At Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve ('Ootchamin 'Ooyakma), we engage in stewardship within the context of our academic research and teaching mission.
This means understanding how stewardship brings people together to protect and maintain biodiversity, ecosystems, and cultural attributes. Stewardship practices guided by both Indigenous and Western knowledge shape the questions we ask and the practices we apply to help us understand how natural systems function and how humans interact with those systems.
The history of Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve ('Ootchamin 'Ooyakma) reveals a long record of human intervention, evident in its habitats and resources. This history helps frame how we think about stewardship and conservation. See our Chronology webpage for a timeline of Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve ('Ootchamin 'Ooyakma).
Philosophy
The original focus of Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve ('Ootchamin 'Ooyakma) was on research, conservation, and education. For the past 50 years, this focus has served the preserve well, leading to fundamental scientific discoveries and inspiring educational activities. Still, what we are trying to preserve is complex. Jasper Ridge now faces challenges beyond preservation; we must pursue conservation and restoration and test new solutions through stewardship and guiding principles such as Two-Eyed Seeing.
So how do we define preservation, conservation, restoration, and stewardship? Each term encompasses multiple goals. They differ, each presenting advantages and disadvantages, and many are at least partly incompatible with one another.
The future of Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve ('Ootchamin 'Ooyakma) lies in authentic collaboration among multiple voices who care deeply about this place and who recognize that there is no single right definition of what to preserve, conserve, or restore. Our highest mission must be to ensure that future generations, including students, Indigenous peoples, scientists, and the general public, continue to benefit from this unique place.
