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CSUDH Walking Trail: Walking is carbon-free! Enjoy the outdoors along this approximately two-mile walking loop located right on campus (find the starting point on the east side of the CSUDH Tennis Courts). Directional signage was installed in summer 2021 thanks to CalFresh grant funding to help encourage healthy, active living.
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Facilities Services maintains approximately 170 acres of landscaped grounds, with safety, hygiene, and aesthetics as its objectives. CSUDH also has several faculty in the Biology Department with specialized knowledge of native plants and sustainable landscaping techniques. View information on our campus tree map and contribute observations of wildlife via our iNaturalist page:https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/csudh-inaturalist-observations
There are currently several native gardens and preserves on-campus as well as a small campus Urban Farm that are faculty/student-run:
- Heritage Creek: This is a bioswale at the south end of Parking Lot 7 designed to provide bio-filtration for storm water and provide native habitat. The area is open to the campus and the public, and is available for research activities. Any requests for new plantings, modifications, or infrastructure changes should be directed to Associate Professor of Biology Kathryn Theiss at ktheiss@csudh.edu.
- Greenhouse: The Greenhouse itself is available for classes only, and is an academic facility operated by the Biology Department. Requests for access or use should be directed to the current professor teaching Botany/Plant Physiology. The outside fenced area of the greenhouse is available to other campus entities for the propagation of plants such as faculty from other departments, students, the Ecology Club, Facilities Services, etc. Requests for use of this outdoor area should be directed to the current professor teaching Botany/Plant Physiology. All requests must be compatible with existing class use of the space.
- Dominguez Hills Vernal Pool: This natural area is located at the southwest corner of campus and is a restricted area. As-needed access is controlled by a combination lock, and the code is available upon request to Associate Professor of Biology Kathryn Theiss at ktheiss@csudh.edu. The outside berm that runs along the boundary of the wetland has a public-access walking path, but activities inside the actual wetland are limited to research, maintenance, restoration, or management. Current entities that are permitted to access the wetland for these purposes include Vector Control, Facilities Services, AEG, and students/faculty conducting research that has been approved by Associate Professor of Biology Kathryn Theiss at ktheiss@csudh.edu.
- Campus Urban Farm: The Campus Urban Farm is a living laboratory space designed to support faculty/student research related to food, and primarily consists of edibles and plants with cultural significance. The Farm is open for student, faculty, staff, and public use during the school year. Classes and groups may also request special access on weekends. Requests to plant or conduct classes at the Farm are handled by the Office of Sustainability/Farm Manager and are accommodated based on availability (reach out to dhurbanfarm@gmail.com).
There are also several garden areas maintained directly by Grounds:
- CALL Garden: This garden, located by the NSM Loading Dock and featuring native Californian species, is managed by Grounds and is open for observation.
- Butterfly Garden: This is a native garden located west of Central Plant formerly managed by faculty. Management of the Butterfly Garden is now managed by Grounds, but continues to provide a plant palette that supports native pollinators.
- Ocean-Friendly Garden: This garden was established through a formal agreement between Housing and West Basin to install an ocean-friendly bioswale/demonstration garden outside of Housing Phase I. This garden is maintained by Grounds.
A dedicated working group, the Sustainable Landscape Committee operates as an extension of the general University Sustainability Committee with a special focus on supporting native species and edible plants on campus, faculty/student-run garden oversight, and maintaining campus tree canopy. To join this group, please contact the Office of Sustainability.
An approved Sustainable Landscape Plan developed by the Sustainable Landscape Committee serves as the campus standard for landscape on-campus, and outlines ownership and maintenance policies for student/faculty-run gardens:
- CSUDH Sustainable Landscape Plan (Updated and Approved 2022) [PDF]
