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 2018 newsletter includes updates on volunteer progress during the United Way Day of Caring, the grand opening of the Wells-Elings Marsh Trail, barn construction, and fencing. The feature story informs readers of how public access will change with upcoming parts of the project, as well as best practices for visitors to avoid disturbing the wildlife. Community photos include Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) and Red-Tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis).