Stewardship
Stewardship Philosophy and Approach
Big Creek's mission is to facilitate research and teaching while preserving the ecological integrity of the Reserve. Our staff and volunteers work hard towards being good caretakers and there are many tasks involved with managing an 8,000 acre research station. Our trails and roads need regular maintenance. Many invasive species are constantly threatening to push out native ones and fundamentally change the landscape. Control or removal of invasive plants needs to be followed by restoration. Proper stewardship requires a commitment to managing all these tasks now and into the future. Our crew is committed to providing as pristine an environment as possible so that scientists and students have the opportunity to study and learn from the natural landscapes at Big Creek.
Volunteer Stewardship
Our stewardship program is a way for people concerned with the above issues to volunteer and learn about these aspects of land management while helping to keep Big Creek as pristine as possible. We are also interested in offering ways for students to earn education credit by participating.We offer the following stewardship opportunities:
- Trail maintenance
- Campground maintenance
- Invasive species removals
By integrating these tasks into our long term vision of land stewardship, we provide our volunteers with a hands-on learning opportunity and hopefully the satisfaction gained by being a part of a concerted effort to protect Big Creek Reserve.
To join our contact list please send an email to bigcreek@ucsc.edu
If you would like more information, please email or call the Big Creek Reserve office: (831) 667-2543.
