My long-term research represents an effort to evaluate vegetation dynamics on Santa Cruz Island (SCI), California over a 32 year period (1991 – 2023). The island has experienced two major animal grazing events (sheep and pigs) that had a large effect on vegetation dynamics. Subsequent removal of these herbivores has resulted in a recovery period for native species, and an expansion of the invasive plants. There are going to be pronounced as well as subtle changes in the vegetation. In the 1990s one hundred plots were established to monitor changes in vegetation cover over time. My research resampled these 100 plots in 2022. With these data, we assessed changes in diversity, composition and structure of SCI plant communities and found drastic shifts in community composition in many communities. Beyond SCI, I anticipate that my approach can be used as a model for assessing vegetation dynamics and management strategies in island systems in many parts of the world as well as mainland areas where vegetation has undergone alteration from overgrazing.