Hastings Natural History Reservation

The Hastings Natural History Reservation, set in the open foothills of the Santa Lucia Mountains in upper Carmel Valley, protects excellent examples of habitats characteristic of the interior central Coast Range: annual and perennial grasslands, oak woodlands, chaparral, and running streams. Research at Hastings includes: Behavioral ecology of western bluebirds, Ecology and evolution of social behavior, Population biology of the California tiger salamander. in acorn woodpeckers, Genetics, physiology, and fitness of pocket gophers, with implications for conservation, Restoration ecology of native grasses and oak woodland, Site factors, dendrochronology, and flowering biology of California oaks, and Long-term studies of vegetation, bees, bird populations, small mammals.