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OPEN SPACE OUTLOOK
October 2023
Celebrate the Opening of Your New Preserve!
Join us on Saturday, October 14 to celebrate the opening of Máyyan 'Ooyákma - Coyote Ridge, your brand-new open space preserve! This Community Day celebration is free and will have a variety of family-friendly activities for you and your loved ones to enjoy.
For more information and to register, click the link below.
The Fall Crawl
It's officially spooky season! Tarantulas, seemingly spooky creatures, may not be quite as scary as you think. To learn about these fuzzy critters, click here. You may find yourself wanting to see one of these creepy-crawlies some day!
The Pumpkin Patch is back!
Spina Farms is officially open to the public for its second year on the Open Space Authority's 60-acre parcel of land, acquired in 2021. Parking is $10 on weekends, but free during the week, making for a great budget-friendly activity with the family. See you on the farm!
One-of-a-kind Gourd Guide
Acorn squash salad, butternut squash soup, pumpkin pie, oh my! Squash makes for great additions to any of the warming meals that make autumn so cozy! Need some ideas? Here's what you can do with a pumpkin (or different gourd) other than carving a jack-o-lantern! It's gourd-o-clock.
A Summer of Volunteerism
Controlling invasive species is no easy task -- it requires consistency, labor, and time. The stellar team of Open Space Authority volunteers is well aware of this, and this summer they made some amazing progress clearing invasive species. See the recap here.
In other news...
Andrea Mackenzie Wins Farm Bureau Award
On September 17, Andrea Mackenzie, General Manager of the Open Space Authority, was presented with the 2023 Linda L. Lester Friend of Agriculture award. "This award is given annually to an individual or organization who is not directly involved in production agriculture, but has done much for the local agricultural industry." Read the Gilroy Dispatch article here.
Nearly $1.2M Awarded for Coyote Valley Conservation Areas Planning Efforts!
BIG NEWS: The California State Coastal Conservancy has awarded $1,188,000 to Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority to help fund upcoming phases of the Coyote Valley Conservation Areas Master Plan, which is creating a vision for the future use and restoration of over 1,550 acres of conserved valley-floor lands in Coyote Valley in Santa Clara County.
Happy Emotional Wellness Month!
And in honor of Emotional Wellness Month, make sure you're taking care of yourself! Nature provides us with many opportunities to slow down and do something nice for ourselves. Want some inspiration?
ICYMI (In Case You Missed It)... Nature Meditations
For an extra mental health boost, check out our playlist of nature meditations, and reap the benefits of the outdoors from the comfort of your own home.
Did you know?
California tiger salamander migration season is just around the corner! After spending the summer in hibernation, over the next couple of months (as the rain begins), these four-legged friends will come out from their underground burrows and begin their journey back to their ponds to mate. To learn more, read our salamander article here.
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.
Photo Credits: Mayyan Ooyakma Sign - Annamarie Pilon; Tarantula - Teri Rogoway; Pumpkins at Spina Farms - Annamarie Pilon; Gourds - Shutterstock; Land Stewards at Spreckels Hill - Kat Hill; Andrea Mackenzie - OSA Archive; Coyote Valley - Nick Perry; People in Nature - Saved By Nature; Nature Meditation - OSA Youtube; California Tiger Salamander - iNaturalist - Kenichi Ueda.
