Modern development and human activities tend to degrade natural environments. CCBER has been implementing constructed stormwater management systems, or bioswales, as a way of increasing native plant and animal diversity on campus and lessening the impacts people have on the environment. Buildings, lawns, roads and parking lots all damage natural systems by increasing runoff, decreasing groundwater percolation, removing natural vegetation and increasing pollution such as oil and fertilizers and sediments. Integrating bioswales into urban landscapes and into the urban/wildland interface can lessen these impacts. Bioswales are planted with a diverse assemblage of local native plants that attract insects and wildlife, and therefore enhance habitat value. By allowing water to slow down in these vegetated swales it is slowly absorbed into the soil, where sediments are prevented from running off and plant roots and microorganisms can break down or use pollutants. The end result is cleaner water and a healthier environment.