Steve Monfort, former director of the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and the National Zoo, is the new executive director of the UC Natural Reserve System. He began his new position on Nov. 4, 2021. At the Conservation Biology Institute, headquartered on 3,200-acres in Front Royal, Virginia, Monfort led teams of scientists studying and breeding more than […]
Main Content
Research
Scientists from around the world conduct field research in the protected landscapes of the Natural Reserve System on topics ranging from climate change to endangered species to habitat restoration.
Teaching
Visiting a reserve brings textbook lessons about the natural world to life. Students and teachers flock to reserves from the University of California and institutions around the globe.
Public Service
From hosting school field trips, to organizing scientific lecture series, to welcoming the public for weekend classes, NRS reserves benefit California communities.
News and Highlights
Snake training at Deep Canyon
By Heather Constable, Campus Administrative Officer, UC Riverside NRS Rattlesnakes are an uncomfortable fact of life in California. From the state line with Oregon, where the western rattlesnake holds sway, to the border with Mexico, where sidewinders rule alongside speckled, red diamond, and western diamondback rattlers, these venomous reptiles are notorious for frightening the snot […]
Experienced mothers prime pups for success
By Tim Stephens, UC Santa Cruz A new study based on four decades of data from the elephant seal colony at Año Nuevo Reserve has enabled researchers to disentangle the effects of environmental conditions, population density, and maternal traits on reproductive success in northern elephant seals. The study, published October 13 in Proceedings of the Royal Society […]