As a concerned student at the Cerritos College, I've noticed a disturbing trend on our campus. Recently, the administration has chosen to replace native California poppies with plastic turf at the corner of Studebaker and Alondra. This decision not only deprives local insects, soil, and wildlife of their natural habitat but also contributes to microplastic pollution in our air and water. 

Native plants like California poppies require less water than non-native plants, require no chemical pesticides, provide habitat for pollinators and native species, and make the land more resilient to climate change while also mitigating its effects. The financial benefits to the campus include water savings, less expenditures on chemical pesticides, and a minimized need for fossil-fuel guzzling and carbon emitting mowing and gardening equipment purchase and maintenance. The health of facilities employees who otherwise are exposed to the toxic fumes from gardening equipment and carcinogenic pesticides would also be better protected by a native plant campus. Other added benefits of more native plants for the campus community include learning spaces for environmental science majors and other disciplines, wildlife viewing which helps to promote physical, mental and emotional health, and cooler temperatures which makes the outdoor environment on campus more inviting and fosters social connection.

Join me in urging our campus administration to reverse this decision and invest in planting more native plants and trees instead. Let's educate ourselves about the importance of these species for our ecosystem health while inspiring others on campus to do so as well.

Please sign this petition today - let's honor our land by respecting its native biodiversity!