Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 60.61
Liaison Roxane Beigel-Coryell
Submission Date June 30, 2011
Executive Letter Download

STARS v1.0

California State University, Channel Islands
Tier2-4: Xeriscaping

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 0.25 / 0.25 John H. Gormley
Director, Planning Design and Construction
Operations, Planning, and Construction
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Does the institution use xeriscape landscaping techniques, including the selection of drought tolerant plants?:
Yes

A brief description of the program or practice:

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.


The website URL where information about the program or practice is available:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.