By Kathleen Wong, UC Natural Reserve System A warming climate has left California at ever-increasing risk of catastrophic wildfire. Few parts of the state have been spared. Conflagrations once mostly confined to mountain communities are now devastating coastal and foothill areas from Sonoma to San Diego. This expansion of wildfire threats has left Californians dangerously […]
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Reserve Operations and COVID-19
During the unprecedented public health crisis posed by the spread of COVID-19, the UC Natural Reserve System supports the cancellation of any reservation to protect the health and safety of visitors and staff. Reserve visitation remains the authority of respective campus NRS and reserve staff. Reserves are empowered to make the determination to cancel reservations as needed on a case-by-case basis. COVID-19 Information for UC employees provides guidance for all University of California operations. We consider the well being of our community to be paramount, and enjoin all staff and visitors to continue our exemplary record of service and safety.
About us
The UC Natural Reserve System is a library of ecosystems throughout California. Most of the state's major habitat types are represented, from coastal tidepools to inland deserts, and lush wetlands to redwood forests. No other network of field sites can match its size, scope, and ecological diversity. The NRS offers outdoor laboratories to field scientists, classrooms without walls for students, and nature’s inspiration to all.By the numbers
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News and Highlights

2022–23 Mathias Grants awarded
by Kathleen Wong, UC Natural Reserve System For the undertakers of the insect world, death must precede the arrival of a new generation. Burying beetles of the genus Nicrophorus need a carcass on which to lay their eggs and feed their larvae. The hitch in this plan: the fact that dead bodies tend to be […]

Fog binds California and Chile together
By Kathleen Wong, UC Natural Reserve System The thick fog that cloaks California shorelines over summer has an atmospheric counterpart south of the equator. Marine fog not only drenches coastal sections of the South American nation of Chile, but is so reliable that some communities there use fog for drinking water. And in both areas, […]
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