Watch your step! That’s not a littered banana on the trail, it’s a banana slug! These bright yellow native slugs are right here in the Santa Clara Valley. We know, it’s bananas! Keep reading to learn five facts about these fascinating creatures.

Spring in the Santa Clara Valley is the most colorful time of year! Open spaces provide habitat for many diverse species of native flowers, and every spring, you can find them across our region's hills, valleys and woodlands. From lilies to lupine, we’ve compiled this list of 24 flowers you can find in your open space preserves this spring.

Holi marks the arrival of spring with a festive celebration during which colored powders are enthusiastically thrown into the air and onto people. These red, blue, yellow and green powders carry significant meaning in Hinduism. Simultaneously, these vibrant colors appear in patches of wildflowers at your open spaces throughout the spring. Learn more about Holi, the symbolic meaning of each colored powder and where to find these bright colors in nature.

In celebration of Lunar New Year, learn how the Open Space Authority is embracing the energy and spirit of the Fire Horse in 2026.

In January, scientists, Native tribes, policy makers and land managers gathered at the inaugural Science & Stewardship Symposium to share knowledge, forge new partnerships and build momentum towards solving conservation challenges. We’re pulling back the curtain on the Symposium, hosted by the Santa Cruz Mountains Stewardship Network, to reveal our top takeaways from this momentous day.

Andrea Mackenzie, the Open Space Authority's General Manager, shares a message as we enter a new year full of hope and possibilities.

Follow along as a raindrop travels through aquifers, reservoirs, wetlands and floodplains in Santa Clara Valley!

Open space is for EVERYONE! Even if you're new to exploring nature or have some hesitations about venturing into the great outdoors, we're here to make you feel more comfortable and prepared in YOUR open spaces. Whether it's snakes, bugs, poison oak, ticks, getting lost, mountain lions, coyotes or something else that increases your heart rate and makes your hands sweaty—you're not alone! We asked our social media followers what their top nature fears were and the results are in...

Keep reading to see the top seven nature fears and how you can keep yourself safe.