Blogs

It is no surprise to me that I have spent this past decade with our Jasper Ridge Continuing Education program. The outdoors has been educating me since my younger days in Carmel, a small community surrounded by open land and sea. Whether it was spending days on end roaming the Carmel River looking for wildlife, hiking the Big Sur Trails,... more

Right before the 2021 Fall quarter started, I took a Stanford Graduate Summer Institute (SGSI) course called Exploring Planetary Stewardship with Dr. Nicole Ardoin . This week-long course brought together graduate students from various disciplines, touching on a range of topics from sustainability and systems thinking to virtual field trips and Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve. I met Eugene here; while... more

In late July, Jasper Ridge docents and other Stanford travelers had the unique experience of camping next to a pride of five lions that meandered through the camp kitchen and settled in for the night just a couple hundred yards from camp. These were African lions in Moremi Game Reserve in Botswana. The trip was the long-awaited “Jasper Ridge in... more

As the 2021 summer comes to an end, we look back with excitement on how we have slowly and safely welcomed back many education and outreach experiences here at Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve. During the pandemic shutdown we continued operations by hosting more than 15 evening lectures and community events, six continuing education sessions , and participating in more than... more

If you had told me two years ago, I would spend the entirety of my sophomore year—and probably beyond—studying mosquitoes at Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve, I would have laughed at you. Coming into college, I knew I wanted to pursue ecology, and while I didn’t necessarily know what kind of ecology, I was sure it would be big and bold... more

In the age of COVID-19, scientific research is something that has been put on hold for many. This project was a testament to remote research and the ability to still participate in meaningful science during nation-wide shelter in place. After my original summer program was put on hold due to COVID-19, I was able to work with Allison Stegner to... more

Can you imagine building new friendships in 2020? Well three educators did just that through ecological virtual hikes! In response to the academic shutdown caused by COVID-19 pandemic, the Organization of Biological Field Stations (OBFS) requested members to come together to discuss how field stations could support educators who were looking for ways to teach field ecology and methods remotely... more

Week 10 of Shelter in Place saw International Biodiversity Day and International Bee Day come and go. Luckily, we still have lots of both at Jasper Ridge! Here are this week's vignettes of JR more

As we complete Week 9 of Shelter in Place, I'm watching the feed from our camera that overlooks Searsville Reservoir while simultaneously listening to the live audio . The waves are lapping against shore, the wind is rustling the leaves and grass, birds are singing, and somewhere just off the viewshed of the camera, ducks (I presume) are splashing in... more

Week 8 of Shelter in Place was ended with a unsettled weather--the picture above and the picture below were taken on the same day, at the same time, looking in different directions by our remote cameras. As usual in these unusual times, following are some reminders of what awaits us all when the COVID-19 crisis is over. Until then, we... more