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 […]
Younger Lagoon Reserve
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, […]
Students dip their toes into coastal science at Younger Lagoon
By Kathleen Wong, UC Natural Reserve System It’s a glorious spring day at Younger Lagoon Reserve, and Laura Chain is suited up and ready to go. Clad in black waders—voluminous rubber pants with boots attached, held up by suspenders—she steps gingerly into the yellow-green water. “It’s a little weird getting in because I don’t know […]
A tale of two fishes
By Kathleen Wong, UC Natural Reserve System Deciphering how species interact with other organisms and their environment is the bread and butter of ecologists. For rare or threatened species, understanding which factors enable populations to boom or bust isn’t just academic; the answers can mean the difference between sound population management and species extinction. These […]
Delivering environmental data from the NRS
By Kathleen Wong, UC Natural Reserve System Climate is the hottest topic in California these days. As global warming heats up the West, it’s set off a cascade of effects ranging from toxic algal blooms, to tree die-offs, to wildfires of unprecedented size and ferocity. The situation has everyone asking the same question: what is […]
NRS instrumental in biologist’s ascent to grad school
By Kathleen Wong, UC Natural Reserve System Tim Brown spends his summers on top of the Golden State. While other Californians tan at the beach, hold BBQs, or relax at the pool, he makes a beeline for the high country. Striding across snowfields and rock scree atop eastern California’s highest ranges, this UC Santa Cruz […]
Younger Lagoon to roll out wetland welcome mat for frogs
By Tim Stephens, UC Santa Cruz The California red-legged frog is a threatened species that has been found on the NRS’s Younger Lagoon Reserve in Santa Cruz, but has not been known to breed there successfully. That may soon change with the construction of a small pond designed to enhance an existing seasonal wetland and […]
NRS reserves adapt to coronavirus shutdown
By Kathleen Wong, UC Natural Reserve System Spring is prime time around the University of California Natural Reserve System. As winter recedes, and skies dry, scientists and students alike start migrating to the protected lands of the network’s 41 reserves. Field stations bustle with university classes on field trips, who rub shoulders with faculty and […]