The Student Research Gear Closet at the University of California-Riverside provides students who are affiliated with CCB (the Center for Conservation Biology), SEEDS (Strategies for Ecology Education, Diversity, and Sustainability), a UCR field course, or a UCR laboratory with the gear they need to participate in career-building field activities. We provide field gear to students at no cost to them in an effort to reduce barriers to field science.
The UCR Gear Closet connects students on campus with the clothing, gear, and equipment they need to feel safe and comfortable when outdoors for scientific research or educational activities.
We aim to create more equitable access to outdoor educational experiences by eliminating barriers that graduate and undergraduate students may face in obtaining expensive outdoor equipment.
To achieve this goal, we provide the following:
A physical closet to provide students with day-to-day outdoor clothing and equipment at no cost. Items include field shirts, field pants, sunscreen, snake gaiters, comfortable socks, and sunglasses.
Funds to cover the cost of renting larger items: Students are able to use our fund to rent tents, large backpacks, and other larger-ticket items from UCR’s Outdoor Excursions Shop.
UC Riverside is home to world-class outdoor research and education. The field experiences created by these programs not only provide the next generation of scientists with professional training critical for long-term career success but also improve student retention and decrease demographic disparities in academic achievement among students in outdoor-based majors.