Open Space Council's Blog

On the road

Yesterday the staff of the Open Space Council went on the road. To be specific, we explored the roads of Livermore and its environs. The staff of the Tri-Valley Conservancy, one of our members, gave us a tour of their work, the lands the know like the back of their hand, and some of their big ideas and visions.

We returned to the Brower Center inspired and grateful. See some pictures of our trip, including the above panorama of Doolan Canyon, over here.

 

From Ridges to Farms and Back to Ridges

The members of the Open Space Council are a diverse crowd. There are big national nonprofits and small(ish) cities and special districts created by the voters and many others. Today we're thanking three members for their membership, each distinct in the way they work to preserve land. While their IRS classification may vary, each are working tirelessly to preserve land so that we all can benefit. And they're all members of the Open Space Council, something for which we are very grateful.

 

 

(if you're reading this by email, click here to see and listen)

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See the full gallery of our thank you babbles. Learn more about who our members are here. And if you're a member, download the Member button from this page to put on your website. For more information about membership, contact Annie Burke at annie at openspacecouncil dot org.

 

This land is your land, this land is...

No, let's not break out in song even though it is Friday and a little silliness can be tolerated. But it's true, this land is your land. The four members we're thanking today are a testament to that idea. They are working to protect land and to connect all of us to it either by creating world-class trails or offering delicious cheeses or opening playgrounds where there was barbed wire. Join us as we thank these organizations for renewing their membership to the Open Space Council:

 

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See the full gallery of our thank you babbles. Learn more about who our members are here. And if you're a member, download the Member button from this page to put on your website. For more information about membership, contact Annie Burke at annie at openspacecouncil dot org.

Gratitude is a good way to start a new year

What's a better way of starting 2013 than to say thanks? The Bay Area Open Space Council is a group of organizations and agencies who are working together to ensure that generations have parks, trails, working lands, and so much more. Our members make us what we are today and we're grateful for all of their contributions.

Today we're thanking three Open Space Council members from three different parts of the Bay Area: the farms of the delta, rolling hills of the east bay, and the redwood forests of Santa Cruz. Listen in:

 

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See the full gallery of our thank you babbles. Learn more about who our members are here. And if you're a member, download the Member button from this page to put on your website. For more information about membership, contact Annie Burke at annie at openspacecouncil dot org.

 

Thank you, 1970s!

Something great was happening in the early 1970s. The music was good, that's for sure, but we're talking about something else. Something was happening in the Bay Area where people were forming organizations, putting together ballot measures, and putting into place some long-standing controls to keep the Bay Area green and beautiful. 

Today we're thanking five Open Space Council members, several of whom were founded in the early 1970s. Join us as we travel around the Bay Area and back in time.

 

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See the full gallery of our thank you babbles. Learn more about who our members are here. And if you're a member, download the Member button from this page to put on your website. For more information about membership, contact Annie Burke at annie at openspacecouncil dot org.

 

Thanks to the four corners

Today we're thanking Open Space Council members hailing from the four corners of the Bay Area.

We're not sure how many corners there are in the Bay Area, but there are definitely more than four, right? Let's forget the specifics and focus on this group of members coming from Sonoma, Napa, Alameda, Contra Costa, and Santa Clara counties. Just these five members represent hundreds of thousands of acres of parks, trails, farms, ranches, shorelines, and other kinds of open spaces. We're duly impressed and grateful for their membership.

 

 

 

 

 

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See the full gallery of our thank you babbles. Learn more about who our members are here. And if you're a member, download the Member button from this page to put on your website. For more information about membership, contact Annie Burke at annie at openspacecouncil dot org. 

 

Running the gamut and still grateful

The Open Space Council members are diverse in their work and also in what kind of organization they are. Our members include cities, counties, special districts, nonprofits, and projects. Each has a different funding model, different capabilities and limitations, and a different scope. See the full list of members here to see the whole membership gamut.

Today we're thanking five members who recently renewed their membership. There's a city, a special district, one international nonprofit, and two local land trusts. Press play and turn up the volume... (if you're reading this by email, click here)

 

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See the full gallery of our thank you babbles. Learn more about who our members are here. And if you're a member, download the Member button from this page to put on your website. For more information about membership, contact Annie Burke at annie at openspacecouncil dot org. 

 

Tall trees, bay views and horses

The members of the Open Space Council have one thing in common: they are working tirelessly to ensure that we have land free of concrete for generations to come. How they work towards that goal differs from member to member. Some are protecting forests, some are creating very long trails, and some are working with the region's cowboys and cowgirls. See the full list of members here to find other similarities and differences.

Today we're thanking three members who recently renewed their membership to the Open Space Council. Each organization is uniquely working to connect people to land and keeping that land concrete-free. Press play and turn up the volume... 

 

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See the full gallery of our thank you babbles. Learn more about who our members are here. And if you're a member, download the Member button from this page to put on your website. For more information about membership, contact Annie Burke at annie at openspacecouncil dot org. 

 

Thank you!

It's the time of year when organizations and agencies around the Bay Area renew their membership to the Open Space Council. This means that we get to thank them. Saying thank you is fun, we think. And this is how we're doing it this year: 

 

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See the full gallery of our thank you babbles. Learn more about who our members are here. And if you're a member, download the Member button from this page to put on your website. For more information about membership, contact Annie Burke at annie at openspacecouncil dot org. 

 

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!