‘A Multi-Benefit Project’

Science and Technology @ UCSB

Four years after receiving the property as a gift from a nonprofit, UC Santa Barbara has officially begun its planned ecological restoration of a former golf course in Goleta.With the support of a diverse array of public agencies, UCSB is working to revive and preserve wetlands on the upper Devereux Slough, which some 50 years ago was filled with soil to make way for Ocean Meadows Golf Course. With the integration of adjacent uplands, the 136-acre parcel now known as North Campus Open Space (NCOS) will ultimately open to the public, coastal habitat and trails extending three miles along the Ellwood Devereux coast by connecting several existing preserved properties.
“UC Santa Barbara cherishes the opportunity to partner as a long-term steward of this open space, and we are excited that we have now broken ground on a project that will restore and preserve these precious wetlands for public access, research and teaching,” said Chancellor Henry T. Yang.
For the environment, and the community
With cooperation from multiple departments and divisions at UCSB, and in continued collaboration with several outside partners, the project from day one has been developed with the community in mind — and involved. A series of open meetings, held over three years, was meant to elicit broad input, foster discussion of the evolving plans and engage the public in the process.
Further, in keeping with a longstanding commitment when it comes to open spaces, UCSB is integrating its research and education mission into the design and management of the project. Already several academic courses, class projects and independent student efforts have centered on research opportunities at the site, including public use, insect diversity, soil and water quality, carbon sequestration and sea level rise.
“California has lost over 90 percent of its wetlands due to development over the last century and half, yet these lands serve an important ecological function ...

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