Established in 2006, Yosemite Field Station in Wawona is located in the historic village of Wawona near the south entrance to Yosemite National Park. Nestled in an open old-growth pine forest along the South Fork of the Merced River and only five miles from the Giant Sequoia Grove, the Yosemite Field Station is ideally situated to support field research projects in Yosemite and the adjacent Sierra National Forest.
The SNRS offices, laboratory, and classroom/meeting room are located in a refurbished historic house and stable built in 1934. Overnight lodging for up to 40 people is available nearby in six refurbished vacation homes. Other housing arrangements may be made for larger groups. The Station’s comfortable facilities make it a great site for class field trips, small workshops, writing retreats, and interdisciplinary collaborations.
Research Projects
Current projects focus on climate change, mountain and snow hydrology, invertebrate biodiversity, alpine meadow ecology, wildlife conservation ecology, and fire ecology.
Education Programs
A number of programs and funding sources are available to support student participation in programs at the station.
- SNRS fellowships are available annually for scientific visualization.
- The Yosemite Leadership Program provides UC Merced undergraduates with summer internships offering the opportunity to participate in research, environmental stewardship, education, and search and rescue operations in the park.
- The NSF-funded Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program provides independent research opportunities for undergraduates nationwide.
- The Adventure Risk Challenge (ARC) program provides intensive outdoor leadership and English literacy training for high school English Language Learner students.
Location
Wawona village just inside the south entrance to Yosemite National Park.
Facilities
Offices, laboratory, classroom/meeting room, and guesthouses with beds for up to 40 people. Additional housing is available for rent nearby, including the historic Wawona Hotel.
Reserve bibliography
The reserve bibliography includes citations of journal articles, books, theses, art, and other works published about or based on activities conducted at the reserve.
Databases
Sierra Nevada San Joaquin Hydrologic Observatory https://eng.ucmerced.edu/snsjho; Southern Sierra Critical Zone Observatory http://snrs.ucmerced.edu/data; publicly available spatial data for Yosemite National Park and Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park
Personnel
Resident director, steward
Size
Field station is inside Yosemite and near the northern border of the Sierra National Forest; enables access to the largest contiguous roadless wilderness area in the continental United States.
Elevation
1.220 m (4,000 ft.)
Average Precipitation
95 cm (37 in.) per year in Yosemite Valley
Average Temperatures
Winter: 12 ºC (55 ºF)
Summer: 31 ºC (88 ºF)
