News!

Stinkwort Success

Land Steward volunteers havenearly struck invasive stinkwort from Spreckels Hill! Read on to learn more about the successful efforts of our super stinkwort-removing champions.

Celebrating Healthy Soils Week

Healthy soil is the backbone of climate resilience, agriculture and restoration projects on working lands. Yet, despite its importance, it can be a difficult topic to understand due to its complexities. In honor of Healthy Soils Week, the Open Space Authority is breaking down what healthy soil is, its importance, how the Authority promotes healthy soils and some tips to help the soil thrive in urban areas.

Protecting Monarch Butterflies

With its quintessential bold orange wings and black markings, the monarch butterfly is a global celebrity with populations existing in places like New Zealand, South America, Puerto Rico and India. The monarch’s large presence in Mexico has made it a particularly significant cultural symbol, especially during Día de los Muertos. Despite recent population declines of this popular species, new research is giving hope that this meaningful cultural figure will fight the risk of extinction.

The Negative Impacts of Illegal Dumping

While driving down Santa Teresa Boulevard in Coyote Valley, you'll likely see golden fields, farmland and maybe even a coyote or two. Unfortunately, it’s also likely that you may see a random pile of trash, broken household appliances, discarded mattresses and construction debris.

Illegal dumping, or the inappropriate disposal of unwanted items and hazardous waste, is a persistent issue that negatively impacts humans, the surrounding environment and the wildlife that live in the area. Throughout Coyote Valley in particular, contaminated dirt and other construction debris piles are left on the side of the road in areas that may look like open fields, but in fact are valuable wildlife habitats.

Keep reading to learn how illegal dumping is a cause for concern and what can be done to minimize its effect.

Collaborating with the Next Generation of Conservationists

The summer sun was shining against the rolling golden hills of San José as a group of eight high school students worked together over five days to dig holes, insert fence posts into the ground and string wire across a half-mile piece of protected land - all in the name of conservation. This hardworking group from the Student Conservation Association (SCA) completed an impressive fence project where they learned about nature, local wildlife and land management techniques while connecting with their peers.

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.

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.  

Why Become an Open Space Authority Volunteer?

Message from Gavin Comstock, Volunteer Program Administrator

Recently, I had a great conversation with a friend exploring when it was that we first experienced a “moment of wonder” in nature. Surprisingly, I had to dig deep to identify exactly when the hook was set. Growing up in a family that did a lot of things outside, but not necessarily camping, my formative experiences are characterized as much by people as by place. As much as the outdoors was the setting, it was a combination of personalities, places, and attitudes that informed my enjoyment. It was not until my early twenties and my participation in a semester long NOLS course (National Outdoor Leadership Schools) in the desert southwest that I found myself slack jawed at the surreal beauty of nature. Ultimately, our conversation wound its way from what formed our love of nature to considering why we still prioritize time outdoors, with others or alone.

New Trails Underway at Máyyan ‘Ooyákma - Coyote Ridge

Fifteen minutes from downtown San José is a place called Máyyan ‘Ooyákma – Coyote Ridge. This unique natural landscape was protected by the Open Space Authority and partners in 2015. Nestled in the foothills of the Diablo Range, the preserve features rolling serpentine hillsides and breathtaking views of Coyote Valley. As the preserve reaches the final stages of the Public Access Project, the Open Space Authority is preparing to welcome visitors this fall. But before visitors can come out and hit the trails – the trails need to get built!

How Plants Prepare for Spring

After weeks of heavy rain, hillsides are turning green, and it’s beginning to feel like spring is right around the corner. You may know that spring is "baby season” for local wildlife like ground squirrels, bobcat kits, and red-tailed hawks, but did you know the same is true for native plant life? Plants are also preparing to create new life, and in fact, this preparation happens all year long.