⚠️ READ THIS URGENT PRESERVE UPDATE ⤵️
The wildflowers are starting to POP at Máyyan 'Ooyákma – Coyote Ridge, and we want everyone to have the best possible experience when they visit! 🌷🌼🌸🌻
Due to extremely sensitive habitat, the visiting hours at this special preserve are a little different, to protect the rare plants and animals that live there. ⏰📅
We know just how frustrating it is to show up excited for a hike, only to learn that the trails you wanted to visit are closed or inaccessible 🤬😭 So we made this reference post to help plan your next visit, and hopefully avoid the trailhead blues. 🙏
Be sure to save this post -- and please remember to ALWAYS check our website before heading out to confirm any preserve notices or closures. 👍
Our field staff and the wildflowers THANK YOU this spring! ☀️🌾🌼
Open Space Authority staff are TREE-iffic!
May 16 was #LoveATreeDay and #DrawingDay, so we asked (err...demanded) some of our staff around the office to break out their art skills and draw their favorite trees! 🌳✏️🎨 after all, we’re all tree huggers here 🥲
What is YOUR favorite tree species? 🌲🌳🌿
How long did it take you to spot the bobcats in these photos?? 😯
Camouflage: this season's hottest trend 👀🔥
Bobcats have spotted, mottled coats which allow them to effortlessly blend into the brown hillsides and sun-dappled woodlands of the Santa Clara Valley. This allows them to blend into their environments so they can hide and sneak up on prey until ready to pounce.
Today is #NationalEndangeredSpeciesDay, a day to celebrate, learn about, and take action to protect threatened and endangered species across the globe. 🐾❤️
In the Santa Clara Valley, there are several rare, threatened, and endangered species that need special attention as we work to protect open spaces and critical habitat.
✨ Endangered = Considered at risk for extinction in the wild.
✨ Threatened = Considered at risk to become endangered in the future.
✨Species of special concern = A native California species that is not formally listed as threatened or endangered Federally or by the State, but meets the criteria or has shown rapid declines in population.
Have you been lucky enough to see any of these animals before?
You think YOU have a big family?
*Laughs in tule elk*
This #InternationalFamilyDay, meet the tule elk, Santa Clara Valley’s largest native animal and expert on *complicated* family dynamics.
Depending on the time of year, tule elk herds can range from 15 to *200* individual elk! 😮 This includes females (cows), babies (calves), and usually one dominant male (bull).
During the rutting (mating) season, the huge bulls fight it out for dominance and the right to mate with the females of the herd. “One big happy family”...right? 😬
These tule elk herds can be found in the Diablo Range, the mountains that border Santa Clara Valley to the east – including Máyyan ‘Ooyákma – Coyote Ridge Open Space Preserve!
Happy Asian American Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander Heritage Month from all of us at the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority!
We firmly believe that nature is for everyone and invite you to explore your open spaces and immerse yourself in the beauty of the Santa Clara Valley. 🌳🌈😊
Visit the link in our bio to start planning your next adventure in nature! 💚
Today, we celebrate Limerick Day
To put our rhyming skills on display 😏
Scroll, scroll, scroll
It won't take a toll
And give it a heart along the way 🤪❤️
📷: D. Mauk, D. Neumann, J. Adams, USFWS, M. Slater
The saying goes “You can’t fight fire with fire.” BUT, we’re here to challenge that narrative! 😈
Burns 🔥that are intentionally set on carefully selected open space land can actually help REDUCE the likelihood that a community will experience the devastating impacts of a wildfire.
This Fall, your Open Space Authority is planning a series of prescribed burns to help decrease the amount of dry vegetation and invasive plants that acts as fuel for wildfires.
Learn more about prescribed burns and the proposed timeline for the Fall burns at the link in our bio.
Turns out some things about motherhood are the same no matter the species... 🥲
One of our favorite videos from our friends at @pathways_for_wildlife shows a mother bobcat who just wants to cross under the bridge, but her rowdy kitten has other ideas... 😂
Thank you to all who raise and nurture us and keep us healthy and safe - here’s to moms and mom-figures of all kinds. #HappyMothersDay!
“Beauty surrounds us, but usually we need to be walking in a garden to know it.” - Rumi 🌱🍅🦋
May 8 is #NationalPublicGardensDay! This year is especially meaningful as we commemorate 10 years of connecting people to nature through the Open Space Authority’s Urban Grant Program.
Through our grant programs, we’re proud to support community-focused garden projects that bring people together and connect them with nature.
“Our Urban Grant Program is intentionally structured to be robust and scalable, meeting organizations where they are,” says Jackie McBride, Community Investment Specialist for the Authority. “This year, we awarded nearly $1 million in Urban Grants—an impressive investment for an agency with a revenue of just $12 million. It reflects our commitment to supporting community driven conservation in the places that need it most.”
Check out some of the inspiring community gardens and garden projects we’ve funded over the years. 🌼
Barriers aren’t always visible...but their impact is real.
This #NationalBarrierAwarenessDay (May 7), we’re reflecting on what it means to break down barriers to connecting with nature. 🌳💚
On May 1, a new accessibility and public‑access improvement project broke ground at Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve. This project is a meaningful step toward creating outdoor spaces where everyone can feel welcome and comfortable exploring nature.
By improving trails, adding accessible features, and designing more inclusive gathering areas, this project will help more people of all abilities enjoy the benefits of open space. 🙌
This work is possible thanks to the support and partnership of @repjimmypanetta who helped secure $800,000 from the Federal Community Project Funding and @scvwd ’s Safe, Clean Water Project D3 Trails Grant Program. 🫶
Nature is for everyone, not just those without barriers! Learn more about the project and how it will expand access for people with disabilities on our website (link in bio)
