Open Space Happenings: 09.12.12

Members! Members! Members! Look at what Open Space Council members are doing including news below from Sempervirens Fund, Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, Solano Land Trust, East Bay Regional Park District, California State Parks, National Park Service, SF Bay Trail, Marin County Parks, Marin Open Space Trust, and more.

Take a trip with us through California State Parks with this video: California Forever: The Story of California State Parks Preview from Backcountry Pictures on Vimeo.

 

• Solano Land Trust hits goal for Rockville Trails. Solano Land Trust reached its goal to raise $13.5 million in 18 months to complete the purchase of 1,500 acres of open space that will become the greater Bay Area's newest natural park. (The Reporter)
• Land buy 'huge puzzle piece' for trails. A sweeping panorama of oak-studded hills and valleys that conservationists see as the key to establishing a corridor of open space stretching from the East Bay to Clear Lake will be opened to the public. (SF Chronicle)
• MROSD approves final plan for La Honda preserve. Red-legged frogs, pond turtles, big-eared bats and other threatened species can be found among the pastoral hills of the La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve. But there is one animal that isn’t anywhere to be seen — humans. (Half Moon Bay Review)
• Sempervirens Fund and Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District partner to save 240 ancient redwoods. A joint effort by the private Sempervirens Fund and public Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District completed the purchase of the Lagomarsino and Gallaway properties; altogether, 89 acres and 240 old-growth redwoods will be added to the nearby 2,817-acre El Corte Madera Creek Open Space Preserve. (Mercury News)
• MidPen brings cattle back to the land. The MidPen Open Space District is embarking on it’s first major foray into managing rangelands with the long-awaited opening of the Purisima-To-The-Sea trail, which connects the Santa Cruz mountains to Highway 1. (Bay Nature)
• Prescription for kids: Take a hike. An unusual partnership of the East Bay Regional Park District, schools and health organizations hopes to make it happen in Oakland and Richmond over the next two years if they can win a $2.6 million federal health grant. (Contra Costa Times)
• Point Reyes National Seashore celebrates 50 years this week. The Point Reyes National Seashore, which provides solace and solitude for millions of people annually with 71,000 acres of amazingness, is turning 50 years old this week. (Marin IJ)
• Now available: SF Bay Shoreline Guide from the Bay Trail!The San Francisco Bay Trail Project is announcing the release of the second edition of the popular San Francisco Bay Shoreline Guide. Published by UC Press and funded by the State Coastal Conservancy, the Guide is comprehensive, compact, user-friendly, and studded with full-color maps and illustrations that cover the more than 325 miles of shoreline Bay Trail already open to the public.
• Manzanita Fire Road Celebration. Marin County Parks is thrilled to announce the newest addition to the Gary Giacomini Open Space Preserve in San Geronimo. (Marin County Parks)
• Transit and Trails App: Get to Trails and Hikes via Public Transportation. Are you a true treehugger looking to get to your favorite hiking trail without having to get into your car? Do you live in or around San Francisco? Do you have an iPhone? Then this is the app for you. (The Good Human)
• Transit and Trails. The Bay Area is home of great urban spaces and public transit options. However, sometimes we get stuck in our urban surroundings without appreciating the wonderful park spaces and outdoor recreational opportunities the Bay Area has to offer. (511 Contra Costa)
• A simple, useful guide to communicating climate change. Some tips about how to talk about this hot topic (pun intended). (Grist)
• Park set to bloom in Mission District. A 31,850-square-foot parking lot at the northwest corner 17th and Folsom streets will be ripped out and replaced with a park featuring native plants, a greenhouse, butterfly gardens, 50 fruit-bearing trees, an amphitheater, a grassy area, and an interactive exercise and play area. (SF Examiner)
• Beyond Farmers Markets: Why Local Food Belongs on Grocery Shelves. When South Carolinians buy South Carolina peaches, there are unique regional benefits. Here's how the USDA is helping make that happen. (The Atlantic)

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Every Wednesday we find stories about land conservation and we share them here. It's what's happening in a shell from a locally grown nut. 

Join us on September 20 - that's next week! - from 10am-1pm at the San Pedro Square Market in downtown San Jose for our Fall Gathering! We'll be talking about sustainable agriculture in Santa Clara, San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties. More information about it, including who our distinguished panelists are, can be found over here. And join us on Instagram and Twitter with #ieatlocal and @bayareaopenspace

Register today! Seats are filling up quickly!