What Do We Do?
Our stewardship program protects and restores the unique habitats of the Elkhorn Slough Reserve. We are part of two important networks of natural reserves: the California Ecological Reserves and the National Estuarine Research Reserves (NERR).
As an Ecological Reserve, our stewardship program protects California’s native plants and animals, in part so that people can visit and study these places.
As a NERR, we also protect and restore the ecological integrity of our Reserve through science-based methods and community engagement to maintain the Reserve for long-term research, education and management.
Currently, we focus on habitats above the tides, while the Tidal Wetland Program works below the tideline. Our largest projects are 1) grassland protection and restoration, 2) restoration of California habitats recently dominated by Australian eucalyptus, and 3) increasing California plants and seeds in our greenhouse and seed farm.
Photo by Marion Marshall
Stewardship Projects
Our stewardship team seeks to care responsibly for the land and natural resources we’ve been entrusted with.
Historical Ecology
Understanding how and why landscapes have changed over time can help us plan for Elkhorn Slough’s future. Follow the link below to see some of the primary historical documents and stories that make up the core of our historical ecology work.
Photo by: Frans Lanting