California State University, Monterey Bay
OP-11: Biodiversity

Adjacent to CSUMB is the Fort Ord National Monument and the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. A comprehensive, multi-species Former Fort Ord Habitat Conservation Plan is being developed under the oversight of the Fort Ord Reuse Authority. For the details and current status, please check their site at http://fora.org/habitat.html

Return of the Natives is a community and school based environmental education program dedicated to involving students (Kindergarten through University) and the community in native habitat restoration in Monterey County, CA. Our mission is to bring nature closer to people, and people closer to nature through hands-on experiences in community based habitat restoration and environmental education. They have done significant work on the grounds of CSUMB and elsewhere.

From a Landscape Management Scope of Work with a Contractor: The California Invasive Plant Council (http://www.cal-ipc.org/) guidelines on invasive plant management will be followed to control and, if possible, eradicate invasive species. Specifically, view Invasive Plants of California’s Wildlands at http://www.cal-ipc.org/ip/management/ipcw/index.php. Ice plant is a particular problem at the CSUMB campus. According to the California IPC, this vigorous groundcover forms impenetrable mats that compete directly with native vegetation, including several rare and threatened plants. Small mammals can carry seeds of ice plant from landscape settings to nearby natural areas. Pieces of the plant can be washed into storm drains and into natural areas where they become established. In order to address the ice plant problem, the Contractor is expected to keep it from spreading, to contain it by cutting it back on a routine basis. Contractor must be extremely cautious with the cuttings so as not to spread the plant. Ice plant can be replaced with other native groundcovers such as wild ginger. As the Landscape Management Plan is updated, there will likely be plans to systematically eradicate this invasive species and replace it with native grassland groundcovers. The only effective method to contain ice plant currently is through using herbicide. Mowing ice plant just spreads it further and should never be done. Other invasive plant species that can be found around the Monterey Bay Peninsula are: • Ripgut Brome • French Broom • Scotch Broom • Sea-fig Broom • Hottentot-fig iceplant • Crystalline iceplant • Pampas grass (remove and replace with Deer grass) • Jubatagrass CSUMB aims to attempt to eradicate invasive species and replace them with California natives and the Contractor will make every attempt toward this goal.

A student, Jane Kim is combining the accessibility of street art with meticulous scientific detail, a style she honed while earning her certificate in science illustration at CSUMB, Jane Kim plans to paint a series of eye-catching large-scale murals in public places along the migration route of endangered species. Return of the Natives is a CSUMB organization that works on eradicating invasive species and re-establishing native plants.