You're Invited! Mesa Trail Opening 2022
Your Local Wetland At Work
North Campus Open Space not only provides a safe space to walk, bike, run, and enjoy nature, the wetland is also working to improve water quality. In the realm of biogeochemistry, wetlands are considered a “sink,” or a location in which these nutrients are removed from the water by natural processes. Click here to learn more.
Restoring Increasingly Rare Wildflowers to Campus Lands
One of CCBER’s goals has been to seek out wild populations of increasingly rare wildflowers and then nurture small populations in order to build up seed to then expand the populations under more ideal conditions. Click here to learn more.
Aquatic Macroinvertebrate and Water Quality Intern Program at NCOS
This summer Sharon Metsch’s Field Lab at North Campus Open Space (NCOS) was put to good use as the new location for our aquatic macroinvertebrate and zooplankton monitoring and identification project. Students enjoy the beauty of the wetland while also gaining meaningful hands-on scientific experience in aquatic macroinvertebrate and zooplankton collection methods, invertebrate identification, scientific inquiry, and project management. Click here to learn more!
Winter Break Storms at NCOS
Recent storms over the Winter break have once again illustrated how the increased wetland capacity of the restored system at NCOS provides flood protection and increases the tidal prism which expands and diversifies the wetland. Click here for more on the storms!
NCOS: Living Laboratory
An essential component of the North Campus Open Space restoration project is its availability as an ecological study area for student researchers. Its close proximity to UCSB and diverse array of habitat types provides the perfect opportunity for students to find their passion in the field. Click here to read about four students who have been conducting field-based research at NCOS.
UCSB’s “Introduction to Ecological Restoration Field Skills” Utilizes NCOS
Environmental Studies 95: Introduction to Ecological Restoration Field Skills (EnvS 95) is one of the few undergraduate courses offered at UCSB where more than 40 students a quarter in small sections can gain hands-on experience and get dirty in the field. Click here to learn more about this unique class!
NCOS flood reduction benefits recognized by FEMA
Breaking news! The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has issued a Letter of Map Revision for the North Campus Open Space, which formally documents a change to the flood hazard zone of the area. Click here for the full story.
NCOS Education Resumes with Pre-k Field Trips!
We are excited to resume educational visits this summer after over a year of restrictions that prevented organized field trips to North Campus Open Space. Currently ongoing is a collaboration with Orfalea Family Children’s Center (OFCC) funded by UCSB’s Coastal Fund. NCOS’s proximity to OFCC makes it an ideal destination for these 2- to 5-year-olds to explore, learn, and connect with nature. Click here to learn more about these exciting field trips!
Community Insights at NCOS
As the restoration of North Campus Open Space progresses, the site’s benefits are increasingly felt. While we have already conducted surveys of the site's visitors to determine the top reasons people come out to NCOS, we wanted to take the chance to hear specific anecdotes from a number of community members regarding the role of NCOS in their lives. Click here to read insights from individuals who shared what NCOS means to them.
