Help the Kelp – A Community Celebration @ Seymour Center, Santa Cruz

Help the Kelp – A Community Celebration
Featuring a screening of Sequoias of the Sea
Saturday, November 21, 2026 | 4:00–6:00 pm
Seymour Marine Discovery Center – La Feliz Room, Santa Cruz
100 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Northern California’s kelp forests, the towering “sequoias of the sea,” have collapsed by more than 90% in some places over the past decade. Along the way, scientists, tribes, fishermen, and coastal communities have come together to understand what happened and to bring the kelp back.

Join us for an evening of film, conversation, and community. We’ll screen Sequoias of the Sea, a documentary by Natasha Benjamin and Ana Blanco that follows the collapse of the North Coast’s kelp forests and the people fighting for their recovery.

Before and after the film, meet the local organizations working to protect the Monterey Bay coastline, including:

• Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary – Sanctuary Exploration Center
• Sunflower Star Laboratory
• Sea Otter Savvy
• Reefcheck
• Blue Frontier

Schedule 
4:00 Doors Open - Community Partners
4:30 Sequoias of the Sea screening
5:30 Panel Discussion and Q&A with filmmakers 
6:00 Event ends

Tickets are $20 ($10 for students) and space is limited. All proceeds support the Help the Kelp campaign.