UC Nature

Summer is your opportunity to discover the natural beauty of UC Nature's Valentine Camp reserve in Mammoth Lakes. Sign up for these themed hikes through this gem of the eastern Sierra.

Great opportunities for youngsters to experience outdoor science at UC Nature's Valentine Eastern Sierra Reserves in Mammoth Lakes this summer. Spots are still available but going fast!

Flowers for an outstanding alumna of the UC Merced Nature program. Jasmine Salazar served as a student assistant at University of California, Merced Vernal Pools Reserve and helped launch the new University of California, Merced Vernal Pools Reserve Junior Naturalist pilot program for middle school students. 💐

For today’s Feature Friday, we highlight Jasmine Salazar, a 4th-year Environmental Engineering student with a minor in GIS and a dedicated student assistant at the Merced Vernal Pools and Grassland Reserve for the past 1.5 years. Jasmine has participated in nearly every UC Merced Nature program, from ¿field curious? and Sustainable Ag. from Field to Lab to Student Naturalists and Climate Stewards, where she has also served as a near peer mentor for many of these programs. This past spring, she helped launch our new MVPGR Junior Naturalist pilot program, connecting local middle school students to the unique ecosystems and natural spaces of the Central Valley. This summer, we are proud that she will be interning with the Kiewit Engineering Group in Portland, OR before returning to UCM this fall.
Her passion for environmental stewardship, community care, and youth engagement recently earned her the University Friend Circle Student Leadership and Community Service Award and a Distinguished Volunteer Scholarship. Below are a few inspiring excerpts from her award speech:
“I was never raised by just my parents. I was raised by a community.”
“Environmental work is never just about the environment. It is also about people, health, dignity, and access.”
“Community is not just something we serve. It is something we build.”
Congratulations, Jasmine! We are so incredibly proud of you, and we thank you deeply for the care, leadership, and inspiration you bring to our community.

Dams are notorious for upending the habitats of the rivers they block. Not only do these structures often cut off salmon and other migratory fish from upstream spawning areas, but they also dampen the natural highs and lows of water flows. The effects cause harm to river ecosystems. In new research based downstream of Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in Yosemite National Park, scientists from UC Nature’s White Mountain Research Center have found that adjusting the water releases from dams can heal many of those ecosystem harms.

Dams Can Help Repair The Rivers They Disrupt - UC Nature Releasing strong pulses of water from dams can scour away downstream algae and improve conditions for the aquatic insects that support river food webs.

Spring is the perfect season to sign up for a tour of UC Nature's Younger Lagoon Reserve, located just north of Natural Bridges Beach on the Coastal Science Campus of UC Santa Cruz. Learn about the dramatic seasonal changes at this rare remaining coastal wetland, enjoy blooming wildflowers, and appreciate the hard work of reserve staff and students to enrich the habitat with native plants.

Come take a tour of Younger Lagoon Reserve! Our 90-minute, behind-the-scenes hiking tour takes visitors into the 25-acre lagoon and beach area. Come and see what scientists are doing to track local mammals, restore native habitat, and learn about the workings of one of California’s coastal lagoons.

Younger Lagoon Reserve Beach Tours are free and open to the public. Space is limited to 18 participants. Call 831-459-3800 or book online:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/younger-lagoon-reserve-tour-registration-340637414677

How does the world work? Science provides the tools needed to find real answers. UC Nature helps enable the investigative work of science and communicates those findings to the public. We offer educational programs for adults and youngsters, naturalist-led hikes, science symposia, and even radio appearances that aim to inspire people's interest in the natural world around them. Sign up for these opportunities for discovery and learn about the importance of beach wrack in the May 2026 issue of the UC Nature Newsletter.

UC Nature Newsletter—May 2026 Annoyed by piles of kelp that have washed ashore on your favorite sandy shoreline? Those who enjoy viewing shorebirds and other wildlife should instead embrace beach wrack. A new study conducted in part at UC Nature’s Coal Oil Point Natural Reserve along the Santa Barbara coast demonstrates that k...

Jessica Altstatt is the new director of UC Nature's Santa Cruz Island Reserve. Welcome, Jessica!

We’re thrilled to welcome our new Director, Jessica Altstatt! 

Jessica brings over 30 years of scientific research and field leadership rooted in the Channel Islands. With more than 80 research cruises and 1,000+ scientific dives across all eight channel islands, her work has helped shape long-term monitoring and conservation efforts throughout the region.

From early research on red abalone and rocky intertidal systems to leading water quality monitoring, eelgrass restoration, oil spill damage assessments, and community-driven programs like the Santa Cruz Island Christmas Bird Count, Jessica’s career reflects deep expertise, collaboration, and commitment to protecting these ecosystems.

Jessica knows Santa Cruz Island inside and out and recognizes the Reserve’s vital role in advancing research, education, and conservation within the UCSB Natural Reserve System. As someone who first experienced the island as a UCSB undergraduate, she understands the transformative power of hands-on, place-based learning.

In her words: “Much of my work has been inspiring the next generation through field-based programs, becoming involved in policy, and spending time in the natural world to better speak for the trees—and the plants, and the birds, and the ocean.”

Please join us in welcoming Jessica to this exciting new chapter!

An upcoming astronomy talk at UC Nature's Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Laboratory.