To better understand the intricacies of our natural world, the University of California is setting up an outdoor laboratory to observe Mother Nature in action.

In the hills above San Jose, California, UC is building a weather station and installing cameras and sensors connected wirelessly to the Internet. These will provide round-the-clock, real-time data on weather and climate conditions, from notable rainstorms to subtle climatic pattern changes. The installation will observe wildlife, keeping an electronic eye on native endangered species like the California tiger salamander and the foothill yellow-legged frog, as well as vegetation growth and patterns of plants like the native blue and valley oaks.

The idea behind the lab is to gather data on aspects of the environment that cannot be picked up by a daily site visit.

The site is home to a known “460 species of plants, 130 species of birds, 41 species of mammals, seven species of amphibians, 14 species of reptiles, seven species of fish, and hundreds of species of invertebrates,” according to UC. Various creeks and rivers drain throughout the site offering riparian habitat and water resources to migrating wildlife, among others.

The land for the outdoor laboratory, anonymously donated to the university, is worth $5 million and was previously 260 acres of ranch land east of Alum Rock Park, San Jose known as the Blue Oak Ranch Preserve. Livestock grazing ended roughly 15 years ago. 

Real-time data will be reviewed by UC scientists and is open to others in the scientific and academic fields. In fact, anyone who has access to Google Earth can view the outdoor laboratory. The general public will be able to attend workshops and volunteer on the grounds. Other organizations are eager to use the data for environmental analysis. NASA Ames will use the data to inform air quality planning. The Reserve will eventually include outdoor classrooms and labs, as well as operate a field station powered by solar energy.

The outdoor laboratory’s overall goal is to “observe the previously unobservable” parts of the environment, according to Michael Hamilton, Director of Blue Oak Ranch Reserve.

By establishing this outdoor lab, scientists hope to gain a better understanding of nature as it is -- and is not -- affected by human interaction, development and other environmental conditions like smog or polluted waterways. Unpacking these relationships and developments will help inform future environmental strategies and perhaps inspire more people to reduce their environmental impacts.