In
1974 Santa Cruz residents Donald and Marian Younger donated approximately
40 acres of land on the open coast near Monterey Bay for the development
of a UCSC coastal marine research station. Approximately 25 acres
of the donated land became the Younger Lagoon Reserve (YLR), a relatively
undisturbed coastal lagoon with fresh and salt water marsh that
has been surrounded by agriculture for most of the last two hundred
years. The UCSC Institute
of Marine Sciences established the Joseph
M. Long Marine Laboratory on the land adjoining YLR.
Younger
Lagoon Reserve contains wetland, beach, and upland environments
and supports a variety of vegetation
types and wildlife species. As
can be seen in the picture to the left, YLR is hardly a pristine
wilderness nor is it heavily buffered against all the impacts of
neighboring uses, but it is located only a short distance from the
foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Since the nearby mountains
form a continuous natural habitat of many hundreds of square miles,
YLR has great value as a coastal reservoir for many plant and animal
species.
Younger
Lagoon Reserve was accepted as a University
of California Natural Reserve System (NRS) reserve in 1986 and
is now managed by the UC
Santa Cruz Natural Reserve unit. The UC NRS maintains the goal
of contributing to the understanding and wise management of the
Earth by supporting university-level research, education, and public
service activities in protected natural areas.
Younger
Lagoon Reserve is available for guided public
tours through the Seymour
Marine Discovery Center. Access to YLR for University and K-12
research and class projects can be obtained by submitting a Reserve
Use Application to the reserve director.
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