Restoring Coastal Prairie at UCSC Coastal Science Campus

Story by CCW staff.

In 2016, Central Coast Wilds began work on one of the largest ecological restoration projects on the central coast — restoring coastal prairie habitat at UCSC's Coastal Science Campus (formerly Long Marine Lab). The project involved installing over 100,000 native plants across multiple phases of work.

After a wet winter, the coastal prairie is flourishing, with species like Eriophyllum staechadifolium, Erigeron glaucus, and Eriogonum latifolium providing habitat for native bumblebees, butterflies, and a host of other wildlife. The restored coastal bluffs now function as a living laboratory for students and researchers while protecting the shoreline from erosion.