I am a Professor in the Art Department at UCSC. Norman Locks is my colleague and he has visited your reserve many times. This summer, I am travelling throughout Central and Northern California on a research/ performance art/ filming tour. The broad question my work addresses is how to use art strategies to engage diverse groups of people in the struggle for environmental justice. Specifically, this summer will be focused on water issues in California. I am going to be speaking with and/or interviewing a variety of people about water issues, especially researchers. I would like to gain a deeper understanding of human impact on water resources and ecosystems in California. While in Big Sur, I would like to focus on marine ecosystems and climate change. What is the current status of the marine ecosystems off the coast of Big Sur? How is this different now than they were historically? What human-caused changes are currently taking place in marine ecosystems in Big Sur? "Climate change" is an all-purpose phrase for a lot of complicated processes, and I would like to learn about its effects in more detail, as they relate to a specific area. I understand that Landel-Hills Big Creek Reserve actually extends one mile into the ocean, is protected from fishing, and that there are long-term studies on marine ecosystems conducted there. This makes it a perfect site for this portion of the tour. I request permission to stay at the reserve during the Big Sur leg of my tour, July 10th-15th, 2015. My research group consists of 6 people travelling in 2 small RVs and one truck. My hope during our stay would be to schedule some time with you to take us on a guided tour of the reserve, tell us about your research, and maybe answer some of our questions. My research methods are to instigate dialogue that promotes an exchange of resources, information, ideas, and creative problem-solving for serious environmental issues. I would love to engage you in this process in any capacity that you are comfortable and willing. I am happy to talk on email regarding how this might all work out. Thank you.

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