Teaching and research are the principal activities on NRS reserves, and these endeavors benefit the public indirectly. However, the NRS also serves the public directly by making its reserves and facilities available to government agencies, conservation groups, and other appropriate organizations and by collaborating with these entities to protect the state's natural resources. While reserve use is by permission only and all uses of NRS reserves must be consistent with the University's teaching and research objectives, the NRS makes every effort to allow the general public to visit its reserves and learn of the work conducted there.
The NRS serves the public in many far-reaching ways. One very important way is by providing unparalleled opportunities for the environmental education of K-12 youth (kindergarten through 12th grade) in both elementary/secondary schools and informal instruction programs. Because the NRS is a University-administered program, many people do not realize that all of our University campuses are involved with K-12 education on these UC reserves. Moreover, resident reserve staff and their families often play leadership roles in the process, not only hosting groups of schoolchildren, but also designing instructional projects, compiling collections and databases, teaching students directly, and coordinating demonstrations by resident and visiting scientists.
NRS reserves help to preserve biodiversity and conserve genetic resources by protecting natural communities and rare, threatened, or endangered species for further study. In addition, NRS personnel provide technical consultation on such important community concerns as watershed protection, fire suppression, regional resource management, and potential land-use impacts.
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