San Tomas Aquino Creek Trail

The Authority helped to fund the development and construction of an outdoor classroom and the installation of interpretive signage and trails at the Our City Forest Urban Forestry Educational Site at Martial Cottle Park in San Jose. Taken together, the classroom, signs, and trails showcase outdoor exhibits and provide facilitated and self-guided tours for the community, providing visitors a one-of-a-kind Urban Forest Education Center for learning about Santa Clara County's urban forest and its ecosystem, and how to engage in its growth, care, and protection.

Veggielution's Urban Grower Network is a response to the need for community-based food and environmental organizations to better coordinate themselves around specific work and projects, to grow our collective impact. The Urban Grower Network initiative offers a unique opportunity for a committed group of grassroots environmental education and urban agriculture agencies, and the community members we serve, to build relational trust and connections. The organization is developing a strategic plan to build a collaborative model for enhancing access to healthy food through urban farms and gardens and developing environmental education programs and facilities throughout Santa Clara County. The Urban Grower Network aims to meet present needs and reimagine our food system to be more equitable, resilient, and sustainable for the future.

The Equitable Access Through Implementing Native Gardens (EATING) project is providing socio-economically disadvantaged, English Language Learners, and Specialized Education students with outdoor environmental classrooms at Scott Lane and Pomeroy Elementary Schools. The project aligns with the Santa Clara Open Space Authority's vision of a thriving network of open spaces and supports the objectives of the Santa Clara Valley Greenprint, which include nature-based recreation and education. EATING offers multiple benefits, including habitat preservation, education, and social justice.