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Urban Open Space Corner: Santa Clara County Food System Alliance Works to Save Small Silicon Valley Farms

A new report by the Santa Clara County Food System Alliance is making the case that farming is both economically feasible and a crucial part of our community and economy.

Urban Open Space Corner: New Funding Helps San Jose Expand Parks and Low-Income Housing

While the Open Space Authority always works to protect and promote open space, one program is letting the agency do this while helping the City of San Jose address its growing housing crisis.

5 New Year’s Resolutions That Will Improve Your Environmental Wellness

As the new year lies ahead of us, we’ve been thinking about ways we can make positive changes for ourselves and our natural environment this year.

Urban Open Space Corner: Veggielution’s “Roots Down” Program is Growing Into the Future

“We need to connect with people who haven’t come here yet to see what they want and need”

For San Jose-based community farm, Veggielution, growing food is what they do best, but determining how they grow their organization is their latest endeavor.

Open Space Authority Volunteers Bring Nature to the Community

“Welcome! Bienvenido! 歡迎! Chào mừng!”

Recognizable by a cheery yellow banner inviting visitors in four languages, the Open Space Authority’s community outreach booth is hard to miss, drawing in neighbors young and old to learn about nature at local festivals and events.

Urban Open Space Corner: La Mesa Verde Builds Community Through Gardening

“We see the garden as a vehicle for social change...It helps to know you are connected and part of something.”

In the face of local food insecurity, Sacred Heart Community Service is providing families with a sustainable source of fresh, nutritious food through their Authority-funded home gardening project, La Mesa Verde.

Urban Open Space Corner: Watershed in a Box - Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful

“I love those ‘a-ha moments,’ when someone learns something new and sees an opportunity to take action”

One local organization is taking conservation lessons inspired by the 64-mile long Coyote Creek, part of Santa Clara Valley’s largest watershed, and bringing them to the community in a unique way. 

Urban Open Space Corner: CommUniverCity’s Growing Sustainably Program

“It’s hard to eat healthy. We’re introducing kids to things like seasonality of produce and buying organic.”

San Jose State students are getting out of the classroom to share lessons in healthy food and our environment with local kids and their families. 

Greening Urban Spaces to Improve Habitat & Build Climate Resilience

Our urban landscape is a challenging place for native plants and wildlife to thrive. The sea of asphalt and pavement on our streets and sidewalks, as well as concrete, glass, and steel structures disrupt the movement of animals and provide barriers to the growth and dispersal of native plants, critical for urban biodiversity.  Urban infrastructure has replaced vital “green” infrastructure that can help offset the loss of wildlife habitat.  

Urban Open Space Corner: Guadalupe River Park Conservancy's Student-Led Explorations Along the River

“Every day we get to see ‘the awe’ and experience how excited the kids are to be outside”

Hands-on, outdoor educational opportunities encourage students to take active roles in their learning, allowing them to make discoveries in new and exciting ways. But many children, especially those coming from disadvantaged or low-income backgrounds, face obstacles to connecting with nature in educational settings.