California State University, Channel Islands
Tier2-1: Native Plants

California State University Channel Islands (CI) has developed a strategy that uses xeriscape landscape techniques with the goal to decrease the amount of existing lawn area & irrigation, minimize the required maintenance of planting areas adjacent to buildings, and provide an opportunity to educate people about the appropriateness of these types of plants to maintaining a sustainable campus grounds. This strategy has been completed across approximately a quarter of the campus grounds that are currently actively maintained (CI has just under 1200 acres of land, but most of this is in its natural state), with plans to continue across the remainder of the core campus through funding from adjacent capital projects. A new native plant field was installed last year behind the new Broome Library as a pilot project to provide an area for people to enjoy and learn more about the native species prevalent in the region. An existing cactus garden was transplanted to an adjacent tract of land at the University Town Center that abuts the base of the coastal Santa Monica Mountain Range. A new entrance road into the campus is under construction, and the landscaping will utilize similar techniques that will achieve the goals stated above. This will include native grasses planted along new levee system, restoration of a native riparian habitat along the adjacent Long Grade Creek, development of wetlands areas, and landscaping along the main road that uses native and drought-tolerant plant species. In the front of the Broome Library, there are Californian and Mexican desert plants. Due to the adaption of these plants to this region, less water is needed; therefore, CI installed low precipitation rate spray heads.