The East Bluff area is located on the bluffs above Goleta Beach adjacent to the east gate entrance to UCSB. This half-acre site was initially restored in 2004 after the University trenched the site as part of the Sewer Renewal project. A variety of drought-tolerant native coastal sage scrub species were planted and seeded at the site to provide habitat for the state-endangered Belding's Savannah Sparrow, reduce erosion, and improve the aesthetics of the site. The site was disturbed again in 2005 during the Electrical Infrastructure Renewal process and disturbed areas were replanted again in 2006 and 2007. Over 20 native species survive on the site despite very thin soils and the potential for erosion. Cheadle Center staff and students have worked on this site since 2003.
East Bluff before restoration in 2003
East Bluff after restoration in 2005.
East Bluff at a glance
Date Initiated: 2004
Size: 2 acres
Habitat types: Coastal Grassland, Coastal Sage Scrub
Special status species: Atriplex coulteri (Coulter's saltbush), Centromadia parryi ssp. australis (Southern tarplant), Plantago elongata (slender plantain), Passerculus sandwichensis beldingi (Belding's Savannah Sparrow)
All Cheadle Center restoration monitoring reports, databases, and referenceable data are stored in the Cheadle Center eScholarship repository and can be accessed through our Data and Research Resources page.
Belding's Savannah Sparrow