The San Joaquin Marsh Reserve is a protected natural habitat that is managed by the University of California, Irvine and the University of California Natural Reserve System, a network of 39 natural areas throughout California. Encompassing 202 acres of freshwater marsh wetlands and riparian woodlands, the reserve is home to many plant and animal species and is an important resting and feeding place for migratory birds along the Pacific Flyway. Located adjacent to the UC Irvine campus the marsh is bordered on its southern side by the San Diego Creek, just upstream from where it flows into Upper Newport Bay. The marsh primarily supports academic research and educational programs that serve UC Irvine and the surrounding community. The marsh is not open to the public with access requiring a permit issued by the University of California Natural Reserve System (http://www.ucnrs.org).
This work is a collection of photographs that are intended to illustrate the natural beauty of the marsh habitat and the animal and plant species it supports. This project is an ongoing effort that I began in October, 2016 with the assistance of marsh director, Dr. Peter Bowler. I am grateful to Dr. Bowler for allowing me to carry out this project which has provided me with many memorable hours exploring the marsh and improving my photography skills. As this is a work in progress, I will be updating this web-portfolio regularly with additional images.
If you are interested in visiting a marsh habitat similar to this one I encourage you to explore the 12 miles of trails at the San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary/Sea & Sage Audubon Society which is open to the public and adjoins this property at its northern boundary (http://www.seaandsageaudubon.org/index.html).
If you would like to contact me please use the link above.
Thanks for visiting the site,
Eric Doran
A message from Dr. Peter Bowler:
For species lists and other information, visit the Reserve website at http://sanjoaquin.ucnrs.org. Megan Lulow (mlulow@uci.edu) and I (pabowler@uci.edu) are both glad to answer any questions we can.