Younger Lagoon Reserve Research, Education, Outreach, and Restoration Senior Steward

Younger Lagoon Reserve Research, Education, Outreach, and Restoration Senior Steward

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The IRD for this job is: 01-12-2026. All application materials submitted by 11:59 pm on the IRD will be routed to the hiring team for consideration.

UC Santa Cruz is a public university like no other in California, combining the experience of a small, liberal arts college with the depth and rigor of a major research university. It’s known as an unconventional place where innovation and experimentation is part of the campus’s DNA. That playful, bold spirit still thrives today, all on a campus renowned as among the most beautiful in the world.

Ecologically diverse and physically spectacular, the University of California Natural Reserve System (NRS) is a unique assemblage of 42 protected wild land sites throughout California. The reserves encompass nearly all of the state’s major ecosystems, preserved in as undisturbed a condition as possible to support University level research, teaching, and public service and outreach programs. The NRS is a Trustee Agency under the California Environmental Quality Act, and UC manages the NRS resources in the Public Trust.

The seven Natural Reserve sites that form the UC Santa Cruz unit are spread along 60 miles of the central coast: Año Nuevo Island Reserve (25 acres), Landels‑Hill Big Creek Reserve (4,200 acres), Fort Ord Natural Reserve (606 acres), Younger Lagoon Reserve (72 acres), Strathern Ranch Reserve (2,400 acres), Santa Cruz Mountains Reserve and the UCSC Campus Natural Reserve (400 acres).

Each reserve has unique research and teaching opportunities, physical conditions and constraints, regional and local political considerations, and funding and administration issues.

The Younger Lagoon Reserve is located on the open coast near Monterey Bay at the western edge of the City of Santa Cruz, California. It is adjacent to the UC Santa Cruz Long Marine Lab. Younger Lagoon Reserve was established in 1986 because of its unique flora, fauna and coastal lagoon. Since the establishment of Younger Lagoon Reserve, UCSC has acquired properties to the north and east of the lagoon and has developed a world class Coastal Science Campus on the site.

As a condition for approval of UCSC’s Coastal Long Range Development Plan (CLRDP), the California Coastal Commission (CCC) required that UC Santa Cruz set aside for permanent protection approximately 47 acres of the 100 acre site. These lands are to be permanently protected, enhanced, restored, and maintained as high quality natural areas and open space.

UC Santa Cruz Campus Administration and the UC Santa Cruz Natural Reserves met the CCC’s requirements by incorporating these lands into the original 25‑acre Younger Lagoon Reserve in 2009. The expanded Younger Lagoon Reserve (72 acres) includes the coastal lagoon, beach, coastal bluffs, coastal terrace grassland and scrub, and delineated wetlands. The expanded Younger Lagoon Reserve is managed by the UC Santa Cruz Natural Reserves in accordance with the CLRDP.

In addition to its resource protection and restoration mandates, the CLRDP requires enhanced public access/education opportunities on the site, and includes extensive monitoring and reporting requirements.

More information can be found at: (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)./

Under the direction of the Younger Lagoon Reserve Director, the Senior Steward leads research, education, outreach, restoration, and stewardship activities at the UC Santa Cruz Younger Lagoon Reserve. The role coordinates and implements native habitat restoration required by UCSC’s Coastal Long Range Development Plan; conducts biological and environmental monitoring; and supports research and field‑based learning on the reserve. Core duties include planning and…