When you visit a park or open space, you step into the home of a variety of plants and animals. While you are likely to see small critters like birds, ground squirrels and insects on the trail, you may also see more elusive and commonly misunderstood creatures like coyotes, bobcats, mountain lions and rattlesnakes. But rest assured, these animals are not out to get you. Keep reading to learn how you can protect local wildlife (and yourself) out on the trail.

Ever visit an Open Space Authority preserve to get moo-ving and spot a few cows? Cattle grazing is one of the Open Space Authority’s tools for conservation. When done properly, it’s a minimally invasive and an effective conservation technique.

It's almost the end of cubbing season for mountain lions, meaning these mothers are raising their young and getting them ready to survive in the wild. While cubs learn a lot about how to survive from their mother and the first couple years of their lives, it won’t be an easy feat living outside of their dens. Though mountain lions are apex predators, being at the top of the food chain still has its challenges.

Discover eight irresistibly cute baby animals that live in Santa Clara Valley’s parks and open spaces. If you're lucky you just might see them! Just be sure to admire them from afar and give these wild little ones the space they deserve.

Climate change is a big factor behind wildfire intensity, and California fires are burning hotter and spreading faster than ever before. When it comes to mitigating wildfire risks, a proactive approach is key to protecting life and property. Learn about the Open Space Authority's Fuel Management Program and work to prevent wildland fires in and around the open spaces and wildland urban interface zones of the Santa Clara Valley.

They dug holes, they hammered stakes into coconut fiber mats, and they planted a whole lot of native plants - 159, to be exact - all to help restore essential creekside habitat the Fisher’s Bend riparian area. Pretty impressive work for three groups of second graders!

Across the state, safeguarding water resources is an essential and ongoing priority as California’s drought conditions continue. And as the Open Space Authority’s restoration work around Coyote Valley gets underway, there are two exciting new riparian and wetland restoration projects in the pipeline. In partnership with the Bonneville Environmental Foundation, the Spreckels Wetland Cleanup and Enhancement Project, which began last year and the Fisher Creek Riparian Restoration, beginning in 2022.

We’ve all seen it – a show or movie or video featuring the majestic bald eagle and its patriotic cry. What may surprise you, however, is that the high-pitched vocalization used most in these clips is not from the bald eagle at all, but from the red-tailed hawk.