May 2022 UCSC Younger Lagoon Reserve Tours
View of Younger Lagoon from the trail that leads to the lookout
The Younger Lagoon Reserve is one of the local hidden gems in Santa Cruz. Located next to the UCSC Marine Science Campus on the urban west side of town, it is comprised of two parts: the original 25-acre lagoon and the 47-acre terrace lands. It is part of the University of California Natural Reserve System and serves as an outdoor classroom and living laboratory for students and faculty. On Mon. May 16 and Tues. May 17, retirees participated in 2-hour tours with Beth Howard, Director of the Younger Lagoon Reserve. Beth is also a Silver Slug Award recipient as a grad student in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. She is a wealth of knowledge about the Reserve and it was rewarding to see an example of the postive impact of our student scholarship program.
Tour #1 on Monday - meeting place was in front of the blue whale skeleton at Long Marine Lab
Tour #2 on Tuesday
Beth gave an informative overview of the history of the lagoon and how it used in research and also provides a protected habitat for over 100 resident and migratory bird species. Click here for more information on the Reserve.
This field is known as the Terrace Lands. It is a place of natural beauty with a walking path along the ocean bluffs and around the field for recreational use, and also a living laboratory for research and outdoor classroom for habitat restoration and environmental stewardship. Did you know we have a California State Grass? It is purple needlegrass, a 2-3 foot tall native bunchgrass that is drought and heat tolerant. Beth pointed out some examples on our walk. Click here for more information on how the Terrace Lands are used as an educational resource.
In summary, the tours were fantastic and it was great to get outside and do some activities together again. We hope to do more very soon!
If you are interested in getting more involved, the reserve has a volunteer Habit Restoration Team. Please contact Beth directly by e-mail and let her know you are a UCSC Retiree. eahoward@ucsc.edu
