UCSC Community Connections members gather on a Wednesday in October, November, February and May from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm unless otherwise stated below or on the calendar. These general membership meetings typically feature a speaker or program, as well as a light lunch. Our programs are open to members and guests.
Where we meet
Meetings are held at the beautiful UCSC Arboretum, Horticulture Building II Classroom. Detailed directions to the Arboretum can be found on the UCSC Arboretum website. After entering the Arboretum, drive past the small kiosk on your left. The road will curve uphill. Follow the road to the right and park in the gravel parking lot. The Horticultural Building II Classroom and gardens are to your left. Park and walk toward the gardens where there are two nondescript entrance ways to gravel paths. Take the lower path with the wrought iron arbor, closest to the entrance to the parking lot. The path runs along another road that leads to two redwood buildings on your right. The larger building is the Horticulture II Classroom.
Potluck Lunch Instructions
Attendees are asked to contribute to the meeting lunches. Potluck instructions (Google doc).
2025-2026 Program
October 8, 2025 at 11 a.m. – Fall Gathering at the UCSC Arboretum. Our first general meeting of the academic year is an opportunity to meet old and new friends, share a potluck lunch, learn more about the organization, investigate our interest groups, and become a member. The organization is open to campus and community members. Lunch will be provided by the Board.
Entertaining us will be Fiat Musica, a Community Connections choral group, conducted by Emily Sinclair, UCSC lecturer and vocal coach.
November 5, 2025 at 11:30 a.m. – General Meeting at the Arboretum with Ari Friedlaender. Professor Ari Friedlaender, in the Department of Ocean Sciences at UC Santa Cruz, is an ecologist with a primary interest in understanding the relationship between the foraging behavior of marine mammals and their prey. He works on a wide range of marine mammal species including baleen and toothed whales and dolphins across a range of geographic regions. Professor Friedlaender has long-term ecological research projects ongoing in Alaska, California, Massachusetts, North Carolina, and Antarctica. He has helped in the development of tag technology and analytical and visualization tools to better understand the underwater movements and behaviors of marine mammals.
November 5, 2025 – Giving Day at UCSC – The next UC Santa Cruz Giving Day will be held on November 5, 2025, a 24-hour online fundraising event to support student success through vital campus resources. Donors can contribute to the Community Connections scholarships for Re-entry students or local Santa Cruz County high school students beginning their studies at UCSC. Find the Community Connections listing at https://give.ucsc.edu/giving-day-2025 .
February 4, 2026 at 11:30 a.m. – General Meeting at the Arboretum with Jenna Contuchio, 2025 Student Scholar Award Recipient.
April 8, 2026 – UC Berkeley Intercampus Day – Check back for details on visiting Berkeley and the program to be presented by the UC Berkeley Section Club, a UCB Support Group. https://www.sectionclub.org/
Theme: “AI – Promises and Pitfalls”
May 13, 2026 – 2 – 4 p.m – Scholarship Award Event at the Arboretum