What we do
A primary mission of the Natural Reserve System is to provide relatively undisturbed natural laboratories where scientists can conduct research on the workings of nature.
James Reserve Field Station
The Reserve is closed to the public and the entrance gate remains locked at all times. The lock combination is provided to users upon approval of their reservation for use of the Reserve.
Oasis de Los Osos
The Oasis de los Osos is a sister site of the James San Jacinto Mountains Natural Reserve also administered by the University of California Riverside. The Oasis de los Osos is located in Riverside County about 16 km (10 miles) north of Palm Springs near the mouth of Snow Creek Canyon.
Reserve history
The James Reserve began its long record of nature education in 1941, when Harry and Grace James moved their Trailfinders School for Boys to a wooded site on the slopes of the San Jacinto Mountains. Their donation of this land to the University of California in 1966 established the reserve that still bears their name.
Annual Report
A review of reserve use figures plus a narrative description of research and other activities at the reserve can be found in the reserve’s Annual Report.