These are Native Lands

November is National Native American Heritage Month, but every step, every day, we are on Native lands. The lands protected and stewarded by the Open Space Authority and our partners are the ancestral and unceded territories of the Awaswas-, Chochenyo-, Mutsun-, Thámien-, and Yokut-speaking peoples.

Click here to learn how the Open Space Authority is partnering with local Tribes to find shared solutions to today's conservation challenges for future generations.

Must-See Mushrooms

Mushrooms are an important sustainable food source grown right here in the Santa Clara Valley year-round. As winter approaches, so does wild mushroom season! While we don't recommend eating (or picking) wild mushrooms, it's fun to learn about the variety of fun funguses you may come across on your winter expeditions. Show me the mushrooms! 

Seven Reasons To Be Thankful For Nature

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, now is a great time to take a step back to reflect and appreciate the things that we're thankful for. Nature provides many remarkable opportunities and necessities. Why are you thankful for nature?

Máyyan ‘Ooyákma - Coyote Ridge Hours Changing

We hope you've had the chance to visit Máyyan ‘Ooyákma – Coyote Ridge, your newest Open Space Preserve. Open Space staff and volunteers are enjoying meeting all the visitors at the preserve and on the trails. Please be advised that visiting hours are changing to 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. starting November 1. With winter weather approaching, the trails located in the Habitat Protection Area (requiring a Butterfly Pass) will also be closed on wet weather days. To see detailed hours and information, click here.

Community Day Recap

Thank you to everyone who attended our Community Day celebration at Máyyan ‘Ooyákma – Coyote Ridge Open Space Preserve! We had a wonderful time meeting you and your young ones and appreciate you making the experience so special for us at the Open Space Authority.

Click here for a recap of the event.

Mariposa Park Opens to the Public!

Mariposa Park, located in the Tropicana-Lanai neighborhood of San José, is now open for all to enjoy. The Mariposa Park project was funded through the Urban Grant Program (by Measure Q and Measure T), which focuses on funding projects in urban areas that bring nature to our communities. The Open Space Authority originally awarded $250,000 in 2016 to help transform an unused street right of way in the Midfield neighborhood into a neighborhood pocket park. During our 30th Anniversary year, the Open Space Authority awarded over $910K for local environmental programming, and nearly $800K for local environmental projects. 

Listen up: An Exciting Change For Your Inbox!

Psst...changes are coming to your monthly Open Space Authority e-newsletter! We are continuing to make improvements to your newsletter-reading experience and can't wait for you to see what we're drumming up. Keep an eye out for the December Open Space Outlook to learn more, and thanks for continuing to read and subscribe!

ICYMI (In Case You Missed It)...
Santa Clara Valley's Haunted History

Halloween might be over, but spooky season doesn't have to end just yet! Join us as we share the haunted history of some local Santa Clara County sites, which you can visit yourself - if you feel brave enough! Listen in and enjoy a variety of accounts and stories collected over the years. Watch the webinar recording here.

Did You Know?

Do you remember the viral Coyote and Badger video from our partners at Pathways for Wildlife and Peninsula Open Space Trust that took the internet by storm a few years ago?

Believe it or not, badgers and coyotes sometimes hunt together, working together to catch prey! Open Space Aide, Amrita, recently spotted a badger with two coyote friends demonstrating this fascinating behavior at an Open Space Authority preserve. Check out all the photos on our Facebook page.