The extensive Robert C. Stebbins papers collection consists of field notes, field books, correspondence, photographs, theses and doctoral dissertation papers, study data and reports, valuable research notes, original maps, publication manuscripts, the manuscript and papers for the Peterson Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians, unpublished papers, conference papers, grant and contract records, as well as EBMUD papers and documentation concerning work done in the East Bay Regional Parks of California from the 1980s-1990s. The collection also contains many bound volumes of field notes from Stebbins' long career as well as the collection of artwork from his career as an accomplished artist. The Stebbins collection ranges between the dates 1942 and 1998, with some of his data dating back to 1898.

Stebbins came to the MVZ in 1945, and became Curator of Herpetology in 1948; he retired as Emeritus Professor in 1978. He is the author of more than a dozen books on herps, the best known being the Peterson Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians, now in its Third Edition. He is currently working on a book on teaching science and ecology in grade schools. His extensive work on reptiles in the southern California desert led to his working with state and federal officials for the creation of the Mojave Scenic Preserve, which in 1994 became the Mojave National Preserve. In an effort to protect the desert tortoise, he has worked hard to limit the destructive impacts of off-road vehicles in the desert. Stebbins is an accomplished artist, having drawn and painted all of the illustrations for his Field Guide. After retirement he expanded his subject to include landscapes; his paintings and prints are prized by collectors. References "MVZ Biographies." Museum of Vertebrate Zoology at Berkeley. 17 July 2013. http://mvz.berkeley.edu/Biographies.html.

14 cubic feet

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The collection is open for research.