resources. Midpen has successfully protected more than 65,000 acres of public open space land in the Santa Cruz Mountains region since 1972. For more information, please visit openspace.org