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 July 2019 newsletter includes updates on plans for the Visitor Plaza and Discovery Trail, summer restoration opportunities, and possible funding for green trail infrastructure and carbon sequestration projects. The feature story focuses on threats to Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus) nesting onsite and efforts to protect the nests from predators such as crows and owls. Community photos include Yellow-crowned Night Heron (Nyctanassa violacea), Water Fern (Azolla filiculoides), and a Hover Fly on Golden Yarrow (Eriophyllum confertiflorum).