Our outdoor classroom and living laboratory
The land on which we gather is the unceded territory of the Awaswas-speaking Uypi Tribe. The Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, comprised of the descendants of indigenous people taken to missions Santa Cruz and San Juan Bautista during Spanish colonization of the Central Coast, is today working hard to restore traditional stewardship practices on these lands and heal from historical trauma.
About
The UCSC Campus Natural Reserve covers 789 acres of protected natural lands on the UC Santa Cruz campus. This land was designated by the 2021-2040 UCSC Long Range Development Plan to preserve a variety of the campus’s stunning natural communities for teaching, field research and natural history interpretation. Read more
Internships
The UCSC Environmental Studies Internship Office and additional agencies across campus facilitate the ability for students to earn credit for taking part in our offerings. Students range from first-quarter first-year students to graduating seniors and each spends between 6 and 15 hours a week working on a variety of projects on the reserve. Read more
Classes
The location of the UC Santa Cruz Campus Natural Reserve makes it an ideal setting for undergraduate teaching and research, as it is literally steps away from the lecture hall and libraries and can be accessed within minutes. Having a living laboratory and outdoor classroom accessible on campus provides a unique and important resource for courses from a wide variety of academic departments. Read more
Species & Habitats
The 789 acre UC Santa Cruz Campus Natural Reserve encompasses several habitat types across campus. From mixed conifer and coast redwood forest, wetlands, coastal prairie, to maritime chaparral, these areas offer opportunities for research, learning, and field skill development. Read more
Support Us
Your gift will directly support research, education, and stewardship activities on the UC Santa Cruz Campus Natural Reserve. Projects for which we seek funding include facilities enhancements and replacements, technology improvements, environmental monitoring, resource inventories, and student and professional staff positions that provide technical support to our reserve. Donate now
Visit the UCSC Campus Natural Reserve
Located 75 miles (120 km) south of San Francisco at the edge of Santa Cruz, the campus lies on 2,001 acres (810 ha) of rolling, forested hills at the base of the Santa Cruz Mountains, overlooking the Pacific Ocean and Monterey Bay. The UC Santa Cruz Campus Natural Reserve is a Long Range Development Plan land-use designation that spans a variety of habitats within the main, residential campus. Come visit!
Explore the CNR
Contact UCSC Campus Natural Reserve
Contact the UCSC Campus Natural Reserve office with questions about the reserve or ways to get involved with internship, stewardship, volunteer, and research activities.
Reserve Manager Alex Jones
email: asjones@ucsc.edu
phone: (831) 459-5798