Once known as the Valley of Heart’s Delight, the Santa Clara Valley has a rich agricultural history. For years, the landscape was abundant with orchards, trees, shrubs, and flowering plants, and at one point was one of the largest fruit producing and packing regions in the world. Due to development, the county has lost well over 20,000 acres of farmland in the last thirty years. But that doesn’t mean the Valley of Heart’s Delight is a thing of the past!

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.

Elizabeth Loretto, Administrative Operations Manager at the Open Space Authority, always knew she wanted to be a part of something larger than herself. Her mom worked at small, community and mission-based organization, and both of her parents spent much of their time volunteering in the community. “I always saw myself in that kind of role.”

In January 2022, Julie Morris was appointed as County Agricultural Liaison, a Cooperative Extension position supported by the Santa Clara County Agricultural Division and University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources. Guided by the Santa Clara Valley Agricultural Plan, (written in partnership between Santa Clara County and the Open Space Authority) Morris is working to promote and protect agriculture in the region. With 30 years of experience in ranching, journalism, and food marketing, she is well-qualified to support the County’s efforts to conserve agricultural viability and productivity.

Adaptation is a mechanism in nature that helps plants and animals evolve to withstand new environments. After all, the ability to adapt to changing conditions is critical to resilience and longevity for any species. One small, but iconic species that is flexing their resilience in 2022 is the Western monarch butterfly, an invertebrate with a surprising capacity to respond and adapt to both positive and negative environmental changes.

It’s salamander season! Although similar in shape, salamanders are not the same as lizards. In fact, they are amphibians, which means their skin is moist, and they are typically found in dark, damp environments. Although these creatures are quite gentle and non-aggressive, there are a few good reasons not to pick them up – including the fact that they are slimy and highly toxic.

A social trail is an unauthorized trail that usually cuts a sharp turn or goes to a part of the preserve that is closed. While it’s often difficult to resist the allure of a shortcut or a trip off the beaten path, social trails can be dangerous to the user and can harm the environments and habitats they cut through.

What lives underground and hisses to fend off predators? If you were thinking of a snake, then the burrowing owl succeeded in its goal (and our picture above must not have loaded...)! Sharing semi-arid climates with squirrels, rattlesnakes, and more has led this unique bird to develop some interesting adaptations, including that particular defense mechanism. Life on ground-level is no easy endeavor for these little ones, and burrowing owl populations have declined dramatically. However, recent captive breeding programs in the Santa Clara Valley are offering hope.