High temperatures combined with very little rainfall for the season means Santa Clara Valley is heading towards a much greater risk for wildfires this summer. As climate change progresses, wildfires will continue to intensify, burning hotter than ever before, causing damage to properties, structures, and severely impacting air quality. May is National Wildfire Awareness Month, and everyone can help prevent and reduce the risk of wildfires.
Click below to learn how the Open Space Authority is doing our part to mitigate wildfire risks for nearby communities.
They dug holes, they hammered stakes into coconut fiber mats, and they planted a whole lot of native plants -- 159, to be exact -- all to help restore essential creekside habitat the Fisher’s Bend riparian area. Pretty impressive work for second graders!
Click below to learn about this exciting restoration project, and the role local students played.
Teri Rogoway just reached her fifteenth year at the Open Space Authority, but getting here was never a straight path. How did she end up here? Well, “it all started with a rattlesnake.”
2022 marks the 150th anniversary of Alum Rock Park, California’s oldest municipal park, which opened in 1872. Less than ten miles from downtown San José, Alum Rock Park is a landmark for the community. Alum Rock Park is connected to Sierra Vista Open Space Preserve, and the Authority is proud to partner with the City of San José to continue a legacy of connecting the community to nature.
Click below to learn more.
Who Am I?
I am a cheerful-looking wildflower that blooms in late spring. My flowers consist of five bright yellow petals surrounding centers full of stamen. Unlike most other plants, my flowers open in the late afternoon and close by noon the following day. Who am I?
Submit your answer below - if you’re correct, you may get a shout-out in our next newsletter!
Board Passes Resolution Recognizing Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Last week, the Authority’s Board of Directors passed a resolution recognizing May as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. The Authority strives to connect all people to nature, both in open space preserves managed by the agency, and in urban open spaces. To read the report, click here.
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Coyote Valley featured on ABC7 San Francisco
Flying over the sweeping green hills, Coyote Valley can seem a world away from the urban core of Santa Clara County. But when it comes to water, it's connected in ways that are becoming increasingly important in the face of drought and climate change. Check out this new story about Coyote Valley, part of an environmental series related to the California drought and emphasizing nature-based solutions to climate change.
Who Am I? - April Answer
Last month’s “Who Am I?” was the CALIFORNIA RED-LEGGED FROG (Rana draytonii).
Congratulations to our readers who answered correctly: Allison P., Brian C., Carol Ann G., Kathlene H., Maria H., Neal W., Rachel P., Susan W., Swanee E., and Trisha S.
Photo Credits
Coyote pup - Beth Hamel Wildflower after fire - Authority Archives Student high-five - David Mauk Teri Rogoway - Amidon Brent Alum Rock Park - Ron Horii Oak tree branches - Lech Naumovich Staff in the field - Authority Archives Red-legged frog - KQED Quest
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.
