If we knew what we were doing, it wouldn't be called Research. - Albert Einstein

The Stunt ranch Reserve has been developed and managed as a quality educational facility with significant importance to teaching and research activities for UCLA. This use of the Reserve includes faculty, research staff and students from academic disciplines across all parts of the UCLA campus and from many other universities, local and worldwide.

All of Stunt Ranch burned in 1993, but recovered well. The site's natural diversity remains undiminished and continues to provide excellent educational and research  opportunities. Research is also possible at other natural areas adjacent to the Reserve and under management of the National Park Service, California Department of Parks and  Recreation, Mountains Restoration Trust, and the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. The Reserve harbors an abundance of fauna, particularly birds and reptiles.

Cold Creek itself flows year-round through the Reserve. Smaller tributaries of Cold Creek additionally provide the Reserve with a well developed corridor of riparian habitat. Primary habitats include chaparral, coast live oak weedland and annual grasslands. There are more than 300 vascular plant species.

Richard P. Turco, Professor and former director of the UCLA Institute of the Environment (IoE) reports that, "faculty and students from the IoE have undertaken research projects at the Reserve that include important studies of watersheds feeding Santa Monica Bay, and the sources of runoff and sediments for the coastal environment. The IoE's educational activities include class outings to the site as part of our undergraduate curriculum, as well as use of the Reserve grounds as a destination for training K-12 teachers under a National Science Foundation project led by the IoE."

The Reserve has forged a critical partnership between the campus and K-12 educational programs through the Los Angeles areas as part of a formal curriculum coordinated by the Cold Creek Docents, a division of the Mountains Restoration Trust. Stunt Ranch offers abundant opportunities for public outreach programs by UCLA in the Santa Monica Mountains. It serves in the creation of cooperative coalitions between UCLA, government agencies, conservation group, and homeowner associations.

NOTE TO RESEARCHERS AND INSTRUCTORS:  Please see Reserve Use re: permits from other agencies if one's research or class trip will involve listed species (FWS), involve vertebrate animals (Cal DFG and UCLA Anim. Res. Committee) or archeological issues. For species most likely to be found at Stunt Ranch (birds, reptiles, mammals, plants, arthropods) see the Nature/Science page on the Reserve's website.