University Purchases Nearby Open Space
Cal State University Channel Islands has closed escrow on 35 acres of open space adjacent to the fledgling Camarillo campus, a key step in plans to build a nature trail connecting the college to a developing regional park.
The acquisition was made possible by a grant from the Wallis Foundation, a Los Angeles-based group that gives to many charitable causes.
The property, at the foot of the Santa Monica Mountains, is rich in native vegetation and is a significant habitat for a variety of birds and small animals.
An environmental study prepared before Channel Islands was converted from a state mental hospital into a university called for acquisition of land adjoining the campus for open space and habitat restoration, Channel Islands President Handel Evans said in a statement. The recent purchase partly fulfills that obligation, he said.
“We are grateful to the trustees of the Wallis Foundation for having the foresight to make this initial purchase possible,” Evans said.
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