South Bay Growth

In 2002 the City of San Jose in partnership with Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation used a $900,000 grant from the Open Space Authority to purchase property to expand Santa Teresa County Park Historic Area. The 1.93-acre parcel adjoins the historic Bernal-Gulnac-Joice Ranch interpretive site and Santa Teresa Springs. The ranch buildings and surrounding 28-acre property are what remains of a nearly 10,000-acre tract granted to Jose Joaquin Bernal by the Mexican government in 1834.

The Authority helped to fund the San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society’s Tai Chi and Family Yoga, which will provide weekly and monthly programming to Bay Area families. Participants benefitted physically and mentally by experiencing a low-impact form of exercise surrounded by nature and wildlife. Hosting these types of programs at the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge will also foster a sense of community among participants, allowing them to feel connected to each other, which also aids in their connection to the natural resources. In addition to exercise during these programs, attendees also participated in nature walks where they learned about the Refuge, habitats surrounding the Bay, wildlife that rely on these habitats, and their importance to the ecosystem.

Santa Clara Unified School District's Pomeroy Sustainable Harvests & Investing in Nature Education (SHINE) program serves 300 students in grades TK-5 in Santa Clara, CA. SHINE provides hands-on, nature-based education and recreation to underserved students, including SED, ELL, and SPED populations. The program integrates Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards and emphasizes the benefits of eating locally and sustainably. SHINE also includes a Charlie Cart Outdoor Kitchen System and ongoing support for long-term sustainability and replication at other schools.