Yosemite Field Station

Established in 2006, Yosemite Field Station in Wawona is located in the historic village of Wawona in southern Yosemite National Park. Nestled within mixed conifer forest along the South Fork of the Merced River, and only five miles from the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, Yosemite Field Station is ideally situated to support field research projects in Yosemite and the adjacent Sierra National Forest.

Yosemite Field Station offices, laboratory, and classroom/meeting room are located in a refurbished historic house and stable built in 1934. Overnight lodging for up to 55 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 research, class field trips, small workshops, writing retreats, and interdisciplinary collaborations.

Research Projects

Current projects focus on giant sequoia conservation, 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.

• Swarth-Fogel Undergraduate Research Scholarship.
• 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.