OSA is working to protect sensitive lands, preserve natural communities, and manage open space in ways that promote

agriculture and compatible recreation.

OSA OUTLOOK

Summer 2008 Vol. 2 No. 2

INSIDE
1 Controlling invasive weeds 1 Volunteer weed removal work days 2 Student groups visit Coyote Ridge 2 Trail cameras film wildlife 2 Trail patrol class in June 3 Summer Saturdays: hikes & activities 3 Summer day camps at Rancho and Ulistac

Santa Clara County Open Space Authority 6830 Via del Oro, Ste 200 San Jose, CA 95119

The administrative office of the Open Space Authority is relocating this summer. Our new address will be 6980 Santa Teresa Boulevard, Suite 100. This is at the intersection with Bernal Road, just a few blocks from our current location in south San Jose. We expect to be in our new space by the end of June.

WERE MOVING!

photo by Lark Burkhart

Students from Mulberry School, accompanied by teachers, parents, and OSA staff, spent an activity-packed day on Coyote Ridge this spring. It was a hands-on opportunity to learn about the natural world and the many intricate relationships it supports.

pen Space Authority staff and volunteers led seven student groups on explorations of Coyote Ridge this spring.

The children second, third, and fifth graders learned about sensitive habitats and the plants and animals they support. Coyote Ridge has many areas of serpentine grassland where a number of special-status plants and the threatened bay checkerspot butterfly thrive. Spring on Coyote Ridge is a beautiful time of vivid wildflowers, balmy weather and gorgeous views. But, according to OSA interpreter Teri Rogoway, The best thing was seeing the excitement on the faces of the kids. They got to experience nature first hand and they came away with an appreciation for wanting to preserve it.

Students Focus on Nature at Coyote Ridge

About 150 children from three different schools participated in the carefully designed visits. They saw how members of natural communities are connected and that small changes in an environment can have large, and sometimes unexpected, results.

Bay Checkerspot Butterfly

photo by John Scanlon

In the Cameras Eye: Watching Animals Be Themselves

Trail cameras located on Rancho Caada del Oro help staff learn about use patterns on the preserves trails. Information collected is used in managing the preserve and will aid in planning future trails. The cameras have also recorded a number of animals using the trails during the course of their day (or, more often, night). To see photographs of wildlife out for a stroll on the Rancho Caada del Oro trails visit our website at www.openspaceauthority.org.

Volunteers in the Field

Trail patrol volunteers play a key role at the Authority. They assist visitors with information on OSA trails and preserves and help staff stay up to date about trail usage and conditions. To join the trail patrol, volunteers must attend one indoor orientation meeting and the field session. A new class is forming in June: June 17, 5 7 p.m. Program expectations Rules and regulations June 18, 6 8 p.m. Program expectations Rules and regulations June 21, 9 a.m. 3 p.m. Field training and guided hike For more information, email Derek Neumann at dneumann@ openspaceauthority.org.

Santa Clara County Open Space Authority

6830 Via del Oro, Ste 200 San Jose, CA 95119 tel 408.224.7476 fax 408.224.7548
photo by John Scanlon

www.openspaceauthority.org

Summer Saturdays
Rancho Caada del Oro Open Space Preserve
Groups meet at the staging area on Casa Loma Road. Visit www.openspaceauthority.org for more information.

June 14 June 28

8 11 a.m.

Picture This Park

Hike with skilled photographers and look for good photo opportunities. Learn to see and capture nature in a new way.

8 10 p.m.

Starry Nights
photo by Lark Burkhart

Learn about the night skies with park staff. Use our telescope or bring your own. Dress warmly and bring a blanket or beach chair.

July 12 8 11 a.m. July 26

8 10 p.m.

A Casual Hike

Join volunteers for a leisurely 5-mile hike to observe wildlife and learn about plants. Bring a light snack, water and sunscreen.

Starry Nights

Learn about the night skies with park staff. Use our telescope or bring your own. Dress warmly and bring a blanket or beach chair.

Kids and Grandparents Summer Day Camp

This week-long session has been rescheduled. Camp will run Monday, June 23, through Friday, June 27, from 9 a.m. till noon at Rancho Caada del Oro. Nature hikes, games, crafts and hands-on learning activities will keep children and grown ups active all morning.

August 16 August 30

8 11 a.m.

Picture This Park

Hike with skilled photographers and look for good photo opportunities. Learn to see and capture nature in a new way

8 10 p.m.

Starry Nights

Learn about the night skies with park staff. Use our telescope or bring your own. Dress warmly and bring a blanket or beach chair.

New in 2008: Family Day Camp at Ulistac

Children ages 5 and older can enjoy a week of nature activities at Ulistac Natural Area in Santa Clara this summer. A free day camp will be offered for kids and their favorite grown ups August 18 to 22 from 9 a.m. to noon. Registration is required. Parents, aunts, uncles, godparents or grandparents can join their kids in exploring the world of animals, people from the past, dinosaurs, and other topics with interpreters and docents. The camp is a joint project of OSA and Santa Clara University.

To learn more or register your child for one of these camps contact Teri Rogoway at 408-224-7476 or trogoway@open spaceauthority.org.

photo by John Scanlon

Q: What alters ecosystems, crowds out native plants, disrupts A: Invasive weeds.
According to the California Invasive Plant Council (Cal-IPC), only 3% of plant species growing in open space environments are considered invasive, but they cover much more than that proportion of the landscape.
photo by Stuart Weiss

wildlife habitat, hogs ground water, causes financial losses to ranchers and farmers, and is expensive to get rid of?

Yellow starthistle alone is thought to dominate more than 15 million acres in California and is found in 56 of the states 58 counties. Human activity plays a significant part in spreading invasive plants, sometimes over long distances. Seeds can cling to the under carriage of vehicles and travel along roadways for miles. They also stick to the socks, shoes, and pant legs of visitors to open space preserves and parks. Some invasive species such as Scotch broom, English ivy, periwinkle and ice plant can be purchased in nurseries. The wind or birds or waterways carry the seeds out of yards and into natural areas

Prescribed burn at Coyote Ridge to control barbed goatgrass where they easily become established. Controlling or eradicating the introduced species is costly and time consuming, but without this work native plants and the animal life they support are put at risk. OSA has an aggressive program of Integrated Weed Management (IWM) that combines early detection, rapid response, mapping and monitoring with a range of control methods. The characteristics of each species and infestation site are considered on a case-by-case basis. Usually a combination of control methods is used, including hand pulling, mowing, herbicide application, managed grazing, and prescribed fire. A current project to control the barbed goatgrass invading serpentine grasslands on Coyote Ridge involves a number of conservation partners as well as a variety of techniques to limit degradation to this unique habitat.

You Can Help

Join us in removing French broom on OSA lands north of Uvas Canyon County Park and see an area not yet open to the public. Three Saturday work days are scheduled this summer: June 28, 10 a.m. 3 p.m. July 19, 10 a.m. 3 p.m. August 23, 10 a.m. 3 p.m. Training, safety equipment, tools and lunch are provided. For more information or to volunteer email dneumann@ openspaceauthority.org or call Derek Neumann at 408-2263175.

Yellow starthistle

photo by David Tharp