UCLA Stunt Ranch Reserve: Cold Creek Watershed Tour w/ Nathanael Dardano

Come out to Stunt Ranch Reserve on Sunday, May 31st, 2026, to learn about the incredible creatures that live in the Cold Creek Watershed! Stretching approximately 4.5 miles from its high point at Saddle Peak, Cold Creek’s year-round waters play a vital role in supporting east–west wildlife corridors across the Santa Monica Mountains.

Biological researcher Nathanael Dardano will lead this free tour along the portion of Cold Creek that follows the Lower Stunt High Trail, sharing insights from his work with the creek and the organisms he has studied throughout the Santa Monica Mountains. Nate Dardano is currently a full-time research assistant in the behavioral ecology lab at Pepperdine University. He has been surveying streams in the Santa Monica Mountains for two years as a part of a joint monitoring effort with the university, National Park Service, and USGS, and has a passion for aquatic species conservation.

Date: Sunday, May 31st, 2026

Location: UCLA Stunt Ranch Santa Monica Mountains Reserve (1201 Stunt Rd. Calabasas, CA 91302). * We will be meeting at Stunt Ranch Reserve parking lot*

Time: 10am - 1pm

Stunt Ranch Santa Monica Mountains Reserve is a UC Nature reserve located in the Cold Creek watershed of Malibu Creek. Perhaps the most pristine and biologically diverse watershed in the Santa Monica Mountains, the Cold Creek flows year-round through the reserve, with smaller tributaries that support a well-developed corridor of riparian habitat. Primary habitats include chaparral, coast live oak woodland, and annual grasslands. Stunt has a documented flora of more than 200 vascular plant species and a vertebrate fauna that is particularly rich in birds and reptiles.

Please RSVP for an exciting morning of educational hiking!

Required Liability Waiver: All visitors to UCLA Stunt Ranch Reserve are required to sign a liability waiver created by the University of California Natural Reserve System. Click here to review the terms of this waiver. Participants under the age of 18 MUST have a parent or guardian sign their liability waiver to participate.

Questions? Please contact staff at [email protected].

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

Get App

Host or Publisher UCLA Stunt Ranch Santa Monica Mountains Reserve