Mark R Stromberg

Frances Simes Hastings Natural History Reservation Mark R Stromberg

Biological field stations are centers of scientific research, conservation, education, and outreach that are embedded in the environment in a location that is usually protected and that serves both the local community and the larger scientific community. The research conducted at a biological field station is often focused on local environmental regions, but national and international scientific projects are common. Biological field stations constitute critical infrastructure for the scientific enterprise. More that 900 stations are scattered around the world. They provide environments to observe nature where access is relatively controlled and experimental setups are relatively protected. The Hastings Reserve is one of the oldest and best-studied biological field stations in California. Hastings includes nearly 2,000 acres on Finch Creek in the upper Carmel River valley. This book includes an historical account of the settlement of the upper Carmel Valley, the establishment of the reserve by the Hastings family, and the relationships the field station has developed over the decades with the local community. Mark Stromberg, PhD, was the Resident Reserve Director at Hastings from 1988 to 2011. Hastings is part of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley and the statewide University of California Natural Reserve System.