If you are interested in accessing the Santa Cruz Mountains Reserve for courses, research, or community events in association or collaboration with our partner land managers, or for any other inquiries into our programs or work, please contact our Reserve Director – Chad Moura at cwmoura@ucsc.edu
Staff and Faculty
Reserve Director – Chad Moura
Email: cwmoura@ucsc.edu
Chad joined the Santa Cruz Mountains Reserve in October of 2022 as its first Director. Chad has a M.S. in Natural Resources – Wildlife from Cal Poly Humboldt (formerly Humboldt State University), as well as a B.S. in Zoology from University of California, Santa Barbara. Before his time at UC Santa Cruz, Chad was a seasonal tech and wildlife biologist for a variety of agencies, universities, and private consulting companies across California – from the Mojave desert to the redwoods of Humboldt County. Chad grew up in San Jose, CA and has explored much of the Santa Cruz Mountains region during his youth, so this position is a home coming back to the watersheds and woodlands he calls home.
Faculty Advisor – Chris Wilmers
Email: cwilmers@ucsc.edu
Chris Wilmers is a professor of Environmental Studies at UC Santa Cruz, and faculty advisor for the Santa Cruz Mountains Reserve. Chris has a PhD in Environmental Science, Policy and Management from University of California Berkeley and a B.A. Physics with Thesis Honors from Wesleyan University. Chris is the Principal Investigator of the Santa Cruz Puma Project research lab, investigating habitat fragmentation, spatial ecology, and the physiology and behavior of mountain lions in the Santa Cruz Mountains region. Chris and team of graduate students and field biologists track and monitor mountain lions across many of our partner lands, while also collaborating with a variety of federal, state, and regional partners to enhance habitat and wildlife cooridors for our native species.
If you are interested in learning more about Chris Wilmers’ work, please visit the Santa Cruz Puma Project website for more information on his research.