Ulistac Natural Area

The Authority contributed funds to Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful's Coyote Meadows Park Community Planning and Concept project. In the heart of the City of San Jose, Coyote Meadows (formerly known as a homeless encampment named "The Jungle") is a nearly 50-acre parcel of land designated as open space owned by the City of San Jose along Coyote Creek. This land is a linchpin for connecting the community in an east-west and north-south route as a trail corridor. Together with the City of San Jose, community members seek to activate this area as a natural park adjacent to a neglected waterway. This project will provide community planning and conceptual designs, with the end result of a urban open space park with native plants, passive recreational uses, and a strong stewardship infrastructure.

The Authority helped to fund the San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society’s Tai Chi and Family Yoga, which will provide weekly and monthly programming to Bay Area families. Participants benefitted physically and mentally by experiencing a low-impact form of exercise surrounded by nature and wildlife. Hosting these types of programs at the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge will also foster a sense of community among participants, allowing them to feel connected to each other, which also aids in their connection to the natural resources. In addition to exercise during these programs, attendees also participated in nature walks where they learned about the Refuge, habitats surrounding the Bay, wildlife that rely on these habitats, and their importance to the ecosystem.

The Authority helped to fund the San Jose Children’s Discovery Museum’s Happy Trails Project, which offers a free, multiple-experience program addressing the lack of opportunities for today’s urban children to connect with nature. Happy Trails blazes a path for diverse, primarily low-income children and families to explore nature's health benefits and natural resources of the Santa Clara Valley through facilitated programming in the Museum's unique outdoor learning environment and nearby Guadalupe River, guided activities and trail hikes at open space preserves, and a fun nature festival.