By Shelly Leachman, UC Santa Barbara Conservation requires certain heroics: research to identify and develop solutions, and the resources to put them into place. And sometimes it’s a matter of being quick on one’s feet — quite literally. Case in point: Cristina Sandoval, longtime director of UC Santa Barbara’s Coal Oil Point Reserve. In her […]
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
Citizen scientists census animals on Año Nuevo Island Reserve
By Tim Stephens, UC Santa Cruz UC Santa Cruz researchers are inviting citizen scientists to help achieve the first comprehensive counts of the thousands of seals, sea lions, and seabirds on Año Nuevo Island, a rocky islet north of Santa Cruz along the San Mateo coast. The Año Nuevo Island animal count project (sealcount.com) launched […]
Genomics project to inform California species conservation
By Stuart Wolpert, UC Los Angeles University of California scientists are leading a $10 million conservation genomics project to help California officials make ecologically wise decisions as the state continues to confront the effects of climate change. The California Conservation Genomics Project, which is funded by the state, will involve conservation biologists, geneticists, ecologists and climate […]