Branching Out Adventures is a non-profit with a mission to celebrate queerness through community, education and connection to the outdoors. Their recent spring hike at Skyline Ridge Preserve was the first of five hikes as a part of Midpen’s partnership program.
Public participation through volunteerism has always been an integral part of the work Midpen does, and a great way for community members to get an inside-look at stewarding open space preserves.
The Alma Cultural Landscape located within Midpen’s Bear Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve provides a unique experience among Midpen’s 27 preserves for its evident layers of cultural history.
Building on the successful treatment of more than 1,000 acres in the Los Gatos-Saratoga area, the Los Gatos Creek Watershed Collaborative has just launched the next phase of their forest health and wildland fire resilience work.
Every two years, Midpen provides grants to organizations and projects that enhance the understanding and protection of our natural world, strengthen scientific research, build partnerships, expand access to the outdoors and enrich public education.
At first glance, the salt flats and stormwater retention basins ringing the San Francisco Bay may seem stark compared to nearby tidal marshes. But a closer look reveals movement: a sand-colored blur scurrying along the salt-crusted ground, making a distinctive “tu-wheet” call.
Sprawling branches, spiny leaves and plentiful acorns fill the oak woodlands that lay across the Santa Cruz Mountains and support one of the richest and most biologically diverse habitats in the state. However, spread of sudden oak death (SOD) is threatening the health of these ecosystems.
The Thimbleberry Trail is Midpen’s newest addition to the award-winning trail network at Bear Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve. This trail beautifully showcases the swift transition from a shaded, cool riparian habitat to an open, sun-drenched prairie.
