NEW STUNT RANCH RESERVE LOGO

The logo was created by Lisa Pompelli, the Reserve's design consultant. Pompelli explains, "the new logo can been seen as a symbol for the many branches of science explored at the Stunt Ranch Reserve and the roots that serve as the base for that exploration." The tree is also reminiscent of the Ethel Oak Tree named for Ethel Stunt, the matriarch of the Stunt family who homesteaded the property in 1885.

PROP 84 FUNDING APPROVED BY WILDLIFE CONSERVATION BOARD FOR STUNT RANCH RESEARCH AND EDUCATION CENTER.

The California Wildlife Conservation Board has awarded $975,000 in Proposition 84 funding toward the construction of the Stunt Ranch Reserve Research and Education Center. The grant to be matched by existing Stunt Ranch funds will push the construction budget to $1.95 million.

The Center will include a small nature center with diverse displays depicting the cultural, natural, and dynamic landscapes of the Cold Creek watershed and Santa Monica Mountains, a classroom to accommodate up to 40 people and a workroom with fixed tables and storage lockers to provide important space and facilities for diverse groups of Reserve users. The project will replace buildings lost to wildfire in 1993 and is designed to meet all requirements for a LEEDS Certification.

UCLA LA KRETZ CENTER FOR CALIFORNIA CONSERVATION SCIENCE

SAVE THE DATE - Sunday, May 15, 2011, 4 pm - for the 2nd annual UCLA La Kretz Center public lecture and reception to be held at the King Gillette Ranch in Malibu, California. Professor Paul R. Ehrlich, president of Stanford University's Center for Conservation Biology and author of The Population Bomb, will be the featured speaker. Additional information will be available soon.

Created through a gift from UCLA alumnus and philanthropist Morton La Kretz, the Center aims to preserve California's biodiversity and ecosystems through research, education and public outreach in a groundbreaking partnership with the National Park Service (Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area), California State Parks, and the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority. The La Kretz Center will be directed and managed as a Center of the UCLA Institute of the Environment (IoE). The IoE will work closely with the UCLA Stunt Ranch Reserve and UCLA Life Sciences in planning Center activities. 

Watch the public lecture, "Why Conserving California's Biodiversity Matters," given by Dr. Peter Raven at the offical launch of the La Kretz Center at the King Gillette Ranch on June 6, 2010.

For additional information about the La Kretz Center and other IoE centers and activities, please join the IoE's listserv by sending an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and write "subscribe" in the subject line.

1ST ANNUAL SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS SCIENCE FESTIVAL:

On Saturday, April 17, 2010, the Reserve participated in the First Annual Science Festival held at Paramount Ranch sponsored by the Santa Monica Mountains Recreation Area and the Natural History Museum of LA County. Thousands of visitors, young and old, explored the "wild" Santa Monica Mountains, asked scientists their most pressing questions and had fun with hands-on demonstrations. Many regional environmental organizations and agencies staffed booths that provided engaging activities for children and information on a wide variety of scientific topics and conservation issues.

CENTER FOR EMBEDDED NETWORKED SENSING (CENS):

Phil Rundel, the Reserve faculty director, is a senior faculty researcher with the UCLA Center for Embedded Networked Sensing (CENS), an NSF sponsored Science and Technology Center working to develop cutting edge technologies to facilitate the use of environmental sensor arrays.  Stunt Ranch serves as a site for a test bed of new technologies in sensor data transmission through satellite linkages as a collaborative project of the Reserve, CENS, NASA and the Information Sciences Institute at USC.

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