On Saturday, July 12, 2014, the Discover Coyote Valley Initiative hosted an evening picnic, hike and birding event from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm at the Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve (a new nature preserve not yet open to the public). The event was free and open to the public. The Santa Clara Open Space Authority, Committee for Green Foothills and Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Center (WERC – an organization that provides rehabilitation services for orphaned, injured and sick native wildlife) were event partners.
Teri Rogoway from the Open Space Authority says “Coyote Valley is place where we want everyone to feel welcome to come and enjoy nature and the reminder of our county’s rich agricultural tradition. I can’t wait until this property opens this Fall.”
Over 145 participants joined us on this beautiful afternoon in Open Space Preserve. The event started with WERC hosting a meet and greet. WERC Presenters were Amy, Doug, Joy, Frank and Ric and they brought the following birds of prey: Great Horned Owl, Barn Owl, Pyg
my Owl, Western Screech Owl, Turkey Vulture, Peregrine Falcon.
We served samples of the delicious zucchini bread made by Linda Spina, Spina Farms and dried apricots from Mitch Mariani, harvested from Malech Farms. Not a piece was left! Ten loaves of zucchini bread and 15 pounds of dried apricots were gone – just like that!
Sibella Kraus gave a brief overview about the Discover Coyote Valley Initiative and then several docents took visitors on a hike around the Authority’s Open Space Preserve) to observe birds in the wild.
The evening concluded with a community picnic, kid-friendly activities and presentations to learn more about nature, agriculture and recreation in the Coyote Valley.
- 4 PM Saw rehabilitated birds of prey up close with W.E.R.C
- 5 PM Hiked around the Open Space Preserve in the late afternoon, a perfect time for birding.
- 7 PM Enjoyed an evening picnic and learn about the Coyote Valley. Drinks and snacks were provided. People brought their own dinners, ordered a chicken shwarma or falafel wrap from Mr. Falafel in advance through us and shared stories and food on a beautiful afternoon.
To sign up for future events, go tohttp://www.discovercoyotevalley.org/events/. For more information, send an email toinfo@discovercoyotevalley.orgor contact Cheryl at (408) 634-0007.
The Coyote Valley is an area of 7,400 acres, most of it farmland, located between San Jose and Morgan Hill in the Santa Clara Valley. Famous for much of the last century for its orchards of prunes, pears, apricots and cherries – fruit that fed the country, the Coyote Valley is a treasure ready for rediscovery. Visitors can enjoy agriculture, recreation, and nature in the Coyote Valley year-round.
Discover Coyote Valleyis an initiative ofa broader project, Revitalizing Specialty Crop Agriculture in the Valley of the Heart’s Delight: a Model for Linked Urban-Rural Sustainability. The Revitalizing Specialty Crop Agricultureproject is funded by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Specialty Crop Block Grant program. The project is managed bySAGE(Sustainable Agriculture Education) and is guided by the Coyote Valley Agricultural Enterprise and Conservation program (COVAEC) Advisory Committee.
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