UCLA NRS Collection

This collection consists of administrative documents for UCLA pertaining to the Stunt Ranch Reserve and other NRS business. Created in large part by Mildred Mathias, a UCLA professor, founding NRS figure, and chair of the UCLA NRS advisory committee for 22 years.

This collection includes two series:

The NRS Administrative Materials series include files related to NRS advisory committees for UCLA, from 1974-1985, the Stunt Ranch Santa Monica Mountains Reserve, and the Natural Land and Water Reserve System (the precursor to the NRS) materials and correspondence, from 1969-83. Other organizations covered include the UCLA botanical garden, later named in Mathias’s honor, and The Nature Conservancy. TNC files include newsletters, Southern California Chapter meeting materials, and information on Nature Conservancy sites such as the Baldwin Lake Reserve. Files on other reserves cover properties such as the Jones, Cowls, and Cold Creek reserves, other university reserve systems, such as Stanford's Jasper Ridge and California State University reserves, and files on around 50 sites considered for inclusion in the NRS but never acquired, including correspondence with owners, clippings, property investigations, and scientific and administrative assessments.

The Mildred Mathias Papers series includes correspondence, lecture notes, publication notes, assorted NRS files, and taped oral histories of the NRS. These oral histories and other materials contain information pertaining to the establishment of the NLWRS, the Natural Areas Coordinating Council, California Coalition for Natural Areas, The Nature Conservancy, Bureau of Land Management, Harry and Grace James and the Trailfinders, James San Jacinto Mountains Reserve, Valentine Eastern Sierra Reserve, Boyd Deep Canyon Desert Research Center, Burns Piñon Ridge Reserve, Santa Cruz Island Reserve, Carpenteria Salt Marsh Reserve, Landels-Hill Big Creek Reserve, Ceatham Grove, and the Sweeney Granite Mountains Desert Research Center.