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Spina Farms Pumpkin Patch Connects Community to Local Agriculture on Open Space Authority Lands

In late 2021, the Open Space Authority -- in partnership with the State of California Department of Conservation through the Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation program (SALC), Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), and the Santa Clara County Planning Department -- protected sixty acres of prime farmland at Laguna Avenue and Santa Teresa Boulevard in the middle of Coyote Valley (also known as Mid Coyote Valley).

The property became known as “Laguna 60.”

Seven Reasons to be Thankful For Nature

November is a time for gratitude, with holidays approaching and the beginning of a new year. As we reflect on the people, places, and experiences that bring us joy, here’s a reminder of all the amazing benefits the open spaces of the Santa Clara Valley provide. May this list inspire you to move through the holidays with gratitude, love, and respect for....

Open Space Renames Coyote Ridge

On October 27, 2022, the Open Space Authority Board of Directors voted unanimously to include a Chochenyo translation of “Coyote Ridge” alongside the current preserve name. The preserve's official new name is Máyyan 'Ooyákma – Coyote Ridge Open Space Preserve. 

Spina Farms Open for Fall Fun on Protected Lands

Pumpkins are the ultimate fall icon, and where better to find them than at your local pumpkin patch?

Spina Farms Pumpkin Patch in Coyote Valley (just south of San José) is now open seven days a week through November 6, to serve the community with fall fun and agricultural education. The Patch was originally located off Bailey Ave but has since relocated a quarter mile south to Laguna Ave and Santa Teresa Blvd in partnership with the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority.

Wild About Wildlife Restoration

Open Space Authority Awarded $247K for Critical Habitat Restoration Work

July is Wild about Wildlife Month, and the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority is highlighting its important work to conserve and restore critical wildlife habitat in Coyote Valley. A particular area of focus is Fisher Creek on the west side of the valley. At this location, wildlife travels between over one million acres of habitat in the Santa Cruz Mountains and the Diablo Range, seeking the cover of plants and trees in the riparian corridors as they move across Coyote Valley.

Popular Pumpkin Patch Moves to Open Space Authority Farmlands

Open Space Authority Protects 60 Acres for Sustainable Agriculture

The Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority has entered a three-year lease with Spina Farms Pumpkin Patch and Fruit Stand to reopen at a new location at Laguna Avenue and Santa Teresa Boulevard in Coyote Valley. 

Sneak Peek: Planning a New Preserve

Just 15 miles from downtown San José is Máyyan 'Ooyákma – Coyote Ridge, where the Open Space Authority has protected over 1,800 acres that are co-managed by the Santa Clara Valley Habitat Agency. With the design and permitting process in the final stages, plans for expanded public access at Máyyan 'Ooyákma – Coyote Ridge Open Space Preserve are well underway. After years of planning, construction groundbreaking is set to begin in late 2022, with the grand opening slated for 2023. In the meantime, keep reading to peek behind the curtains of this open space preserve in-the-making.

Local Second Graders Restore Riparian Habitat

They dug holes, they hammered stakes into coconut fiber mats, and they planted a whole lot of native plants - 159, to be exact - all to help restore essential creekside habitat the Fisher’s Bend riparian area. Pretty impressive work for three groups of second graders!

Coyote Valley Restoration Project Recharging South Bay's Groundwater Amid CA's Drought

SANTA CLARA CO., Calif. (KGO) -- Flying over the sweeping green hills, Coyote Valley can seem a world away from the urban core of Santa Clara County. But when it comes to water, it's connected in ways that are becoming increasingly important in the face of drought and climate change.

By Spencer Christian and Tim Didion of ABC7.

View the full story here.

Spreckels Hill and Fisher Creek Restoration Projects

Across the state, safeguarding water resources is an essential and ongoing priority as California’s drought conditions continue. And as the Open Space Authority’s restoration work around Coyote Valley gets underway, there are two exciting new riparian and wetland restoration projects in the pipeline. In partnership with the Bonneville Environmental Foundation, the Spreckels Wetland Cleanup and Enhancement Project, which began last year and the Fisher Creek Riparian Restoration, beginning in 2022.