Events
We Simply Liked It: Upcoming Screenings
Interconnections Lecture Series | October 15 & 29
Dates and Times: October 15 & 29, 6:00 PM
Location: Hopkins Marine Station, Boatworks Building
Admission: Free; voluntary donation appreciated.
Join the Western Flyer Foundation at Hopkins Marine Station for the first two lectures in a new series exploring connections among science, nature, literature, and the arts.
October 15 (PAST LECTURE): John Gregg
Biomimicry: Technology “Inspired By” (Stolen From) Nature
October 29: Katie Rodger
Fridays with Ed Jr.: How Research and Friendship Built Two Ricketts Books.
More lectures will be announced soon.
California Seaweed Festival | October 23 and 24
Dates: October 23–24, 2026
Location: Moss Landing and Monterey
Join the Western Flyer Foundation for a weekend celebrating seaweed, science, and our Monterey Bay community as part of the 7th Annual California Seaweed Festival.
The festival brings together researchers, ocean advocates, innovators, chefs, artists, and community members to explore the science, culture, and future of seaweed and kelp forests.
Friday, October 23: Western Flyer Tours
Come aboard the historic Western Flyer for a free dockside tour. Explore the vessel and learn about its remarkable history and its continuing role in marine research and education.
Time: 11am-3pm (last tour starts at 2:30pm)
Location: The docks near the Western Flyer office at 10928 Clam Way, Moss Landing, CA
Saturday, October 24
Visit the Western Flyer Foundation’s booth for hands-on activities and information about our education and science programs.
Time: 9 am–5 pm
Location: Old Custom House Plaza, 20 Custom House Plaza, Monterey
Admission: Free
The California Seaweed Festival is free and open to the public.
Other Events in the Community
Steinbeck’s Landscape – Where Story Meets Place, A Lecture and Book Signing with Susan Shillinglaw
Date: Wednesday, October 14 • 6 PM – 7:30 PM
Location: Irvine Auditorium, Monterey, CA
Host: Old Monterey Foundation
Explore the landscapes that shaped John Steinbeck’s life and writing. Steinbeck’s Landscapes examines how the rivers, valleys, plants, animals, and weather of the places Steinbeck loved found their way into his stories and helped shape his understanding of the human experience.
Featuring nearly 200 contemporary images, historic photographs, and pieces of Steinbeck ephemera, the book offers a richly illustrated look at the connection between Steinbeck’s work and the natural world.
Reception with the author. Books will be available for purchase.
Art Exhibit: From the Gulf of California to the Edge of the Pacific
Dates:
- September 16, 2026–January 3, 2027 – View the Exhibit
- October 10, 11 a.m.–1 p.m. – Meet the Artist
- November 12, 5:30–7:30 p.m. – Art on Tap Panel Discussion
Location: Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History
Artist and natural science illustrator Monica Loncola brings art, science, and close observation together in On the Edge of the Pacific at the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History.
Inspired in part by her internship with the Western Flyer Foundation and her 2025 journey aboard the Western Flyer in the Gulf of California, the exhibition celebrates the often-overlooked life found along the Pacific tideline through pencil, watercolor, ink, and oil.