Hastings Natural History Reservation Videos

Facebook for Nature, UC Office of the President

The California Phenology Project tracks the science of the seasons at UC Natural Reserves such as Hastings Natural History Reservation as well as California’s National Parks. 


Hastings Natural History Reservation, UC Natural Reserve System

Go behind the scenes at Hastings Natural History Reservation to examine the social structure of acorn woodpeckers and western bluebirds and take a look at the restoration of California’s native grasslands. Located in the Santa Lucia mountain range in Carmel Valley, the reserve was set aside in 1937 to provide researchers with an example of oak woodland ecosystems for study. 


Precious Resource: Hastings Reserve, Hastings Natural History Reservation

The abundance of wildlife and protected landscapes of Hastings are invaluable to learning and research.


Taking the Pulse of California’s Natural Climates, Hastings Natural History Reservation

UC Berkeley Professor Todd Dawson takes observations about reserve microclimates at Hastings using arrays of small weather stations and relates this information to the movement of water through trees and soils.


The Student Experience at California’s Hastings Reserve, Hastings Natural History Reservation

UC Berkeley Professor Eileen Lacey brings students to the reserve every year to let them try their hand at field techniques such as GPS, and to witness how biologists capture, examine, and release local birds and mammals. 


Grassland Changes and Extinction, Hastings Natural History Reservation

Angela Brandt is studying grassland plots first sampled in the 1960s to examine long-term changes in community composition, especially those caused by the invasion of exotic grass species.


Social Structure in Western Bluebirds, Hastings Natural History Reservation

Caitlin Stern uses traditional field observations and new identification technologies to study how relatedness affects social cooperation in western bluebirds.


Mysteries of the Black Widow, Hastings Natural History Reservation

Though black widows are feared for their poisonous bite, little is known about these small carnivores. Emily MacLeod is deciphering the details of the spider’s mating system.

Avid for Acorns, UC Natural Reserve System

Studies of acorn woodpeckers at Hastings Natural History Reservation have shown how these family-oriented birds store, tend, and defend the caches of acorns they depend on for survival throughout the year.


Avid for Acorns, UC Natural Reserve System

Studies of acorn woodpeckers at Hastings Natural History Reservation have shown how these family-oriented birds store, tend, and defend the caches of acorns they depend on for survival throughout the year.


Hastings Natural History Reservation, UC Natural Reserve System

The UC Berkeley Biology Scholars Program supports underrepresented minority students pursuing the life sciences.