On Thursday, an oak-studded 2,400-acre ranch just outside of Hollister, became the seventh addition to UC Santa Cruz’s list of natural reserves used for research, outdoor classroom space and hands-on learning experiences.
After the University of California Board of Regents approved the designation of Strathearn Ranch as a natural reserve Thursday, UCSC officials announced the addition was made possible through an anonymous estate gift to the campus. Following the designation, UC staff will finalize the transfer of the property to the regents – which is expected to be completed in 2025.
The San Benito County addition also marks the 42nd property to become part of the UC Natural Reserve System statewide. The reserves are each managed by one of the nine UC campuses and their mission is to encourage wise stewardship of natural systems.
“The beauty of the reserve system is the transformative impact it can have on students from all disciplines,” said Gage Dayton, director of UC Santa Cruz Natural Reserves, in a release. “Through introductory courses, we can bring engineering students, art majors, students studying literature, ecology, astronomy, evolutionary biology, whatever, to a part of California they don’t get to see every day.”
Dayton said the landowner, who passed away this year, believed the natural state of the property needed to be maintained, and admired the UC Natural Reserve System.
The trustee of the landowner’s estate, Jerald Heisel, said he was excited about the creation of the reserve.
“Over the past 50-plus years I have had the privilege of caring for the Strathearn Ranch,” he said in a release. “I am looking forward to seeing the ranch transform from a cattle ranch to a center for learning, teaching, research, and discovery.”
The property was operated as a cattle ranch for most of the past 100 years. The gift is estimated to be valued between $7 to $10 million, including the land and a stewardship endowment.
“Strathearn Ranch Natural Reserve will be here in perpetuity to help support and answer important conservation questions while providing invaluable experiential learning opportunities for students,” Dayton said in the release. “We’ll be able to use the reserve for research, for conservation, for training our future leaders, for working with and learning from tribal and community partners, and for giving our students and community the experience of being in nature in a hands-on way.”
UCSC currently operates six other natural reserves, all located along the Monterey Bay coastline. They include the Año Nuevo Reserve, the Santa Cruz Mountains Reserve, the UCSC Campus Natural Reserve, the Younger Lagoon Reserve, the Fort Ord Natural Reserve and the Landels-Hill Big Creek Reserve.
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