Putah Creek: A Wildlife Reserve that Needs More Wildlife A vast amount of wildlife can currently be seen at Putah creek, however, its diversity pales in comparison to what it used to be before human alteration. Due to this decline in diversity, there should be areas on the UC Davis campus where humans are not permitted in order to improve the quality of wildlife. UC Davis has contributed significantly to the conservation of the wildlife of Putah creek, nevertheless there is still much improvement to be made. Different areas along the creek were given scores depending on the level of wildlife present, and on the amount of human alteration to the landscape. A high score means that the land was well maintained for wildlife, and a low score means that it is not and can be improved. Many scores were poor or mediocre, but there were a few perfect scores along Putah creek. The highest scores along the creek include the Putah Creek Reserve, and North Fork Reserve. Putah Creek Reserve (stop 3) was…show more content… Two of the areas including the small dry pond (stop 1) and the Valley Oak restoration plot (stop 2) could be enriched in terms of habitat for wildlife. They were both very miniscule with little diversity, and there was excessive human development in the surrounding areas. Many of the other stops could also use improvement for similar reasons. These include the Arboretum (stop 9 and 11), Oak Grove (stop 10), and Redwood Grove (stop 12). Increased natural diversity, and more natural viewing paths for people would significantly improve the diversity and accessibility for wildlife. However, some interesting wildlife can be viewed in these sections. I saw a pair of otters (Lontra Canadensis) in the Arboretum. They were swimming around and marking territory on the banks of the water. While these regions can use improvement, they were not the worst scores along Putah
