Landscape Management
In 1996, the UCI Green and Gold Plan was adopted as part of the campus landscape management program. The plan outlines environmentally suitable, sustainable landscaping goals and objectives such as water conservation and replacing eucalyptus trees with native and drought-tolerant plants.
Eucalyptus tree removal in Aldrich Park, 2021.
Aloe garden installation in Aldrich Park, 2021.
Energy-Efficient Transportation and Construction
Campus-wide efforts to minimize UCI’s ecological footprint and conserve finite resources began in the 1960s. Efforts today include the student-run Anteater Express, which provides more than 2 million rides annually and was the nation’s first campus shuttle service to transition to an all-electric fleet in 2018. UCI’s built environment also includes 32 Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold and LEED Platinum certified buildings, which focus on human and environmental health.
Hydrogen fueling station.
Opened in 2007, the station was the first publicly accessible hydrogen refueling station in the nation.
UCI Health — Irvine.
Scheduled to be completed in 2025, the medical campus will be the first in the nation to operate on an all-electric central utilities plant.
Protected Open Space
UC Irvine’s earliest land-use plan set aside portions of the original 1,000 acres for permanent open spaces. Embedded within the urban Orange County landscape, two nature preserves are sites for ecology-focused, immersive education and research programs at UCI.
UCI Ecological Preserve.
After serving as Irvine Ranch grazing land for more than 100 years, the 60-acre preserve was established in 1989 to protect natural ecosystems. Conservation efforts focus on restoring native plants and associated wildlife.
San Joaquin Marsh Reserve.
This 202-acre wetland habitat is home to dozens of animal and plant species. It is also a nesting site for 20 bird species and a critical stopping place for 100 migratory bird species.