BCCER

Smoke rises from burnt clumps of deergrass adjacent to a walkway on the Chico State campus.

Mechoopda Tribe and Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve Partner to Conduct Cultural Burn on Chico State Campus

This collaboration makes the Mechoopda the first tribe to utilize new legislation to carry out a burn on a campus within the California State University System.

Sunshine breaks through the tops of trees over a ranch-style setting.

Where Education Meets the Land

The Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve is a living laboratory for students of all ages, ground-breaking research, and innovative land management practices.

Jackie Rodriguez adjusts a trail camera mounted to a tree by a strap.

‘Adopt An Acre’ Catches Critters on Camera

With support from the Adopt An Acre program, student researchers are using trail cameras to get a snapshot of the wildlife that roams the Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve.

Eli Goodsell gestures with his hand while standing in a bright green meadow surrounded by faculty and staff.

Warriors Against Wildfire

At the Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve, action to temper and prevent devastating wildfires has been taking place for 20 years.

Michaela Marr studies needles on a tree.

Opting Outside: Students Plunge Into Watershed for Immersive Course

One class spent two incredible weekends camping on Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve and exploring study sites ranging from the Sacramento River all the way upstream to the creek headwaters, to understand how the watershed works as a whole and learn about the wildlife that exists there.

Land steward coordinator Tom Mello helps with the Big Chico Creek Watershed Tour on April 14.

Putting Himself on the Map: A Nontraditional Student Finds His Place

Tom Mello couldn’t imagine himself as a college student, but after the Great Recession left him without a job and struggling as a single parent, the need for an education morphed into a passion for the physical geography major.

Close Encounters of the Insect Kind

A trip to Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve to aid in the North American Butterfly Association's annual butterfly count proves more elusive than imagined.

A variety of mushrooms are laid out on a table still covered in dirt.

Putting the Fun in Fungi

A visit to the Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve, which is owned by the CSU, Chico Research Foundation, opens a wide window into the world of mushroom hunting and outdoor exploration.

Man vs. Wild, Huber Style!

Scott Huber, Education and Research Coordinator, Ecological Reserves I have the world’s best job. As the education and research coordinator for CSU, Chico’s Ecological Reserves I get to do both of the things that I love most: sharing my love of nature with others and getting my hands dirty as I help protect the reserve’s […]