Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration

The Cheadle Center at UCSB manages the North Campus Open Space (NCOS), which is a project that has restored 136 acres of upland and wetland habitats that existed before the area was converted into the Ocean Meadows Golf Course in the 1960s. The NCOS restoration project began in 2017 with a fine-scale grading of the site in order to recreate the salt marsh and use the excavated soil to rebuild the upland habitats to the southwest, which are now called the NCOS Mesa. In addition to re-establishing native biodiversity, a key goal of the restoration is to utilize the site as an educational, scientific, and recreational resource. This archived version of the October 2017 newsletter includes updates on Michael Love's documentary, "From Golf Course to Wetland," collaborative planting events with schools and businesses, final stages of the grading project, and installation of habitat features and irrigation. The feature story focuses on a recent, unusual influx of water to the restored channels from Goleta Water District maintenance, and how seasonal and tidal changes in inundation help support bird life on site. Community photos include the Tropical Kingbird (Tyrannus melancholicus) and Blue-eyed Darner (Rhionaeschna multicolor).