“Santa Barbara and UCSB are near and dear to me and Laura, and it was incredibly important that we continue supporting the amazing talent coming out of the world-class institution that is UC Santa Barbara. We look forward to a strong collaboration between Esri, UCSB, and the conservation communities for many years to come.”

Jack Dangermond

A Living Laboratory: The Jack and Laura Dangermond PreserveAt the confluence of two ocean currents, with elevations spanning from sea level to 1,900 feet, lies a 24,000-acre troveof biodiversity. The Jack and Laura Dangermond Preserve at Point Conception is an observatory of land-sea transitions, an early warning system for climate change dynamics, and a potential epicenter for innovative research. The preserve is an opportunity to revolutionize conservation research with wide-ranging impact, driven by the interdisciplinary strength of the UC Santa Barbara scientific community.

There is a compelling need for conservation science to apply tangible climate change solutions. All Dangermond Preserve partners are committed to collaborative and open data – shared information that can be developed and refined by anyone, anywhere, for any purpose. Thanks to this partnership, researchers worldwide can build on the work of UC Santa Barbara scientists.

From Beginning to End How does water move through a watershed, and how does this change during a drought? UC Santa Barbara hydrologist and geographer Dr. Kelly Caylor found his “perfect place” at Dangermond Preserve, where he will seek answers to these questions by studying a rare intact watershed system. Thanks to the Dangermond Preserve, scientists will be able to use this data to model water movement in climate change situations.

“This is a place where mountain lions and bears still hunt and forage on the beach. It’s an extraordinary system, and the observation and perspective of ecologists tends to be that it is the last of its kind. It is the last and best representation of a wild Southern California ecosystem.”

Michael Bell · Director The Nature Conservancy’s Dangermond Preserve

A Guiding LightPoint Conception is a beacon for understanding climate change. Cold Arctic and warm Baja currents meet at Point Conception, creating a collision of ecological communities with unparalleled biodiversity. Dr. Steve Gaines, Dean of the Bren School, studies how such ecosystem boundaries around the world will fare in the face of climate change. His work is best done at the Dangermond Preserve, but it will be applicable to scientists – and climate change solutions – worldwide.

Support and Contact InformationEnvironmental Systems Research Institute (Esri) founders Jack and Laura Dangermond gave the Dangermond Preserve to The Nature Conservancy with foresight and generosity in 2017.

To support cutting-edge research opportunities among Esri, The Nature Conservancy, and UC Santa Barbara, please contact Dr. Lotus Vermeer: lvermeer@bren.ucsb.edu · 805.893.3712

“The Dangermond Preserve will surely create breakthroughs in conservation data science via innovations in collecting, analyzing, and sharing information. Indeed, the next generation ‘conservation intelligence system’ that we hope to build will encourage people to think like scientists, talk like storytellers, and design for protection in harmony with nature.”Dawn Wright · Esri Chief Scientist

“Without philanthropic support, my internship at the Dangermond Preserve wouldn’t have existed. The

opportunity to collaborate with The Nature Conservancy on the creation of a world-class nature preserve has

transformed me into an environmental problem solver ready to face the hardest issues of our time.”

Brad Anderson · 2019 Master’s CandidateBren School of Environmental Science & Management