About

Sedgwick Reserve’s Mission is to support Research, University-level Courses,
Public Service, and Stewardship.

At 5,896 acres, Sedgwick Reserve encompasses two complete watersheds. Comprised largely of oak woodland, savanna, grassland, sage scrub, and riparian areas, the Reserve is a critical enclave for the region’s plants and animals. With infrastructure centered around a ten-acre field station, the Reserve is a dynamic hub for conservation research.

Natural Resources

Sedgwick has a rare collection of the region’s natural communities including coastal sage scrub, native grassland, chaparral, coast live and blue oak woodland, valley oak savannah, riparian habitat, gray pine forest, serpentine vegetation, and vernal habitat. These communities support a wide array of wildlife including American black bears, mountain lions, and badgers.

History

Sedgwick Reserve lies on the ancestral lands of the Samala Chumash who benefitted from the land’s many natural resources. In 1997, the land entered the Natural Reserve System (NRS) after the Sedgwick family bequeathed most of the ranch to the University of California.

The Field Station

The ten-acre Field Station serving Sedgwick Reserve was once the La Laguna Ranch headquarters and the Sedgwick family home. With fully equipped housing and meeting space in the field station, Sedgwick Reserve is a major center for research in central coast.

Facts Sheet

  • Administering Campus: UC Santa Barbara
  • Location
    Santa Barbara County in the Santa Ynez Valley; 30 miles northwest of the city of Santa Barbara
  • Size 2,388 hectares (5,896 acres)
  • Elevation
    950 to 2600 feet
  • Average Precipitation
    15 inches annually
  • Average Temperatures
    Summer High—100F
    Summer Low—46F
    Winter Low—23F
    Winter High—86F
  • Personnel
    Resident reserve director and steward on site; outreach coordinator; native plant nursery steward; administrative assistant; three maintenance and stewardship staff.