Pajaro Plantings: Restoring the river
During the first week of December 2023, nearly 100 sixth and seventh grade students took a field trip to the Pajaro River Agricultural Preserve to help kickstart the restoration of a riparian forest. Over the course of the day, the students from the Indigo Program at the Oak Grove School District in San José planted roughly 200 native trees, shrubs, and forbs. By restoring important riparian habitat, this project promotes biodiversity as it provides for native wildlife and creates long-lost creekside habitat along a degraded stretch of the Pajaro River.
Must-See Mushrooms
As winter approaches mushroom season is right around the corner!
Community Day Recap
The Open Space Authority thanks everyone who came out to Community Day 2023 at Máyyan ‘Ooyákma – Coyote Ridge Open Space Preserve! It was a day full of fun, family, and friendly faces at your brand-new open space preserve.
Summer Volunteer Recap: The Season of Stinkwort
Over the 2023 summer season, volunteer Land Stewards made fantastic progress on the Open Space Authority's goal to reduce targeted populations of invasive plants throughout our managed lands. Among the many things that require persistent attention in the summertime, is an invasive plant known as stinkwort, one of the most prevalent invasive species in the region.
Staff Spotlight - Meet David
David Mauk, Natural Resource Technician at the Open Space Authority, has been a lifelong nature lover, so it only makes sense that he works every day to protect wildlife and the places where wildlife live here in the Santa Clara Valley.
White Butts and Elk Ruts
Bordering Santa Clara Valley to the east is the Diablo Range, which is home to a rare population of tule elk that roam the hillsides. And August through November is a critical time for these animals, because it’s breeding, or rut season!
Máyyan 'Ooyákma - Coyote Ridge Opens to the public
The 1,859-acre Máyyan ‘Ooyákma – Coyote Ridge Open Space Preserve is now open! Five miles of new trails – including a new 3-mile segment of the Bay Area Ridge Trail, and a wide range of accessible experiences – are open for free to hikers on a schedule that balances recreation and nature experiences with the sensitive habitat for the many species that make their home in the preserve’s rare serpentine grasslands.
A visitor's guide to Máyyan 'Ooyákma - Coyote Ridge
Whether you're spending a wonderful day with your loved ones or enjoying some quality time with friends, the Open Space Authority is excited for visitors to experience the beauty of Máyyan 'Ooyákma – Coyote Ridge Open Space Preserve.
Wildlife of the Ridge
Máyyan 'Ooyákma – Coyote Ridge Open Space Preserve is home to a diverse array of wildlife specialized to thrive in this unique landscape, many of which are endemic, or found no where else. The local vegetation and animal life feeds them, the watershed hydrates them, plant cover provides them with shelter, and the uninterrupted open spaces support their larger habitat range as a whole.
Máyyan ‘Ooyákma’s Rare Serpentine Soils: An Enchanting Find in the Bay Area
Many plants, as well as the animals that depend on them, find it extremely challenging to thrive on serpentine soils. This is due to the lack of essential nutrients and water, coupled with the harmful toxins that most plants are unable to tolerate. The few plants that manage to survive under these harsh conditions are often smaller than they otherwise could be with more available nutrients. But there’s one place in the Bay Area where rare species of plants and wildlife thrive amongst undisturbed serpentine grasslands, and that’s Máyyan ‘Ooyákma – Coyote Ridge.
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Recent Posts
- Spotlight: Honoring Larry Coons
- Celebrating Nature in your neighborhoods
- Collaborating with the Next Generation of Conservationists
- Picturing Coyote Valley Photo Contest Winners
- The Benefits of Quiet Recreation
- 2024 Santa Clara Valley Wildlife Olympics
- Spotlight: Loren Lewis
- Llagas Bridge Ribbon Cutting
- A Silent Spring?
- Staff Spotlight: Matt Freeman