Martial Cottle Park

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.

The Authority helped fund Valley Verde’s San Jose Family Gardening Project, which creates and maintains community and home gardens in collaboration with 140 low-income families. The project addresses the need for access to green spaces for underserved families, healthy and affordable fresh food, and environmental education. Valley Verde provides families with raised-bed gardens at home along with all the supplies needed to grow fresh vegetables and a year of monthly workshops which cover topics such as urban agriculture, habitat for native wildlife, and water conservation. After one year, participants are eligible to become mentors for other families in the program, growing the circle of environmentally sustainable gardening skills and fostering sense of community in urban areas.

The Authority helped to fund the City of San José’s project to construct an outdoor classroom for Guadalupe Oak Grove Park patrons that serves as a space for environmental education programs and nature-based outdoor play. This space invites families to spend time in nature while also encouraging them to learn about the five different ecosystems within the park and the various wildlife that live there.