Success Story

$8,000

open space authority funds contributed to project

2018

project awarded

The Authority helped fund Bay Area Older Adults’ Environmental Education Park Crawl program. The project consisted of eight, 4-hour walks in different parks and one wildlife lecture. Each two- to four-mile walk had an environmental theme that educated the participating adults age 60+ about our valley’s parks, natural resources, and urban green spaces. It also included lunch, coordination of transportation, parking fees, and three trained guides. Participants benefitted in multiple ways: safely walking outdoors in a group is critical in reducing the risk of heart disease, diabetes, colon cancer and depression, and learning about nature promotes cognitive health and reduces the risk of dementia.

Award Date:

May 24, 2018

Program:

Urban Grant Program

Location:

Various locations countywide

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Other Success
Stories

Ridge Trail Connection: Class I Trail Design along Bailey Ave

Authority funds will help the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council solve a complex trail crossing in North Coyote Valley between the Santa Cruz Mountains and western foothills of the Diablo Range. The project will result in a traffic study, survey, and preliminary design. Addressing a critical link between park and open space lands, this project aligns with multiple regional partners and local agency priorities of recreation and land conservation.

South Bay Expansion (2016)

The Authority funded Bay Area Wilderness Training's South Bay Capacity Building Project (Getting Underserved Youth Outside). This project expanded services in Santa Clara County through hiring a new South Bay Community Outreach Coordinator, conducting a Hiking Leadership Training course, conducting two Front Country Leadership Training courses, and expanding outdoor equipment lending and trip support services through the Milpitas Gear Library. This project will increase the number of program partners and environmental educators in Santa Clara County and boost the number of outdoor trips and diverse youth visiting Authority land and other area parks, including Rancho Cañada del Oro Open Space Preserve.

Penitencia Creek Trail

The Open Space Authority has contributed $265,284 toward Reach 1 of the Penitencia Creek Trail. This section stretches from Alum Rock Park to Noble Avenue. The trail will follow one of the few urban creeks in the county that flows through its natural channel, offering visitors a chance to observe a riparian ecosystem.