News!

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.

Read More December 07, 2023

Must-See Mushrooms

As winter approaches mushroom season is right around the corner!

Read More November 01, 2023

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.

Read More November 01, 2023

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.  

Read More October 05, 2023

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.

Read More September 07, 2023

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!

Read More September 07, 2023

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.  

Read More August 15, 2023

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. 

Read More August 14, 2023

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.

Read More August 14, 2023

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.

Read More August 14, 2023
For media inquiries contact:

Charlotte Graham

Public Information Officer
cgraham@openspaceauthority.org