Los Medanos College maintains a 2-acre Nature Preserve dedicated to California's native flora, initiated in 1999 by faculty and students to foster biodiversity. Caretaker Ricardo Black emphasizes the importance of native, drought-tolerant species, which require minimal watering. The preserve is home to 86 native plant species, including rare varieties. Black, an environmental soil scientist, notes that invasive grasses, introduced during the Gold Rush era for ranching, threaten the native ecosystem. The goal of the preserve is to increase biodiversity and educate the community about native plants' ecological significance.
"The nature preserve is about two acres located behind the college... many plants are medicinal or culturally significant, serving as vital hosts for pollinators, birds, and other wildlife."
"The preserve has about 86 native plant species, including some rare and endangered... the preserve was merely a lawn before it was transformed into a diverse environment with native plants."
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