Community Calendar

Join the Carmel Orchid Society at its monthly meetings to learn how to grow orchids in our local environment. Meetings are held from 2:00pm to 4:00m on the First Saturday of the Month (except during Months with Social Events) at the Community Church of Carmel Valley. Monthly meetings feature Informative Speakers and an Opportunity to win Orchids, Food and Fun.

The Society also has a Picnic, Excursion and Holiday Dinner as well as sponsoring an Orchid Market in the Fall.

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DATE: First Saturday of the Month (except during Months with Social Events)
TIME: 2:00pm to 4:00pm
LOCATION: Community Church of Monterey Peninsula, 4590 Carmel Valley Road, Carmel
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: More information is available at CarmelOrchidSociety.org

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THE CARMEL ORCHID SOCIETY
A Group of Orchid Enthusiasts based near Carmel, California who enjoy getting together to learn about Orchids and their Culture. We are also dedicated to exposing the public to the beauty and allure of these plants.

P.O. Box 223462, Carmel California 93922-3462
Info@CarmelOrchidSociety.org

Dedicated community volunteers interested in becoming civil grand jurors for the next fiscal year, July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027, are needed. Each year, the Civil Grand Jury examines local governmental agencies and investigates citizen concerns. The annual report of the Civil Grand Jury provides a foundation for discussion and action to improve local government services within San Benito County.

*MUST BE A SAN BENITO COUNTY RESIDENT TO APPLY*

Shake It Señora invites you to build community through joyful movement. Zumba workouts are offered T/Th&S begin August 5 at 8:30am at N Space Dance Studio, 170 Central Ave. Your first class is free when you mention this announcement. Learn more at ShakeItSenora.com or text Tracy at (919)995-55574.

Pizza My Heart Fundraiser for the Santa Cruz Animal Shelter!
Thursday April 304-9pm at Pizza My Heart 2180 41st Avenue Capitola 95010
831 475-6000
Online Order Code SCCAS430 or mention the animal shelter when ordering in person or on the phone!
30% of your purchase will be donated to the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter Foundation..

Monterey’s Fisherman’s Wharf Association hosts Wharf Walks on the First Saturday of Each Month. These Walking Tours take place at Monterey’s Old Fisherman’s Wharf, are at no-charge to attendees and are held from 10am to 12:00pm. The tour is for ages 10-adult only, with no more than 15 people. Tours meet at the head of the Wharf near the pink “Harbor House” Store, #1 Old Fisherman’s Wharf, Monterey.

More details are available on www.montereywharf.com. To reserve your free space, please visit monterey.gov/library/events or call 831-646-3933.

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About Wharf Walks:

This entertaining tour of Old Fisherman’s Wharf and the waterfront will take you back in time to explore the history of the Monterey Wharf, early history of the Monterey waterfront, The Rumsien/Ohlone People -- Monterey’s first fishermen, the abalone industry, whaling the bay and of course, the legendary sardine industry.

You will discover some of the people and cultures of Monterey’s colorful past and hear fascinating stories about Old Fisherman’s Wharf and those who worked and walked there. You will also learn about the sardine and squid industry.

About Monterey’s Old Fisherman’s Wharf:

Known as the “Monterey Bay Whale Watching Capital of the World” and a top destination of visitors from around the world, Monterey’s Old Fisherman’s Wharf provides a wide array of award-winning dining, shopping, whale watching, bay cruises, a glass bottom boat, marine life, fishing and sailing, and strolling leisurely in a gorgeous setting overlooking the Monterey Bay.

For more information about Old Fisherman’s Wharf, please visit www.montereywharf.com or call (831) 238-0777.

First Friday Salinas is a monthly tradition designed to transform Downtown into a consistent, positive space for community and culture to thrive.

Come and enjoy an evening of local art, live entertainment, delicious food, and shops open late. Bring your friends and family to Salinas City Center and discover something new every First Friday of the month

You won’t want to miss it!

When & Where:
Every First Friday of the Month
Starting at 5:00 PM
Location: Downtown Salinas in 100 – 300 Blocks of Main Street
Opening Ceremony: 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM, at the One Main Street Stage (in front of the Steinbeck Center).

Join the Carmel Orchid Society at its monthly meetings to learn how to grow orchids in our local environment. Meetings are held from 2:00pm to 4:00m on the First Saturday of the Month (except during Months with Social Events) at the Community Church of Carmel Valley. Monthly meetings feature Informative Speakers and an Opportunity to win Orchids, Food and Fun.

The Society also has a Picnic, Excursion and Holiday Dinner as well as sponsoring an Orchid Market in the Fall.

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DATE: First Saturday of the Month (except during Months with Social Events)
TIME: 2:00pm to 4:00pm
LOCATION: Community Church of Monterey Peninsula, 4590 Carmel Valley Road, Carmel
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: More information is available at CarmelOrchidSociety.org

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THE CARMEL ORCHID SOCIETY
A Group of Orchid Enthusiasts based near Carmel, California who enjoy getting together to learn about Orchids and their Culture. We are also dedicated to exposing the public to the beauty and allure of these plants.

P.O. Box 223462, Carmel California 93922-3462
Info@CarmelOrchidSociety.org

200+ Quilts, Fabric Sale, Mini Quilts, and Raffle!
*Closes at 4pm on Sunday, 3 May

Join us for a community event with keynote speaker Beth Shaprio of Colossal Biosciences, the company that is working to de-extinct the mammoth!

In the 25 years since the Human Genome Project, scientists have sequenced the DNA of thousands of species. But what can genomics actually do for ecological conservation? The answers are both surprising and urgent. Join us for an afternoon at the cutting edge of conservation genomics as we explore everything from de-extinction to searching water samples for viral genomes, with researchers from the UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute who are turning DNA into a tool for protecting life on Earth.

Keynote Speaker: Beth Shapiro Chief Science Officer, Colossal Biosciences Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, UC Santa Cruz; Director of Conservation Genomics, UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute

Beth Shapiro leads the science behind Colossal Biosciences’ efforts to bring back the woolly mammoth and dire wolf. In her talk, “How (and Why) to Clone a Mammoth,“ she’ll share what the science of de-extinction is revealing about how we can protect the species we still have — and why the tools being built for resurrection may be our best hope for preventing extinction in the first place.

Panel Discussion: Conservation Genomics in Action

Following the keynote, Beth joins a panel of researchers working on the front lines of conservation: helping kelp forests survive warming oceans, tracking the genetic health of California’s brown bears, monitoring biodiversity through DNA collected from soil and water, and partnering with Indigenous communities to protect species around the world. Panel participants include:

Beth Shapiro- Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UC Santa Cruz, CSO of Colossal Biosciences
Meaghan Clark- Postdoctoral Scholar in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UCSC
Katie Jones- Director of Community Engagement at Wise Ancestors
Joanna Kelly- Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UC Santa Cruz
Rachel Meyers – Assistant Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UC Santa Cruz, CSO of eDNA Explorer
Science Fair Showcase

Explore live demos and talk directly with researchers from some of the top conservation genomics labs in the country. Come curious.

Full list of table topics to come!
Schedule

12:30 PM — Doors open
1:00 PM — Welcome remarks by David Haussler and Keynote by Beth Shapiro
1:50 PM — Panel discussion and Q&A
2:50 PM — Refreshments and science fair showcase
4:30 PM — Event close

Illustrating Nature Returns to the PG Museum on May 1

PACIFIC GROVE, Calif. (March 18. 2026) — A long-standing partnership between CSU Monterey Bay and the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History continues May 1 with the 16th Annual Illustrating Nature Exhibition. Showcasing the talented work of graduates of CSUMB’s Science Illustration Program, Illustrating Nature is a tour de force in the ways scientific illustration and art take form. Thanks to the Arts Council for Monterey County and the Monterey County Board of Supervisors, the show will be bigger than ever, featuring an expanded display reaching across both floors of the Museum. This year will also see the return of audience favorites, including the artist’s field journals on display. “Illustrating Nature is our most popular annual exhibit,” says Maya Sosa, the Museum’s Exhibitions Coordinator. “The art these graduates create showcases their talent and creativity and reminds us of the many ways beauty can be found in nature.”

The show will run from May 1 through June 7th, with a special free opening reception at the Museum on Friday, May 1, from 6-8pm. The reception will feature the opportunity to meet the artists and their instructors and explore the artwork in its expanded spaces. “As with recent years, our upcoming exhibit continues to highlight newer applications of Science Illustration, including infographics and comics in addition to paintings and illustrations guests are used to seeing,” says Reid Psaltis, head of the Science Illustration Program and former graduate. “Our current group of students has worked hard to find ways of communicating the scientific subjects they’re passionate about.”

Guests at the opening reception excited to discuss the art with the artists will have the opportunity to receive a sticker of their work. Visitors interested in more will also have plenty of opportunities to purchase, learn about, and create their own art over the course of the exhibition run with a variety of events including artist demonstrations from current students on 5/16 and 5/30, classes with the Museum taught by program graduates for all skill levels, and a special artist market on May 22 where visitors can purchase art prints, stickers, originals, and more from participating graduates. “The artist market is so much fun,” says Noelle Fletcher, the Museum’s Marketing & Events Manager. “The students have been working all year on incredible works, and we only get to see a subset in the show, but the market gives an opportunity to see much more and support them as they move into this next career chapter.”

Illustrating Nature will run May 1 through June 7 at the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History. Get a sneak peek after April 10th at www.pgmuseum.org and sign up for events at www.pgmuseum.org/events. The talent will continue in June with a new exhibit in the Museum's popular Beyond Illustrating Nature space by program graduate Amy Koehler, also funded by the Arts Council for Monterey County and the Monterey County Board of Supervisors.