The goal of the campus weed management plan is to have a comprehensive overview of the UCSC campus' current weed management needs. This project is working under the Site Stewardship program and is consistent with the program's goal of including the whole campus community in restoration efforts. I plan to collaborate with many individuals and departments across campus, including the UCSC Campus Natural Reserve Steward. Currently, the campus areas are broken up in accordance with their uses, but in order to effectively combat a campus-wide weed problem, we must work together with land managers across campus.
Human impacts on the ecosystems that surround them are inevitable. This is why it is important for us to develop and maintain stewardship goals and priorities. We must reduce and mitigate any damage we do to undeveloped campus landscapes.
My plan is to begin writing an informational handbook detailing campus weeds, as well as providing information on needs, priorities and removal teqniques for each. Additionally, I created a campus weed mapping system using GPS and GIS and began mapping high priority weeds across campus. This will give campus land managers an overview that will help direct attention to areas of greatest need.
For this system to be effective, the responsibility of updating the maps and the database regularly must be passed on. With the help of future volunteers and interns, it will be possible to be stewards of our campus. In order to protect the campus's natural beauty, it will require long term land management and maintenance. The contribution of multiple parties will help preserve the unique campus landscape we are privileged with.