South Bay Expansion (2016)

Saved By Nature engages people of all backgrounds and abilities through 3 types of nature education programs: a series of 19 nature walks, virtual and attended, for the general public, a month of in-person summer programs in collaboration with partners for the Boys & Girls Club of Silicon Valley for children 3rd – 5th grades, and an immersive 2 days of outings followed by an overnight camping experience for teens. We will mentor and elevate other organizations through this program.

The Authority helped to fund Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful’s Coyote Creek Environmental Education Project, which engages students, educators, and the public through Watershed-in-a-Box kits for K-12 students and public education events, such as walks, public presentations, and student-led art projects. The goal of the program is to build awareness and value of the creek environment so that people will become involved in advocacy and creek cleanups.

Measure Q funds will go towards Joseph George Middle School's Learning Lab/Community Garden, which will promote environmental education by expanding on an existing garden on the school's campus. Through apprenticeships, outside classroom lessons, and community meetings students, teachers, and parents in the Joseph George Middle School community will become more aware of environmental and land use issues. End results will include: improved student academic outcomes, increased knowledge and awareness of gardening and the environment for all involved constituencies, the beautification of the school campus and the neighborhood, and the introduction of freshly-grown produce into the diets of several families who currently live in a park-poor neighborhood within a food desert section of San Jose. Construction will begin in Spring 2018.