Now accepting applications for the Spring 2022 offering of the UC Natural Reserve System field program, California Ecology and Conservation. Applications can be found here and are due on October 25, 2021. Please spread the word!
California Ecology and Conservation is an intensive field program which transforms students into scientists. The course is specifically tailored for students contemplating a career in ecology, conservation biology, or a related field. This spring will mark our 21st run. Since its inception in 2015, over 500 undergraduates from across the UC system have participated.
Check out this video to get a glimpse of what students are calling the most rewarding experience in their undergraduate careers. We have been running the program successfully for the last year with comprehensive Covid protocols in place.
For 50 days, 27 undergraduates
from across the UC system participate in hands-on learning, gaining a
familiarity with some of the most
awe-inspiring landscapes the state has to offer.
Students complete a series of independent research studies while learning to
notice natural patterns, frame questions into feasible research projects, and
practice standard field techniques. At the conclusion of each project, students
analyze their data and present their findings in oral presentations and written
reports. All the while, students grow as leaders, teammates, and members of a
diverse and enthusiastic community of scholars.
All UC undergraduates who have a 2.5+ GPA, are in good standing with their home campus, and have successfully completed an introductory biology course are eligible to apply.
If students from majors not listed are interested in taking the course, they can petition their departments to receive credits toward their major, minor, and GE requirements.
More information is available on the course website.