LIK ROPER ENTERPRISES BLOG: ENDANGERED WILDLIFE HABITAT DESTROYED @ MISSION COLLEGE IN SANTA CLARA CALIFORNIA

WILDLIFE HABITAT @ MISSION COLLEGE IN SANTA CLARA / Mission College in Santa Clara once had a substantial population of ground squirrels, western burrowing owls and jackrabbits (etc). During the 1990s a teacher at Mission College led an effort to permanently protect the habitat surrounding the college, because when the college was first built it was the only structure for miles around, but now it is surrounded by semiconductor campus buildings. (see photos below)

Fences were constructed and native vegetation was planted at Mission College to provide wildlife habitat. It was once a thriving ecosystem; but now it has been all but destroyed -- along with the Mission College web page regarding the presence of Western Burrowing Owls. > http://missioncollege.org/gen_info/owls.html

Western Burrowing Owls were seen by local observers living on and around the Peterson Middle School property as well back in 2009, and there is documented evidence of burrowing owls recently residing at one of the Raynor Park kiddie playgrounds as well (reconstruction of the playground was delayed by the City of Sunnyvale due to the presence of burrowing owls on the property). Adding to this; John found nesting material which he kept as evidence; and what appears to be an owl feather left behind from two separate abandoned owl nests he stumbled upon after a large industrial storage container by the Peterson track was moved when the Full Circle Farm first entered onto the parcel. Western Burrowing Owls have not been seen in the Birdland neighborhood since then.

MISSION COLLEGE 2009

*Roughly 5 acres of land just behind mission college were

once designated as permanent wildlife habitat...

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The parcel of land seen above was originally supposed to be part of Mission College's protected habitat. John used to deliver BAM Magazine to Mission College and drove by this spot repeatedly. One week it was a thriving spot for various wildlife -- the next week it was bull dozed to make way for a semiconductor campus!?!

John brought this up at a Santa Clara City Council meeting regarding the 1333 Lawrence Expressway property, and John was told the council footage featuring him made the local TV news -- and apparently somebody got fined $$$ for destroying endangered species habitat!?! Regardless; roughly a decade later this same once protected habitat has now been PAVED OVER and developed!?!

And all of this sound science regarding California Ground Squirrels being a keystone species was all but ignored during the last Democratic presidential administration...

BEFORE AND AFTER: