Connecting Youth to Nature: Building a Resilient Future

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When youth are provided with meaningful opportunities to connect with nature, they’re doing more than just benefiting their mental and physical health – they’re discovering new interests, contributing to a healthy planet and gaining new skills. Across Santa Clara Valley, youth-focused organizations are working to make nature more accessible and relevant to the next generation. Through hands-on restoration projects, creative expression and community events, young people are exploring their role in protecting and restoring local open space, agriculture, and wildlife habitat.

Here's a look at how young people are connecting with nature and conservation in the Santa Clara Valley: 

A group of young people learn about a native plant from an adult while standing under a bridge.
A group of students from Breakthrough Silicon Valley learn about native plants.
  1. Pathways to Conservation: The next generation will play a critical role in tackling the world’s environmental challenges – they’ll determine how to address extreme weather events, safeguard sensitive species and protect critical habitat from urban development. Bay Area organizations are creating a network of opportunities for young people to gain experience within a variety of industries, including conservation.

    One of those organizations is Breakthrough Silicon Valley, a nonprofit that supports, empowers and prepares local middle school and high school students to become the first in their family to graduate from college. Through the organization’s work with the Authority, students are engaged in various aspects of our conservation work including habitat restoration and communications. Check out students from Breakthrough Silicon Valley’s 2025 summer program learning about communication strategies that help connect people to nature here.
A young person in a hard hat attaches a wire to a fence post.
A Student Conservation Association program participant helps to install a cattle fence to protect sensitive species on a property near Máyyan 'Ooyákma - Coyote Ridge Open Space Preserve.

2. Hands on Restoration: The Student Conservation Association is a regional nonprofit that provides hands-on conservation experiences that connect youth to restoration projects that improve the habitat of local wildlife. These opportunities give students a peek into how organizations operate, the work that goes into caring for natural lands and a chance to learn directly from conservation experts. Read how one group of students from the Student Conservation Association worked together to build cattle fencing that helps protect the habitat of sensitive native species. 

Another conservation-driven organization, San Jose Conservation Corps, develops young adults to create transformational change for the community and the planet. Students from the Conservation Corps kickstart their careers through meaningful projects that support a sustainable environment. One of those projects invited students to help plant 2,600 native wildflowers and shrubs at Rancho Cañada del Oro Open Space Preserve, restoring the banks of cattle ponds that act as critical habitat for native species.

Three young people stand at the front of the room talking to an audience.
Participants of Silicon Valley Youth Climate Action's SUMMIT talk with their peers and community members about climate action. Photo by Chris Cassell.
  1. Youth Voices in Climate Action: Silicon Valley Youth Climate Action (SVYCA) empowers teens and young adults to combat climate change immediately through impactful education and policy initiatives. One of the many ways SVYCA tackles this important topic is providing opportunities for young people to connect with one another and engage with environmental and conservation thought leaders in the community. At the organization’s IMPACT Summit, students and community members gathered to network with like-minded individuals, discuss ways in which to build a sustainable future and discover innovative opportunities for collaboration in the name of conservation. Read more about the summit here.
A juvenile western bluebird takes flight from a fence post.
This photo of a juvenile western bluebird by Gabrielle Tong won the "Aspiring Photographers" category of the Picturing Coyote Valley Photo Contest.

4. Creatively Connecting to Nature: Art is a powerful tool for youth to express their connection to nature and their hopes for the planet. Through the “Picturing Coyote Valley Photo Contest” young photographers were invited to capture the beauty and importance of open space. Take a look at the winning photos from the young photographers here.

Future opportunities to use art to connect with nature are in the works – stay tuned for an update on how you can flex your creativity muscles for conservation!

If you’re interested in learning more about how to connect young people to nature, please contact volunteerandoutreach@openspaceauthority.org.

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