University of California, Santa Cruz
OP-10: Landscape Management

The UCSC Grounds Services Division practices Integrated Pest Management (as defined by the EPA) when responding to pest problems in the landscape as well as in office and residential areas in buildings. Integrated Pest Management is a strategy that focuses on long-term prevention or suppression of pest problems through a combination of techniques such as monitoring for pest presence, using non-chemical practices to make the habitat less conducive to pest development, improving sanitation, and employing mechanical and physical controls. Pesticides that pose the least possible hazard and are effective in a manner that minimizes the risks to people, property, and the environment, are used only after careful monitoring indicates they are needed. When it is determined that the appropriate response to a pest problem involves the application of pesticides, the materials used are required to have been evaluated for use on Campus by the University Environmental Health and Safety Environmental Programs Unit. Materials on the Proposition 65 list are not used.

Pest management is conducted with an IPM approach. All turf is mowed with mulching decks except one 4 acre sand based soccer field. All Tree crew brush and logs are ground to chip size and re used in the landscape to reduce erosion, evaporation, and suppress weed growth. All irrigation is scheduled based on local evapotranspiration data. All major landscape areas have central control irrigation management with automated leak detection and shut off. Department is converting to electric landscape equipment as available. Plants are selected carefully for appropriateness to environment. All staff are knowledgeable and skilled in their areas and receive monthly training including safety and environmental topics.

Planting areas outside building compounds should relate to the surrounding native plant community and utilize native plants, closely related species, or, in specific and limited locations, ornamentals successfully used on campus. Selected plant species should be water efficient, requiring little or no irrigation, so as not to affect drainage and availability of water to existing native species, and to minimize water usage on campus.

All tree crew trimmings are chipped and used on site for landscape mulch. All logs larger than we can chip are either: Stored and chipped on site by contract tub grinder and used on site or milled for lumber to be used on site. All but 15% of turf area is mowed with mulching deck mowers. The remaining 15% (competition soccer field) turf area is vacuumed, collected and taken to City of Santa Cruz Green Waste for composting. 10% of landscape clippings and leaves is used on site for erosion control. 90% is collected and taken to City of Santa Cruz Green Waste for composting.

The Campus has two organically certified agricultural areas totalling about 33 acres. The CASFS/UCSC Farm Center supports research on the basic ecology of agricultural systems with the goal of designing farming methods that conserve resources, maintain yields, and protect the health of surrounding natural landscapes. This agroecosystem approach, based on ecological principles such as nutrient cycling, biodiversity, and predator-prey relationships, is critical to developing an agriculture that can be maintained into the future. Researchers working with the Center also experiment with growing practices to improve yields, optimize nutrient use, decrease off-farm impacts, and reduce or eliminate reliance on synthetic chemical inputs. Much of this work takes place directly with growers on their farms and on the Center’s 30-acre organic farm at UCSC. Areas of interest include: Control of strawberry pests and diseases with anaerobic soild disinfestation (ASD) and trap crops. Crop rotations to suppress pests and diseases and improve fertility. Pest and natural enemy population dynamics. Variety trials for organic specialty crop production on the Central Coast. Cover cropping with annuals and perennials. Analysis of nutrient uptake in organic and conventional systems. Farmscaping with native hedgerows and vegetative buffer strips. Center researchers also experiment with growing practices to improve yields, optimize nutrient use, decrease off-farm impacts, and reduce or eliminate reliance on synthetic chemical inputs. Much of this work takes place directly with growers on their farms and on the Center’s 30-acre organic farm at UCSC. For information on conducting research at the CASFS/UCSC Farm, contact Farm Site and Research Lands Manager Darryl Wong at 831.459-3604 or by email. Please see the CASFS Research Protocol and Cost Worksheet for more detailed information.

We primarily utilize campus generated wood chip mulch for erosion prevention, water conservation, and weed suppression. We have begun converting to battery electric landscape equipment wherever possible. Pest management follows IPM principles. We have purchased and utilize "Burrow Blocker" non toxic ground squirrel management. Landscape plants are selected for appropriateness to the climate and our low input management. We are utilizing low precipitation rate, high distribution uniformity MPRotator irrigation heads where applicable. We operate 28 major irrigation control systems using radio communication central control Advanced Et irrigation management.

storm water management

It does not snow in Santa Cruz.

The Campus has two organically certified agricultural areas totalling about 33 acres. The CASFS/UCSC Farm Center supports research on the basic ecology of agricultural systems with the goal of designing farming methods that conserve resources, maintain yields, and protect the health of surrounding natural landscapes. This agroecosystem approach, based on ecological principles such as nutrient cycling, biodiversity, and predator-prey relationships, is critical to developing an agriculture that can be maintained into the future. Researchers working with the Center also experiment with growing practices to improve yields, optimize nutrient use, decrease off-farm impacts, and reduce or eliminate reliance on synthetic chemical inputs. Much of this work takes place directly with growers on their farms and on the Center’s 30-acre organic farm at UCSC. Areas of interest include: Control of strawberry pests and diseases with anaerobic soild disinfestation (ASD) and trap crops. Crop rotations to suppress pests and diseases and improve fertility. Pest and natural enemy population dynamics. Variety trials for organic specialty crop production on the Central Coast. Cover cropping with annuals and perennials. Analysis of nutrient uptake in organic and conventional systems. Farmscaping with native hedgerows and vegetative buffer strips. Center researchers also experiment with growing practices to improve yields, optimize nutrient use, decrease off-farm impacts, and reduce or eliminate reliance on synthetic chemical inputs. Much of this work takes place directly with growers on their farms and on the Center’s 30-acre organic farm at UCSC. For information on conducting research at the CASFS/UCSC Farm, contact Farm Site and Research Lands Manager Darryl Wong at 831.459-3604 or by email. Please see the CASFS Research Protocol and Cost Worksheet for more detailed information. The UCSC Campus also includes protected lands in the natrural reserve: The UCSC Campus Natural Reserve covers 400 acres of protected natural lands on the UC Santa Cruz campus. This land was set aside as part of the LRDP to preserve the natural communities for teaching, field research and natural history interpretation. These lands are an outdoor classroom and living library and laboratory. There are also approximately 25 acres of protected Ohlone Tiger Beetle habitat.

Footprint of the institutions buildings (47.3 acres) does not include satellite locations listed in the operational boundary.