Wondering what to look for at your local farmers' market this season? We asked Kat Hill, Volunteer Program Coordinator at the Authority, and our Urban Open Space Grant recipients at Veggielution how to make the most of this season’s produce.
Click below to discover some of the best fruits and vegetables sprouting up this summer, and a little recipe idea to make it all come together.
“The Open Space Authority started small and is relatively new, and now we have a lot on the horizon...our team will be able to build all of that, and it will be a part of us forever.”
Meet Supervising Open Space Technicians, Megan Robinson and Andres Campusano, and learn about their work to protect the natural and working landscapes of Santa Clara Valley and make everyone feel welcome at Open Space Authority preserves.
Globally, only about 9% of plastic is successfully recycled. And for the United States, the numbers are much more damning – a staggering 4% of plastics. In fact, the vast majority (73%) of plastics in the United States end up in the very place people think they’re avoiding when meticulously separating their waste: the landfill.
Click below to learn how you can join the Open Space Authority in celebrating Plastic Free July.
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.
Keep reading for exciting news about restoring nature for wildlife around Fisher Creek, with support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Office of Spill Prevention and Response (CDFW-OSPR).
Who Am I?
I am a large native reptile found across the Santa Clara Valley, easily recognizable by my stripes of white and black or brown. Don't be scared if you come across me on the trails - I am non-venomous! My name refers to the fact that I can overpower and eat other snakes. Who am I?
Submit your answer below - if you’re correct, you'll get a shout-out in our next newsletter! For a hint, read our new article on snakes!
Spina Farms moves to Open Space Authority farmlands!
The beloved Spina Farms Pumpkin Patch is relocating to the Open Space Authority's 60 acres of permanently protected farmlands on Santa Teresa Blvd. and Laguna Ave.
Spina Farms has connected the community to agriculture and the Coyote Valley landscape for decades, and we're thrilled that this legacy will continue!
July 26 is a National Disability Independence Day, a federally recognized day to celebrate the 1990 signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act. As part of our core mission, we're always looking for opportunities to make nature more accessible.
Check out some of our favorite paved, wheelchair-, walker-, and stroller-accessible trails across Santa Clara County. Get inspired for your next nature outing!
Virtual Event: Scavengers of the Sky!
Friday, July 8 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Some people think turkey vultures are ugly...but we know they are beautiful, fascinating birds that are essential in keeping our ecosystems clean!
Tune in to a special virtual lunchtime presentation to learn more about these native scavengers.
Last month’s “Who Am I?” was the GRAY FOX (Urocyon cinereoargenteus)!
Congratulations to our readers who answered correctly: Aisha S., Anne R., Carl N., Carol Ann G., David L., Gwen H., Heather D., Ibrahim K., Kathleen C., Kathlene H., Mark O., Mary H., Sarah W.
Photo Credits
Gopher snake - Andres Campusano Megan Robinson - Galli Basson Andres Campusano - Authority Archives Bobcat - David Mauk Spina Farms - Cassie Kifer Llagas Creek Loop Trail - Mark Hehir Turkey vulture - David Mauk Gray fox - Emmanuel Horovitz.
We acknowledge that the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority works within lands that were originally stewarded by the Awaswas-, Chochenyo-, Mutsun-, and Thámien-speaking peoples. Today we are honored to partner with the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band and Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area in our shared work to protect and restore the environment and connect people to land. Learn more.
