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Andrea Mackenzie, the general manager for the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority, shares a reflective and hopeful message about the future of the agency as well as our commitment to caring for nature to benefit the people and wildlife who live in the Santa Clara Valley. Scroll to keep reading the message.

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.

The Benefits of Quiet Recreation

Chatting with a friend or family member on a trail, hiking with a group of people and listening to music can all take our attention away from the beauty and sense of peace that nature can bring into our lives. To help you have a serene and robust experience in nature, consider experimenting with “quiet recreation,” which suggests making a minimal amount of noise while engaging in outdoor activities.

2024 Santa Clara Valley Wildlife Olympics

As athletes from around the world start to arrive in Paris to compete in the 2024 Summer Olympics, we’re choosing our own Olympic team consisting of local wildlife that populates your beautiful preserves!
 
The strength, agility and tenacity of the insects, mammals and amphibians within our community’s ecosystem remind us of the amazing athletes competing in this summer’s games. Check out our list of wildlife gold-medal “athletes” below and cheer on all the competing athletes when the Olympics begin on July 26!

Wildlife Grammy Awards

Ah, the GRAMMY Awards. This annual event presents what many regard to be the most prestigious and significant awards in the music industry worldwide. But while everyone else gushes about Best New Artist and debates who was robbed of Album of the Year, we’re celebrating a very different category of music...  

Keep reading to discover ten of Santa Clara Valley’s most talented wildlife musicians.

Wildlife Thesaurus: Top 10 Native Animals with Nicknames

There are many different names you could use to refer to the animal species that live in Santa Clara Valley's open spaces! You can refer to them by their scientific names or their common names, but common names can get confusing when species have many that are used interchangeably.

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!

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.

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.