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Younger Lagoon Reserve Internship Program

$1,280
51%
Raised toward our $2,500 Goal
12 Donors
Project has ended
Project ended on May 24, at 11:59 PM PDT
Project Owners

Younger Lagoon Reserve Internship Program

UC Santa Cruz stewards five Natural Reserves along the California Central Coast. From fog-enshrouded redwood forest to maritime chaparral, the UCSC Natural Reserves provide unparalleled beauty and natural study sites for University scientists, students and interns.

On the west side of town, adjacent to UCSC’s Marine Science Campus is a 70 acre gem, the Younger Lagoon Reserve, one of the few relatively undisturbed wetlands remaining on the California Central Coast. For over 50 years, the land surrounding Younger lagoon was farmed. Today the land is a mix of coastal grassland, scrub and seasonal wetlands that provide habitat for wildlife including coyotes, bobcats, hawks and herons.

This transformation from agricultural land to native habitat is the result of restoration work by NRS staff and a small but energetic cadre of student interns.

“Our undergraduate interns are the heart and soul of the reserve", reports Elizabeth Howard, Manager of the Younger Lagoon Reserve. The team has made huge strides in rooting out pernicious non-native plant species and restoring native grasses and shrubs. At the same time, interns are getting the type of high quality field experience that takes them to the next level in their studies and careers.

Our goal is to raise $2,500 to create 5 additional internships at Younger Lagoon. By helping us expand our internship program, you will be part of the unfolding journey of habitat restoration at Younger Lagoon and will provide UCSC students a stepping stone in their own journeys of work and study in the natural sciences. Please give now!

Our way
of Thanking You

$25

Our sincere thanks!

Your gift covers the costs of planting a whole rack of native plants!

2 of 100 Claimed
Estimated Delivery: June 2014

$50

A chorus of thanks!

Your gift covers the costs of a seed collecting trip up the coast!

4 of 100 Claimed
Estimated Delivery: June 2014

$100

Photo of the Reserve

To express our thanks, we want you to have one of our favorite photos of the Younger Lagoon Reserve. Frame-worthy!

2 of 50 Claimed
Estimated Delivery: July 2014

$250

Collectible Book

To express our thanks, a hardcover edition of "The Environmental Legacy of the UC Natural Reserve System."

1 of 5 Claimed
Estimated Delivery: July 2014

$500

Your name engraved

Thank you! Your gift supports a senior thesis intern for two quarters! We'd like to add your name to the plaque at Overlook Shelter Bench, to be installed January, 2015.

1 of 10 Claimed
Estimated Delivery: January 2015