Blogs

Fuel reduction efforts for 2023 have wrapped up at Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve, and planning for the next phase of work has already begun which will introduce “good fire” back to the landscape at the preserve. The first phase of work was completed over the summer, as summarized in this blog post and explains how this work has been part... more

Branches that were later chipped by the fuel reduction consultants after limbing up and thinning treatments that created a shaded fire break inside the perimeter of the preserve along Sand Hill Road. This summer, staff at Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve did their part to mitigate wildfire risk by reducing fuel across approximately 80 acres of the preserve. These high-priority areas... more

As the busy season and summer temperatures begin here at Jasper Ridge, we are launching an exciting new Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve Stewardship Intern Program . Meet our 2023 Stewardship Interns, Kiara Fufunan and Mary Ghebreselassie, two undergraduate students from Stanford University, who will be our first summer stewardship interns (read their biographies below). The two interns will join our... more

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

Earlier this summer, Jasper Ridge hosted a Fire Fuels Ecology workshop with 25 experts in the areas of wildfire modeling, fire emergency response, land-management, risk management, indigenous practice, research, education, policy making, law and ecology. The purpose of the workshop was to review the 2021 Stanford Wildfire Management Plan (2021 SWMP) which identifies areas for fuel reduction across all University... 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