Success Stories
College of Alameda's Campus Entry Improvement Project
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College of Alameda campus entry, Bay-Friendly Rated in 2012. -
New plants are mostly low water and California native species. -
No-mow grasses replaced traditional turf. -
The new landscape was designed to reduce water use by 552,000 gallons annually. -
California natives and other climate-appropriate plants provide habitat for bees and other pollinators and beneficial insects.
The College of Alameda, one of four Peralta Community Colleges, renovated its campus entry landscaping as part of its Sustainable Peralta campaign. This initiative aims to enhance economic opportunity and community well-being while protecting and restoring the natural and social environment upon which our neighborhoods and economies depend. The new entry landscape makes a visible statement about the College's commitment to environmental stewardship and signifies a move away from traditional resource-intensive landscape designs.
LANDSCAPE HIGHLIGHTS
- Sheet mulching was used to remove nearly two acres of lawn and suppress weed growth
- Turf was replaced with a lower water, no-mow alternative
- 88% of the non-turf plants are low water users
- 96% of the new plants are California native species
- The landscape is designed to capture and filter 85% of stormwater before it flows to the Bay
- Only fertilizers approved by the Organic Materials Reserch Institute were used to establish the new landscape
RESULTS
- 552,000 gallons of irrigation water saved annually compared to a conventional landscape
- 58% of landscape construction and demolition debris recycled
- 120 tons of local, recycled compost used
- 64 tons of recycled mulch used
- Bay-Friendly landscape practices reduced greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 47 to 98 tons CO2E
PROJECT DETAILS
- Project owner/developer: Peralta Community College District
- Landscape architect: Gates + Associates
- Landscape contractor: Valleycrest
- Location: 555 Ralph Appezzato Memorial Parkway, Alameda, CA
- Project area: 2.1 acres
- Landscape accessible to the public? Yes
Year rated: 2012
Bay-Friendly Rater: Cynthia Greenberg, Placeworks