Hands on the Land

Join us to support the Hands on the Land Support Fund

Hands on the Land (HOTL) is a graduate-student-run student organization centered on connecting the Davis community to the local natural landscape by providing equitable access to the outdoors in a safe and inclusive environment. We focus on local restoration initiatives at McLaughlin Natural Reserve and Stebbins Cold Canyon Reserve, two of seven UC Davis natural Reserves, by facilitating zero-cost, monthly weekend trips for 20-30 students and community members. Gifts to our project provide general support for Hands on the Land, including our current priority of maintaining the zero cost of these trips by covering transportation, food, and supplies and gear. We believe working hands and minds can nurture a thriving ecosystem and doing so together creates much-needed community.

Since its inception in 2021, Hands on the Land has led nearly 20 trips to UC Reserves with hundreds of participants. One participant said, “Normally the concept of "community" feels rather abstract and distant to me. Being in HOTL trips has allowed me to feel what community means and see how it is built.” By working on landscape renewal through repairing and restoring native ecosystems, preparing the land to be resilient to fire, and engaging in group activities that promote a sense of place, our work addresses large scale issues such as climate change through reimagining ecosystem functioning with small, local solutions. Utilizing community engagement and creative land management, we hope to restore functional landscapes and sustainable mindsets together.