Mount Saint Mary’s University of Los Angeles presents
Mount Meadow³ – Monitor, Maintain, Multiply
A collaborative ecological restoration project focused on expanding and maintaining a native campus meadow to support biodiversity, strengthen ecological connections to the Santa Monica Mountains, and to serve as a living classroom for university students.
Mount Meadow³ is the second phase of a collaborative ecological restoration project between Mount Saint Mary’s University and the Santa Monica Mountains Fund focused on transforming underutilized campus lawn into a dense native plant meadow using the Miyawaki method. While the first year focused primarily on planning, design, and site preparation, a small portion of the upper meadow was initially planted in spring 2025 before larger installation phases in summer 2025 and spring 2026. This year’s work emphasized implementation, expansion, maintenance, and ecological monitoring. Students, staff, and community partners planted both the upper and lower meadow zones, expanded native species coverage, applied mulch for soil moisture retention and weed suppression, and monitored the survival and growth of earlier plantings. The project addresses biodiversity loss and habitat fragmentation by creating a “stepping-stone” habitat that supports pollinators, birds, and other native species while strengthening ecological connectivity with the adjacent Santa Monica Mountains. This year also expanded our three-dimensional ecological monitoring approach focused on below-ground soil conditions and microbes, ground-level plant establishment, and above-ground animal and pollinator activity. Mount Meadow³ serves as both an ecological restoration effort and a living outdoor classroom where students participate directly in hands-on sustainability science, habitat stewardship, and long-term monitoring of ecosystem development. Future goals include continued plant establishment, seasonal biodiversity surveys, long-term soil and habitat monitoring, and expanding student and community engagement with the meadow space.
Faculty Lead:
Adriane Jones
Students:
Deanna Solorzano, Kiana Kelly-Fann, Parker Evans, Priscilla Tso, Mia Lazo, Diana Crisostomo, Natalia Mitchell, and John Deeb. Santa Monica Mountains Fund: Talisa Andrade, Taylor Morales, Jonah Hoj
Collaborating Partner:
Santa Monica Mountains Fund
Aligned LA County Sustainability Plan Goals:
Goal 1: Resilient and healthy community environments where residents thrive in place. Goal 5: Thriving ecosystems, habitats, and biodiversity.
Premiere Segment
Presentation Materials
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