The Halter Ranch Conservation Scholars Program (HARCS) is a one-year program that gives Cal Poly students hands-on field experience in conservation. Seven students are currently enrolled, gaining experience on conservation lands throughout California while developing professional skills for careers in conservation. Students receive funding during the academic year to support their learning, and then an additional stipend for a nonprofit summer internship. During the summer, each student interns with a conservation organization, helping manage preserves, conduct research projects and support restoration and youth education. A new cohort begins in the fall.

Reed Kenny (M.S., Biological Sciences, ‘20) leads the program and teaches BIO 472 (Conservation Ecology and Practice), an advanced studies research class associated with HARCS. After graduating in 2020, he returned to Cal Poly in 2025.

"It's been really fun to have this leadership role and to think about how to design the best curriculum, find the right partners and structure it in a way that results in great outcomes for both our students and conservation partners,” Kenny said.

During his master's program at Cal Poly, Kenny focused on studying the flora of Swanton Pacific Ranch, Cal Poly’s teaching, research and demonstration property near Santa Cruz.

“Swanton Pacific Ranch is a special property that's really biodiverse,” he said. “It has big stretches of coastal grassland that have rare organisms, and so being able to work there was a delight.”

Returning to Cal Poly has been a full-circle moment for Kenny, who found Cal Poly’s Learn by Doing philosophy a natural fit for his curiosity and interests as a graduate student. Today, he applies that same philosophy as he teaches and mentors students in HARCS.

“I tend to learn best if I get the chance to try something out and make mistakes,” he said. “Cal Poly provides students with the resources they need to get out and actually do the work.”

HARCS is funded by a gift from the Halter Ranch Charitable Trust, which is associated with the Halter Ranch Winery. While the Halter Ranch Charitable Trust helped established the program, ongoing donor support is needed. A gift of $15,000 supports one student for a year, including academic-year research, field trips and a summer internship. Kenny hopes more donors will support the program to ensure its long-term future.

“Cal Poly is unique and special and has a strong botanical community,” Kenny said. “It’s really a joy to be a part of it.”

Learn more about the Halter Ranch Conservation Scholars Program (HARCS)