The Land Trust of Santa Cruz County participated in UC Santa Cruz’s Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) Preliminary Competition Student Fair at the Jack Baskin School of Engineering on March 1, 2025.

The MESA College Prep program is nationally recognized for its innovative and effective academic development, helping middle school and high school students grow their interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) by bridging classroom concepts to real-world practice.

This program engages disadvantaged students to help them excel in STEM, working with all segments of higher education throughout California, as well as K-12 institutions. As part of the program, MESA College Prep participates in the annual competition called MESA Day, where the Land Trust was invited to table and share our work in conservation and environmental science!

This year’s MESA Day brought hundreds of students, teachers, and parents from Santa Cruz County and Monterey County schools to campus, including Alianza Charter School, Vista Verde Middle School, Main St. Middle School, Alisal High School, and many more! Youth competed with their peers in a variety of STEM related events. Some of the projects involved math, computer science, civil engineering, aerospace engineering, life science, and environmental science (not to forget live robot wars!).

Through interactive activities, wildlife camera footage, and fun conversation, the Land Trust informed students about the local conservation projects being managed by our organization—the Highway 17 Wildlife Crossing, the Highway 1 Salamander Crossing, Rocks Ranch, as well as personal interactions on how staff began their careers in land conservation.

Huge thanks to the UC Santa Cruz Early Academic Outreach Program, Educational Partnership Center, and MESA College Prep program, for successfully bringing together organizations and groups to share the important work we are doing in the STEM field!