News!

The Equity Lens - December 2020

In response to the intolerable acts of violence and racial injustices against people of color, and the ongoing COVID-19 global health and climate crises, we at the Open Space Authority made a long-term commitment to inclusion and equity in every facet of our work. To work towards our larger goal, we began an initiative to first look outward and listen to the community, and then inward, to reflect on our current practices in the structure and procedures of the organization, and to identify opportunities to improve upon them.

The Season of Gratitude at the Open Space Authority

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, now is as good a time as any to take a minute to reflect on everything we have to be grateful for, whether it’s nature or family, food or shelter, or simply the air we breathe.

Community Connections - Jacky Rivera

Community Connections highlights the many leaders, partners, and neighbors who make a difference in our community. This month we are featuring Jacky Rivera, Organizing Manager for Sacred Heart Community Service’s La Mesa Verde program.

Nature’s Recovery and Resilience

By Andrea Mackenzie, General Manager

On August 16, 2020, a thunderstorm that produced thousands of lightning strikes ignited a series of fires in San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties that merged to become the CZU Lightning Complex Fire, burning 86,509 acres in the Santa Cruz Mountains, destroying 1,490 structures, and causing extensive damage to protected natural areas and historic resources in Big Basin State Park, Butano State Park, and San Vicente Redwoods.

Connecting Communities and Mental Health to Nature

World Mental Health day, created by the World Health Organization to increase awareness and education about mental health, is approaching once again on October 10th and is particularly relevant today in our masked, 6-feet-apart world.

Open Space Authority Funds New Projects to Connect Communities to Nature

“Who do you serve?”

With concerted efforts to provide equitable access to nature for the Authority’s entire jurisdiction, this question was one asked frequently throughout the review process for the 2019-2020 cycle of the Open Space Authority’s Urban Grant Program.

Urban Grant Program Awards over $200,000 in Measure Q Funds

San Jose, CA (September 28, 2020) - The Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority’s Board of Directors has awarded $206,324 in Measure Q grant funding to five nonprofits and a school district as part of the Small Grants category for the 2020 cycle of the Urban Grant Program. The Urban grants fund a variety of programming, including environmental education on the topics of food and agriculture, as well as environmental stewardship, with the goal of providing access to nature within the urban areas.

Inspiring Conservation: General Manager Andrea Mackenzie Named One of 2020’s “Women of Influence”

Earlier this year, the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority’s General Manager, Andrea Mackenzie, was named as one of the top 2020 “Women of Influence” by the Silicon Valley Business Journal.

Community Connections - Ada Márquez

Community Connections highlights the many leaders, partners, and neighbors who make a difference in our community. This month we are featuring Ada Márquez, Open Space Authority and Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society volunteer and environmental studies faculty at San Jose State University.

Better Access for All: Coyote Valley Trail Improvements

Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve offers visitors a broad range of outdoor activities, with opportunities for hiking, bird and wildlife watching, mountain biking, and horseback riding.

A new trail improvement seeks to make this preserve easier to access for all visitors, including those with strollers and wheelchairs, while giving people more access to scenic outlooks and interpretive signage sharing the preserve’s natural history.