Wednesday, March 26, 2025 — 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm
The Ever-Changing Scenes of Blue Oak Ranch Reserve: Flowers, Research, and Land Stewardship at a Bay Area Field Station
Speaker: Zac Harlow
Wednesday, March 26, 7:30 pm
Location: Don Tatzin Community Hall, at the Lafayette Library and Learning Center
PLEASE NOTE: This presentation will take place in-person and won’t be livestreamed or recorded.
Though it’s just 11 miles east of San Jose on the slopes of Mount Hamilton, Blue Oak Ranch Reserve feels much farther removed from development and city life. In 2007, Blue Oak Ranch became part of the University of California Natural Reserve System, and since then the field station at this 3,260-acre habitat of woodlands, chaparral, and grasslands has hosted researchers in many disciplines as well as educational groups.
Zac Harlow, Resident Director of the reserve, will discuss what it’s like to run a field station, the diverse groups that use the reserve, and what makes Blue Oak and the greater Diablo Range special. His presentation will highlight the reserve’s flowers, habitats, and botanical research.
Zac Harlow has been the Resident Director of Blue Oak Ranch Reserve since 2016. Since moving to California in 2007, he has worked for the San Diego Zoo’s Wildlife Alliance, received his PhD from UCLA, and taught classes at Cal State LA and Cal State East Bay. He has a lifelong appreciation for the value of field stations and sees them becoming increasingly important in a changing world.
CNPS East Bay Chapter meetings are free of charge and open to everyone. We provide light refreshments at our in-person meetings. This meeting will take place in person only and will not be recorded.
Meeting Location
Don Tatzin Community Hall at the Lafayette Library and Learning Center
3491 Mt. Diablo Blvd, Lafayette, CA 94549
The Community Hall is on the corner of Mt. Diablo Blvd and First Street, and the entrance to the hall is opposite the main entrance to the library.
Via BART: 0.6 mile from the Lafayette BART station
- Free Parking Options
Parking garage beneath library building (accessed from Golden Gate Way)
Lot on Mt. Diablo Blvd immediately south of library building
Lot on Golden Gate Way across from rear of library building
Surrounding streets
If you have questions, contact programs@ebcnps.org.
