Community Corner

🌱 Patch AM: How your phone can help track monarchs over Santa Cruz beaches

Also check out Karaoke with Moondog on the Santa Cruz Patch calendar

Patch AM Team's profile picture
Patch AM Team, Patch StaffVerified Patch Staff Badge
Tuesday December 23rd Patch AM
Tuesday December 23rd Patch AM (Patch graphic)

Good morning to you Santa Cruz! Catch up on our news and events right here. Keep reading to stay in the know. ☕️️

Before we get to what's happening, a big thank you 👏👏👏 to the local businesses for making Santa Cruz PatchAM possible. Click here to show your appreciation! 💚

Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.

Find out what's happening in Santa Cruzfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

In today's newsletter:

  • How your phone can help track monarchs over Santa Cruz beaches
  • How UC Santa Cruz helped turn everyday Wi‑Fi into a heart monitor
  • Which Santa Cruz shows are climbing the Bay Area awards leaderboard?

Also on today's calendar: Christmas Community Dinner and 9 more events.

Find out what's happening in Santa Cruzfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Today's riddle: What did one magnet say to the other magnet? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

  • Tuesday: An afternoon shower or two, with a high of 63 and low of 52 degrees.
  • Wednesday: A morning shower, then rain, temps: high: 62, low: 53.
  • Thursday: Strong winds subsiding; rain, with a high of 55 and low of 48 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

• Would you like to see where the monarchs are? There's an app for that (marinij.com) — Monarch butterflies clustering at Natural Bridges and Lighthouse Field in Santa Cruz are now part of a high-tech tracking effort you can join with a simple phone app. Researchers are using tiny solar-powered Blu+ tags and the Project Monarch app to map western monarch migration, and they’re counting on local volunteers and UC Santa Cruz students to help protect these fragile overwintering sites.
   

• Graphene tattoos, Wi-Fi, and ultrasound find novel applications (ieee.org) — One of this year’s standout biomedical advances comes from UC Santa Cruz, where researchers developed Pulse-Fi, a low-cost way to track heart rate using ordinary Wi‑Fi signals. The broader roundup also explores graphene “tattoo” biosensors, laser brain imaging, ultrasound-based nerve treatments, and autonomous surgical robots that could reshape future medical care.
   

• Final Weeks to Vote for the 2025 BroadwayWorld San Francisco / Bay Area Awards; Ghostlight Theatre Ensemble Leads Favorite Theatre! (broadwayworld.com) — Santa Cruz theater fans can still vote for Santa Cruz Shakespeare and Cabrillo Stage in the 2025 BroadwayWorld San Francisco/Bay Area Awards, with several local artists and productions appearing across major categories. Voting runs through the final weeks of December, with winners announced in January, so your clicks could help highlight Santa Cruz’s impact on the wider regional theater scene.
   

📸 Around Santa Cruz

Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!

🗓 Upcoming Events in Santa Cruz

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

★ Featured events ★

Want to see your event featured? Click here!

Other local events

📣 Santa Cruz Shout Outs!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Some really lovely cats at the county shelter waiting for homes (as always).
    We visited recently and I hope someone will fall in love with one of these sweethearts! Black cats are free to adopt this month, sponsored by a fund… (Nextdoor Villa De Branciforte East)
  • A MUST SEE!
    Our neighbor Judith Calson, professional journalist photographer, has a show up at the Branciforte Library. It's along the wall behind the stacks,… (Nextdoor Lower Seabright)
  • Pyramid Global Hospitality posted a job opening for Revenue Manager in Santa Cruz. Apply here.
  • City of Santa Cruz California posted a job opening for Police Sergeant (Promotional Opportunity) in Santa Cruz. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Santa Cruz here.

🗞 Nearby News

Scotts Valley

Aptos

  • High School girls flag football all-star game set for January 4 (fresnobee.com)

Watsonville

Ok Santa Cruz! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I find you very attractive!
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

👉 Help make Patch AM better

We use a combination of real people and machines to tell you what’s happening around town. Learn more about Patch AM.

Share to NextDoor     Share to Facebook

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

More from Santa Cruz