Ways to Get Involved In Conservation Efforts At UCLA

If you feel passionate about getting involved with conservation efforts, there are many opportunities to explore within UCLA, such as through clubs, volunteering, and research!

Here are some notable clubs doing impressive conservation work:

• Bruin Birding Club: The Bruin Birding Club is a community of students on campus who are interested in learning more about birds, working to make native habitats more abundant and natural spaces more accessible to all. Their conservation efforts are uniquely centered around their interests for birds! Members of the Bruin Birding Club cultivate and take care of plants native to the region while creating a habitat for the campus’ hummingbirds in Hummingbird Canyon, a garden located between Franz Hall and the Geology building. They meet regularly to maintain the garden and plant new plantings, and you can email them to get involved!

Hummingbird Canyon

• The Ecological Restoration Association (ERA): This club focuses on restoration ecology and provides hands-on experience for members through field work and restoration plan design around UCLA. ERA has worked on Stone Canyon Creek restoration, and just a couple days ago they hosted a volunteer event to reseed the site with a variety of native plants. Join their slack to stay up to date with opportunities to get involved.

ERA Stone Canyon Creek Restoration - Removing Invasive Plants

• Bruin Naturalists Club: The Bruin Naturalists Club is intended for those interested in natural history to interact with other like-minded individuals and attend fun trips to parks and reserves to learn about conservation strategies and learn experientially about the diversity and history of different ecosystems in California and elsewhere. For more information, you can contact the club via email.

Here are some fun volunteering opportunities:

• Sage Hill: Managed by the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, Sage Hill is the largest remaining ecosystem on the UCLA campus, with 3.5 acres of land home to a high diversity of fauna and flora, including 50 native higher plant species, 7 native mammal species, 17 butterfly species, 30 resident and migratory bird species, and many more. This fall, volunteers can drop in every Monday and Thursday between 1PM and 4PM to fix trails, monitor vegetation, collect seeds, and clear non-native weeds. Volunteers just need to sign a liability waiver and wear long pants and closed-toe shoes, all other tools will be provided. For any questions, you can shoot them an email. Happy volunteering!

Sage Hill

• Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Gardens: If you’ve ever wanted to contribute to the beauty of the Botanical Gardens, look no further. There are actually opportunities to volunteer! While the Garden is not currently accepting new volunteers, you can fill out a volunteer interest form to work alongside garden staff to maintain the garden and participate in a variety of activities including pruning, raking, weeding, watering, planting and propagating.

Botanical Gardens

And finally, an academic opportunity related to conservation science:

The Annual UCLA La Kretz Center and Stunt Ranch Reserve Research Awards: If you’re more interested in getting involved in academic work, the UCLA La Kretz Center & Stunt Ranch Reserve Research Awards is an opportunity for student scientists at UCLA to receive funding for research proposals related to environmental, ecological, evolutionary, and/or conservation science in California. Awards vary from $500-$6000 to apply toward supplies, equipment, and travel expenses related to their research goals, and awardees have one year to spend their funds. For the 2023-2024 research awards, apply by December 10th, 2023. Here is all of the information you need to apply.

From creating a habitat for hummingbirds next to La Kretz Hall to clearing invasive plants on Sage Hill to creating a conservation science-related research project, there are many different ways to support conservation on campus. How will you get involved?