The Frances Simes Hastings Natural History Reservation, founded in 1937 and operated by the University of California at Berkeley, serves as a field research station for studies in the ecology and natural history of animals and plants. It is located in the upper Carmel Valley 50 km southwest of Monterey, California. The 900-ha site offers a complete representation of Mediterranean habitats characteristic of the central Coast Ranges. Existing facilities include office space, a dry laboratory, library, and residences for permanent and visiting researchers. Research at Hastings is conducted by two resident scientists, research associates from several University of California campuses, students and visiting investigators. Since 1937, over 240 publications have resulted from studies at the Reservation, including 43 in the last five years. The site is best known for research in vertebrate ecology, but past and ongoing studies span a spectrum of topics in plant and invertebrate ecology as well. This project will provide funding to expand an existing office/dry laboratory building to provide additional office space and a well-equipped, modern wet laboratory to meet the special needs of field research with a strong laboratory component. In addition to the laboratory building, partial funding will be provided for a sewage system and drain field to serve the new laboratory, as well as selected items of vital laboratory and field equipment.
