USC Wrigley Institute for Environment & Sustainability

09/23/2026

Celebrate Green Week at USC! 🌱

USC Green Week returns Sept. 28-Oct. 2 with opportunities to explore sustainability efforts across the university. As part of Assignment: Earth, USC’s sustainability framework, the week brings the USC community together through events, activities, and opportunities to connect and learn about creating a more sustainable campus and world.

Visit the USC Office of Sustainability website for details: https://sustainability.usc.edu/events/green-week/

09/21/2026

Introducing of our most popular activities at the Wrigley Marine Science Center: kayaking!

Explore Big Fisherman Cove while learning about Catalina Island's geology, wildlife, rocky reefs, and kelp forests while you paddle. You might even get an up-close look at some sea lions!

Kayaking could even be part of your class experience at the Maymester 2027. Choose from 5 immersive courses that turn Catalina Island into your classroom.

Spend next summer with us: https://dornsife.usc.edu/wrigley/education/catalina-residential-college/catalina-island-maymester/

09/17/2026

"I realized that my background in art and design does not have to exist separately from science. Instead, creative work can support research by making information more accessible and memorable."

2026 Environmental Communications Intern Jinwoo Kim, a media arts and practice major at USC School of Cinematic Arts, leverages her background in design to teach us about plastic pollution and how we can be part of the solution.

Learn more about her summer internship experience: https://dornsife.usc.edu/wrigley/2026/09/16/graphics-to-describe-chemistry-research-for-plastic-sustainability/

Check out Jiwoo's graphics for the Fieser Lab’s Solving Plastic Pollution educational website: https://solvingplasticpollution.weebly.com/

Creating a more sustainable and environmentally just future for our planet and all who live on it

09/10/2026

🎥 Follow 2026 Environmental Communications Intern Jasmine Ying as she captures footage for her documentary at the Wrigley Marine Science Center!

Then, watch the finished mini documentary (🔗 in bio) to learn all about Catalina Island's native and endemic plants! 🌱

09/04/2026

A plastic alternative could come from an unexpected source: seashells. 🐚

With initial funding from USC Sea Grant, part of the USC Wrigley Institute, USC Biomedical Engineering professor Eunji Chung developed a biodegradable, plastic-like material using minerals found in seashells.

Now, with support from a 2025–2027 Faculty Innovation Award funded by the Seaver Institute, her lab is working to create a second-generation version that breaks down faster in seawater.

08/10/2026

There are lots of beautiful sights around the Wrigley Marine Science Center, but one of our favorites is Blue Cavern Point during sunset! 🌅

WMSC-based summer interns JD and Jasmine share 2 ways to get there. 🧭

08/03/2026

How can scientists share their knowledge in a way that moves heart and minds? One powerful way is through storytelling.

Launched in 2022, Storymakers is a weeklong program that trains established environmental and sustainability researchers in the art of storytelling, so they can reach the public with creative and compelling narratives that inspire positive change.

Held annually at the Wrigley Marine Science Center on Catalina Island, this year's program welcomed 12 fellows from 11 academic institutions across the United States. We're happy to celebrate a new milestone: more than 50 researchers have now completed the program! 💫

Featured Storymakers Fellow: Nathaniel Otjen, Environmental Humanist & Anthropologist, Ramapo College of NJ

07/31/2026

Next up: A Trip to Two Harbors ☀️

Outside of their WMSC-based internship, Jasmine and JD spend lots of time at Two Harbors on Catalina Island. Follow along on as they explore the scenic town neighboring our campus!

07/27/2026

USC undergraduate students are spending their summer making a difference in local conservation work through a collaboration between Wrigley Institute for Environment & Sustainability and the Los Angeles Zoo!

As part of the Los Angeles Zoo's commitment to enhancing native biodiversity and building climate resilience across Southern California, USC interns are contributing to a variety of conservation projects this summer. Here, they're helping protect the critically endangered Nevin's barberry by collecting field data and studying propagated plants grown in the Zoo's native plant nursery to help inform future restoration efforts.

By combining habitat restoration, scientific research, and community engagement, the internship gives students hands-on experience while helping prepare the next generation of conservation leaders!

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The 2026 USC Wrigley Institute Conservation Internship is made possible with generous support from the Justin Benjamin Foundation, the Bauer Family Environmental Studies Scholarship Fund, and the Laura and Stephan Scully Family Undergraduate Support Fund.

07/23/2026

Need ideas for activities to do next time you're at the Wrigley Marine Science Center?

Summer Education Intern JD Black and Environmental Communications Intern Jasmine Ying take you along for a hike to the mountain overlooking WMSC campus! 🤩

Save this video for your next visit ✨