We are now accepting applications for an Outreach Coordinator at UC San Diego’s Natural Reserve System. This 12 month position is funded thanks to the generosity of the Hervey Family Fund through the San Diego Foundation. Apply by June 29th for priority consideration.

Find all the position details and apply here.

The new Outreach Coordinator will facilitate visits from K-14 classes, volunteers, and the general public at all four UC San Diego Natural Reserves: Scripps Coastal Reserve, Kendall-Frost Marsh Reserve, Elliott Chaparral Reserve, and Dawson-Los Monos Canyon Reserve. 

Learn about the local estuarine fish from Dr. Melissa Liotta, Fish Biologist with NOAA Fisheries at the Southwest Fisheries Science Center at the Kendall-Frost Marsh Reserve Field Station and Community Learning Center on Thursday, July 16th at 6 pm. Her talk, "A fish-eye view of Kendall-Frost Marsh", will share the results of her ongoing efforts leading community-based fish monitoring at Kendall-Frost Marsh Reserve.

This talk is part of a quarterly series of science talks hosted by the UC San Diego Natural Reserve System and the San Diego Bird Alliance. Registration is encouraged but not required. 

Join our upcoming docent-led hike of the Scripps Coastal Reserve Mesa on Wednesday, July 1st at 7:30 pm. Docents will share educational information about the Reserve and share how it supports teaching, research, and stewardship.  

Thanks to the generous support of two donors, four $900 research grants will be available to support UC San Diego graduate student research at the four UC San Diego Natural Reserves in the 2026 - 2027 school year. Two grants will be designated to support research at Kendall-Frost Marsh Reserve, and the remaining two will be eligible to support research at Elliott Chaparral Reserve, Dawson-Los Monos Canyon Reserve, or Scripps Coastal Reserve. Information on how to apply will be provided in this newsletter at the start of the upcoming academic year. 

The Natural Reserve System was recently awarded a $1.4 million grant from the Coastal Conservancy's Wildfire Resilience program for a restoration project at Elliott Chaparral Reserve in the Scripps Ranch neighborhood of San Diego. Non-native eucalyptus trees in the wildland-urban interface will be removed and replaced with native chaparral shrubs. There will be a public meeting to share restoration activities and upcoming volunteer opportunities on Wednesday, August 19th at 6 pm at the Scripps Ranch Civic Association Community Center.

Find all our upcoming events here. 

Scripps Coastal Reserve: Mesa docent-led walks

1st Saturdays, 9 - 11 AM

Walks happening on July 4th despite holiday

Scripps Coastal Reserve: Mesa weeding

most Fridays, 8 - 10 am

No weeding June 19th or July 3rd

Wander the Wetlands at Kendall-Frost Marsh Reserve

2nd and 4th Saturdays

9 - 11 AM

This month's iNaturalist observation is a Pacific Chorus Frog (Pseudacris regilla) observed by Reserves Director Dr. Clarissa Rodriguez at Dawson-Los Monos Canyon Reserve.

Post your own photos of native plants or animals on iNaturalist while visiting a NRS reserve (perhaps at one of the events above) for a chance to have your photo featured here next month. Check out all the observations collected at UC San Diego Reserves on iNaturalist.