The Michael and Tricia Berns Environmental Study Loop is a unique, innovative facility that engages visitors in the science of park management and conservation. Made possible by a gift from Michael and Tricia Berns, it consists of an amphitheater, a student staging pavilion, and a half-mile ADA-accessible loop trail with eight science field stations where visitors can perform valuable and educational “citizen science” endeavors.

To help guide you through the loop, follow this link to a map.
Early Residents
Archaeologists have documented over 40 prehistoric sites at Crystal Cove State Park. This count includes settlements, camps, rock shelters and shell middens. These irreplaceable sites are culturally, historically and scientifically important to the Acjachemen, archaeologists and the preservation and understanding of our region’s cultural heritage. This station is positioned adjacent to a midden.

-Early Residents – Station 1
Rocks that Move
Studying the slow movement of cliffs helps scientists and park managers better manage visitor safety, recreational activities, and protection of natural and cultural resources. Erosion of rock material from these cliffs creates a frequent need to clear roads and trails. Erosion of silt throughout lower Moro Canyon causes challenges for watershed management.

Rocks That Move-Field Station 2
Bird Blind
Lower Moro Canyon reopened in 2011 after restoration. Both the canyon and the park’s backcountry beyond are important habitat for Orange County’s birds. Now a healthier ecosystem, Moro Canyon is attracting increased numbers of birds. Scientists eventually expect to see over 100 species here! These significant and sometimes rare birds help pollinate plants and control a wide variety of animals, such as insects.

Bird Blind
Nature’s Trespassers
What used to be a developed mobile home park
in Moro Canyon has now become 35 acres of restored habitat. Scientists and park managers planted
thousands of native plants to rebuild a healthy community of diverse plants,
insects, reptiles, birds, and mammals. As the ecosystem recovers, however, over
80 invasive species threaten that biodiversity and park staff works diligently to
monitor and remove many species of invasive plants.

Nature’s Trespassers
Wind & Weather
As we monitor restoration of Moro Canyon’s ecosystem, subtle changes in weather associated with global climate change might influence decisions by park managers. With warmer or drier conditions, for example, they might choose to modify the native plants they reintroduce. Data on subtle changes in wind and weather can also inform policies for managing fire, invasive species, and recreation.

Wind and Weather
Ecohydrology Deep Science Field Station
Where does all of the water go in Moro Canyon? Scientists at University of California, Irvine are very interested in learning the answer to this complicated question. At the Ecohydrology Deep Science Field Station, researchers from UCI’s Center of Environmental Biology work with after-school groups and public participants to track how water moves through Crystal Cove State Park. By studying how much water transpires from plants and evaporates from the ground, we’ll have a better understanding of how the entire canyon works as a ecological system.
Animal Tracking Field Station
Many of the animals who call Moro Canyon home don’t like to come out when people are around – but at the Animal Tracking Field Station, park scientists can look for the evidence that they leave behind. Footprints in the three tracking pits or images captured on a trap camera can provide clues to the animal activity taking place in Moro after dark.

View of the study loop from afar

ESL from the north, looking down the coast