The University of California Natural Reserve System (NRS) is a unique assemblage of 39 protected wild land sites throughout California. The reserves encompass nearly all of the state's major ecosystems, preserved in as undisturbed a condition as possible to support University-level research and teaching programs. The four NRS sites that form the UC Santa Cruz unit are spread along 60 miles of the central coast: Año Nuevo Island Reserve (25 acres), Landels-Hill Big Creek Reserve (4,200 acres), Fort Ord Natural Reserve (606 acres), Younger Lagoon Reserve (72 acres). The UCSC NRS also administers the UCSC Campus Natural Reserve (400 acres). Each reserve has unique research and teaching opportunities, physical conditions and constraints, regional and local political considerations, and funding and administration issues.

Younger Lagoon Reserve (YLR) represents a unique reserve within the UCSC’s Natural Reserve portfolio. The location of the reserve (directly adjacent to UCSC’s Marine Science Campus on the urban westside of town) provides unparalleled opportunities for students to learn about the environment, implement field projects, obtain hands-on experience, and become actively involved in research and stewardship projects. As a result, the Reserve serves as an outdoor classroom and living laboratory for hundreds of UCSC students and dozens of faculty on an annual basis. Additionally, a portion of the reserve has also become an informal recreational resource, highly valued and much used by campus and local community members.

YLR staff and student interns are working to restore approximately 47 acres of former agricultural land to native grassland, scrub and seasonal wetland habitats over a 20-year period. These lands were farmed for nearly 70 years, and restoration efforts require extensive weed control, propagation of native plants, planting and maintenance efforts (similar to farming or gardening, but in a wild-land setting). Each quarter, the reserve sponsors dozens of undergraduate interns who participate in all aspects of restoration and stewardship activities.

Through this project, staff and students will be able to transport tools and plants around the reserve using human powered trikes, and make trips between the reserve and main campus using an electric bike, greatly reducing YLR’s carbon emissions.

Along with the challenges of public access (i.e. impacts to resources, protecting research equipment, protecting endangered and threatened species, implementing regulations, etc.) having public present on-site provides opportunities for outreach and education. Through this project, reserve staff and student interns will also be able to educate the public about the use of human powered and electric alternatives to gas powered transportation and hauling.