Chronology
Photo: Dan Quinn
Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve ('Ootchamin 'Ooyakma) has a long history of human influence.
Lower portions of the San Francisquito Creek watershed include occupation sites of the Muwekma Ohlone that date to more than 5,000 years ago. Permanent year-round villages were established within 'Ootchamin 'Ooyakma between 600 and 2000 years ago. Read how Stanford researchers publish genomic evidence of ancient Muwekma Ohlone connection.
Photo: Dan Quinn
Muwekma Ohlone Land Stewardship
The Muwekma Ohlone were regional stewards living in permanent settlements at a fairly high population density; this level of land use required extensive management of animal and plant resources, including the use of fire to clear brush, encourage the growth of seed-bearing plants, and to improve forage for game animals.
The Muwekma Ohlone economy before European contact included hunting, fishing, harvesting of shellfish in the San Francisco Bay and on the Pacific coast as well as extensive collection of plant foods and materials and trade with neighboring tribes for highly prized raw materials and craft items.
The arrival of Spanish soldiers and missionaries in the late 18th century disrupted the Muwekma Ohlone community, and the closing of mission properties after the U.S. annexation of California in 1846 scattered the remaining descendants into isolated "rancheria" settlements. Stanford archaeologists have collaborated closely with Muwekma Ohlone descendants since the founding of the university in the 1890's. The Muwekma Ohlone Tribe continues to participate in educational activities at Stanford University and 'Ootchamin 'Ooyakma. To read more about their history and their tribal revitalization efforts, visit their website and read their publications.
Ramona and Porfidio Sanchez
People of Searsville
In the mid-1800’s, demand for lumber to build missions and towns led to the establishment of sawmills adjacent to San Francisquito Creek and other nearby creeks. The short-lived town of Searsville emerged to support this industry but was condemned in 1879 for the construction of Searsville Dam. Most redwoods in the preserve area were logged by the 1870s. Since then, the 389-ha central body of JRBP ('O'O) has remained largely undisturbed, except for grazing, which ended in 1960.
Searsville Dam under construction
Searsville Dam
In the 1890s a local water company erected a dam below the confluence of four tributaries of San Francisquito Creek, forming Searsville Lake. The dam, lake, and adjacent lands were purchased by Stanford University between 1892 and 1926.
For the next 50 years, the Searsville Lake area was managed by leaseholders as a recreational area, while scientific use intensified in the central portion of the Preserve. Conflicts between the two uses ultimately led the Stanford Board of Trustees to increase protection for JRBP ('O'O) lands. In 1973 the Stanford Board of Trustees formally designated JRBP ('O'O) as a biological preserve and ended the recreational activities at Searsville Lake in 1975.
Today, JRBP ('O'O) is an internationally recognized place-based learning and discovery. It serves as a living laboratory and outdoor classroom for generations of students and is home to a robust volunteer docent program whose members share the preserve’s natural and cultural history with visitors. The preserve supports multi-disciplinary studies in ecology, climate science, hydrology, geology, and social-environmental systems that deepen understanding of regional and global sustainability challenges. Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve ('Ootchamin 'Ooyakma) and Stanford University partner with the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area and other Indigenous entities in research, education and stewardship that honor long-standing relationships with this landscape.