Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District

Are you looking for a challenging and adventurous career in the outdoors? Midpen is recruiting highly qualified Ranger Recruits and Rangers to support open space preservation, natural resource protection, and ecologically sensitive public access. Rangers serve a unique role as stewards of the open space by providing visitor information, regulation enforcement, responding to emergency calls, and performing limited maintenance and resource management work on Midpen properties and facilities. Learn more and apply: https://bit.ly/41MjYnS 📷: Leigh Ann Gessner

A collaborative fire safety and forest health effort has reached a huge milestone: 1,000 acres of land treated since 2020! The Los Gatos Creek Watershed Collaboration was formed in 2020 when Midpen joined forces with San Jose Water Company, Santa Clara County FireSafe Council and Santa Clara County Parks to take a holistic approach to vegetation management for forest health and fire resilience and safety. Learn more about the collaboration and milestone: https://bit.ly/4bwU5Md

Herb Grench was a pioneer in the preservation of Bay Area open space. As Midpen’s first general manager he built a public agency to stand the test of time, establishing our first headquarters and developing a basic policy that continues to act as our constitution to this day. Learn more about Herb's legacy at Midpen and where you can visit the trail and bench named in his honor: https://bit.ly/4i1F0ES

Midpen General Manager Ana Ruiz joined a panel with Marin Open Space Trust chair Bill Long and Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST)'s Dylan Sondermann at the Outside (and Inside) Lands: Bay Area Land Use Symposium. The panel discussed how to balance open space conservation, recreational opportunities and other various competing land use interests! It is critically important to ensure we give voice to and advocate for the plants and animals impacted by land use decisions. Ana's expertise in open space management and her deep understanding of our region's ecological needs are invaluable to this important conversation. We're proud to have her representing our agency and contributing to solutions that ensure a sustainable and thriving Bay Area for all. Thank you to UC Law Environmental Journal and University of California, College of the Law, San Francisco (formerly UC Hastings) for putting together such a wonderful event!

Thank you Joint Venture Silicon Valley for another phenomenal #StateoftheValley Conference. This conference powerfully demonstrated the importance of community dialogue, uniting elected leaders with public, private, and nonprofit partners to tackle our region's challenges and opportunities!   As an open space agency, our preserves play a major role in our community’s quality of life, environmental health, and overall well-being and we're excited to contribute to the ongoing conversations about how we can build a more sustainable and equitable future for the entire region.   Featured in this photo was part of the Midpen delegation (from left to right): Midpen General Manager Ana Montano Ruiz, Director Zoe Kersteen-Tucker, and Government Affairs Program Manager Joshua Hugg.

This International Women's Day we're paying tribute to Nonette Hanko, an environmental pioneer, who with a handful of key open space preservation proponents, spearheaded a two county initiative to form Midpen. The undev eloped open spaces surrounding our communities, from the baylands to the foothills and forested mountains, exist in large part because of the vision and vigilance of Nonette and her fellow conservationists. Learn more about Nonette and her incredible contributions to open space preservation: https://bit.ly/3F7v0vj

Midpen recently approved the purchase of a crucial 40-acre property near Mount Umunhum! The purchase will support Midpen's vision for an Umunhum-to-the-Sea regional trail while also protecting vital wildlife habitat. Learn more about the property and vision: https://bit.ly/4hb3evk

We’ve waited for it all year. Its finally National Invasive Species Awareness Week! 🌿 This week, we're highlighting the importance of managing invasive species in our open spaces. At Midpen, we're dedicated to limiting their spread and protecting our beautiful landscapes through our award-winning Integrated Pest Management plan. It’s easy to see certain plants as "villains," but they're just doing what comes naturally! The real issue is protecting biodiversity. Invasive species can disrupt the delicate balance of our ecosystems, reducing biodiversity and making them less resilient. A healthy, diverse ecosystem is what helps our natural open spaces thrive for both plant and animal life. Want to make a difference? Join our volunteer efforts to remove invasive plants like French broom and yellow starthistle! It's a rewarding way to contribute to the health of our preserves. Learn more about volunteer opportunities: https://bit.ly/4kokK22

Habitat restoration and nature interpretation are a dynamic duo! On the day after Valentine’s Day, 16 participants came out to Purisima Creek Redwoods to show their love for nature by helping pull invasive plants and then hiking and learning about some of the less-appreciated plants and animals who call this preserve home. The next joint restoration + interpretation activity is planned for mid-July. We hope to see you there! Keep up with our events and activities: https://bit.ly/41jkYP9

If you enjoy working hard in a beautiful outdoor environment with a group of like-minded people, we invite you to apply for the position of Farm Maintenance Worker at Midpen. Enjoy the outdoors while performing general maintenance and construction tasks, assisting with daily farm operations and engaging with volunteers and the public. Learn more and apply: https://bit.ly/4k67zlY 📷: Oksana Baumert