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Wildfire Resilience and Ecosystem Restoration at Elliott Chaparral Reserve

The UC San Diego Natural Reserve System received a $1.4 million grant from the California State Coastal Conservancy to fund a two-year wildfire resilience and habitat restoration demonstration project at Elliott Chaparral Reserve.

Scheduled from July 2026 through June 2028, the project will remove up to 35 acres of non-native, fire-prone eucalyptus trees along the reserve's northwestern boundary. This initiative directly addresses neighborhood wildfire vulnerability by removing high fuel loads consisting of accumulated bark, leaf litter, and woody debris.

A row of eucalyptus trees at Elliott Chaparral Reserve

Project Objectives & Innovations

  • Ecosystem Restoration:

    Following tree removal, the site will be restored by planting approximately 7,000 native plants.

  • Tribal Stewardship & Access:

    In collaboration with the Kumeyaay community, culturally significant species will be integrated into the planting palette. The restored landscape will support sustainable plant collection by members of the Kumeyaay Nation, on whose ancestral lands the reserve resides. The La Jolla Band of Luiseño Indians Natural Resources Department will lead the tree removal operations.

  • Biomass Utilization & Carbon Sequestration:

    To model sustainable biomass management, harvested timber will be distributed across three tiers:
    • High-value logs will be salvaged for furniture and construction.
    • Branches will be chipped for use across UC San Diego campus landscapes.
    • Remaining wood will be converted into biochar using a high-temperature, low-oxygen carbonator. This pilot project will evaluate an experimental biochar application study to monitor its impact on soil restoration in collaboration with UC San Diego’s Soil Health Center.

Community Integration & Monitoring

  • Public Engagement:

    In partnership with the Scripps Ranch Civic Association, the NRS will host three hybrid public information meetings (at project launch, midpoint, and completion).

  • Volunteer Opportunities:

    Public planting and seedball-making events will be coordinated regularly throughout the project time period.

  • Academic & Scientific Output:

    Long-term vegetation transects, wildlife cameras, and herpetofauna monitoring arrays will track biodiversity recovery over a five-year period. UC San Diego undergraduate students will assist with monitoring for their senior capstone projects. The structural and environmental outcomes of this pilot will be shared with California land managers via a short film and a peer-reviewed technical note. Have an idea for a research project in a newly restored landscape? Reach out below to discuss site access.

Contact: Natural Reserve System (nrs@ucsd.edu)

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