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<caption>Contributed photo The moldable clay in the Porter Cave, in what is called the &#145;Hall of Hands,&#146; is a must-see experience for first-year UC Santa Cruz students</caption>

It's long been called "a city on a hill," though in the 1960s and '70s, it might have been more accurate to call UC Santa Cruz a shire on the hill. Set in the middle of a dark, fragrant redwood forest, UCSC has long enjoyed a unique campus culture, thanks in large part to its Tolkien-esque storybook setting.

Now, the history of that wild and wonderful setting is being told in the second edition of "An Unnatural History of UCSC," which focuses on all the natural and human-made and hobbit-made? features of the university campus.

UCSC lecturer Jeff Arnett is the editor of the volume which, in words and pictures, traces the stories of such campus curiosities as the Porter Cave, the Upper Quarry, the Wiccan Circle and, of course, the vast glade once known as Elfland.

"It certainly had that 'Lord of the Rings' influence," said Arnett, who first attended the university as a student back in 1969, of Elfland, which was where College 9 and 10 now stand. "I think all of us were reading that at the time. But it did have this kind of otherworldly property to it."

Arnett is leading a walking tour of the sites mentioned in "Unnatural History" on campus Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The book itself includes oral histories of structures on campus that no longer exist "" such as the Labyrinth, a maze built in a clearing that was 70 feet in diameter and wooden walls 7 to 12


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feet high "" as well as existing features such as the mima mounds found across from the UCSC Arboretum. Mima mounds are small mounds of earth that occur in a limited number of places around the world. Their origin and purpose are unknown.

The book grew from a writing course taught by Arnett in spring quarter 2007. He had his students collect stories from former UCSC students and others who knew of the various spots across campus in order to make a comprehensive history of the place. The first edition of the book was released last year, but the second edition expanded significantly on what was known as the unique UCSC environment and added photos collected from various sources.

Interestingly, the book does not include a map of the still existing sites on campus, but only partly to discourage vandalism. Arnett said a map was originally designed but not included in the book to keep secrets not from potential vandals, from the university itself. Arnett was on campus back in the late 1980s when College 9 and 10 was built on the spot of Elfland. There were extensive protests to save Elfland, which is covered in detail in "Unnatural."

Elfland was a large redwood grove with thick ferns and interlaced with streams. Almost as soon as the university opened for business in the 1960s, Elfland became the site of student-built structures and dens, made mostly from branches and other forest detritus. Eventually, Elfland evolved into a kind of community of forest-loving students and others who built shrines and ritual sites.

"I discovered it as a runner," said Arnett. "I would be running across campus and I would see these strange structures spread out over a wide area of forest. It had quite a lot of breadth to it before its destruction."

There are vestiges that remain of the heyday of Elfland, such as Cat's Cradle, a small grove that began as a gravesite for a beloved pet, and the neighboring Wiccan Circle.

There are other stories in the book, from Alan Chadwick's famous garden to the Dome City to the Zen Sandbox, which still exists and is part of Saturday's tour.

"There are a lot of good things that come from that era," said Arnett. "I think we've lost that in the mainstreaming, conservative ethos of the times."

Contact Wallace Baine at wbaine@santacruzsentinel.com.

If You Go


What: A walking tour inspired by 'An Unnatural History of UCSC'
When: Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Where: Departing from the Recreation Office, East Field House, on the campus of UC Santa Cruz.
Cost: Tickets are $20 (which includes a copy of the book). Bring lunch, water and snacks.
Details: 459-1693.