Coyote Creek BioBlitz Events

Initially launched in response to COVID-19, Veggielution's Eastside Connect program serves more than 250 people per week through farm boxes, hot meals, and our onsite farm stand. Beginning in 2021, with the funding from the Open Space Authoriy, Veggielution will grow the capacity of Eastside Connect based on recommendations from our recent land use plan. By adding bike delivery, food safety certification, and value added products prepared by local residents, this program will help build a more pandemic- and climate-resilient local food system.

Children’s Discovery Museum’s “Exploration Portal” (EP) is a nature-themed educational space designed to engage children ages 2-10 and the adults who accompany them in hands-on environmental education. With the location’s adjacency to the Guadalupe River, EP encompasses three intertwined strategies for maximum environmental and educational impacts: 1) an architectural design that improves the health of the Guadalupe River; 2) 8 interactive exhibits that inspire curiosity and help children make discoveries about the natural world along with interpretive signage in English, Spanish and Vietnamese; and 3) a landscaping plan that role models the use of native and/or drought tolerant plants, cultivates biodiversity in the site's riparian environment, and immerses children and adults into the cognitive and physical benefits of a verdant environment.

Acterra developed a science-based climate science education and training program for Middle School students (grades 6-8) that explains climate change and outlines positive steps individuals and communities can take to mitigate negative effects. Acterra aims to partner with the California Native Garden Foundation (CNGF) to co-create an outdoor/urban garden experience that links nature, food, and planetary health to enrich the You(th) Be the Change (YBtC) curriculum that both organizations can incorporate into their educational programming. In addition to direct teaching of the enriched YBtC program in classrooms, this project includes a teacher training program to support and inspire teachers to provide students from under-resourced communities with high quality climate science education and outdoor/urban garden experiences while increasing awareness and usage of CNGF’s urban garden.