News!

Coyote Valley: Nature as Infrastructure

Just as we invest in traditional urban infrastructure, like transportation and waste and water treatment, strategic investments in natural infrastructure can also provide many valuable benefits to our urban communities. Nature as Infrastructure refers to recognizing and protecting the natural ecological processes which provide us with a multitude of important “services” that include flood protection, reducing greenhouse gases, food supply, increasing resilience to climate change, and promoting the health and safety of both human and natural communities.

2nd Annual Freshman Volunteer Day with The Harker School

For the second year in a row, the freshman class at The Harker School participated in the Authority’s largest Land Steward service day at Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve. Over 200 students and staff spent the day helping with trail maintenance and joining in several environmental educational lessons.

#OptOutside - It's Good for Your Health!

A growing body of research finds that being outdoors, in open space, can have significant benefits to your physical and mental health. In the 1970’s, noted biologist E.O. Wilson shared the hypothesis that humans have an instinctual love of nature, an idea he called “biophilia.” In more recent decades, neuroscientists have started to find support for these theories in studies of the brain.

Nature as Infrastructure

Just as we invest in traditional urban infrastructure, like transportation and waste and water treatment, strategic investments in nature or green infrastructure can also provide many valuable benefits to our urban communities. These benefits include flood protection, reducing greenhouse gases, increasing access to food, and resilience to climate change for both human and natural communities.

Coyote Valley: Santa Clara Valley's Green Infrastructure

Just as we invest in traditional urban infrastructure, like transportation and waste and water treatment, strategic investments in nature or green infrastructure can also provide many valuable benefits to our urban communities. These benefits include flood protection, reducing greenhouse gases, increasing access to food, and resilience to climate change for both human and natural communities.

Proposition 3 – the Water Supply and Water Quality Act of 2018

In July 2018, the Open Space Authority’s Board of Directors voted to endorse Proposition 3. Proposition 3 would authorize $8.8 billion in general obligation bonds for state and local parks, environmental protection and restoration projects, water infrastructure projects, and flood protection projects. The Water Supply and Water Quality Act of 2018 will appear on the November 2018 statewide ballot.

Summer Sunrise Photography in the Preserves

When was the last time you got up before dawn just to enjoy the sunrise? In the blazing heat of the Santa Clara Valley summer, early morning is the perfect time to get out in nature to enjoy cool air and the beautiful morning light, but there’s no doubt it can be hard to get motivated for this without some company.

Connecting People to Nature:  Authority Board Approves Public Access Projects

The Open Space Authority manages and maintains a network of over 22,000 acres of open space lands. These open spaces provide opportunities to protect and restore important habitats and natural resources balanced with public access. Through a new guided tour program, the Authority will provide the public a chance to learn more about the lands that are on their way to becoming open space preserves. These tours will allow the public guided access while we determine the best longer-term access plan for each preserve.

A Birdwatcher’s Guide to Coyote Valley

One of the best spots for birdwatching in Santa Clara County is the Coyote Valley. The open spaces in and around Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve include important habitat for wildlife including more than 220 species of resident and migratory birds.

The Authority heads Out on the Openroad June 24th