A lot of environmentalists and environmental scientists attribute the passion fueling their work to meaningful childhood experiences. Catching tadpoles, poking around tidepools or sleeping out under the stars can lead to a lifetime of good decisions.
Visitors, locals and wildlife alike rejoice in the green mountains, rolling hills and crisscrossing trails marbling the Peninsula’s landscape. Why exactly are all these green open spaces protected in the Bay Area? Because groups like MidPen are working hard to preserve and connect them.
Thank goodness, there are a lot of open spaces on the San Francisco Peninsula … like … a lot. Green patches amongst the cityscape link to rolling hills, which rise to forested mountain ridges; it’s pretty fantastic. And pretty impressive that, within such a compressed urban area, so many natural spaces remain. It puts the local standard of living through the roof and provides critical coastal habitat for wildlife restricted to ever-shrinking wild lands.
As landscapes are developed it’s very common for creeks and streams to be straightened, tunneled underground, or shunted into concrete diversion channels and for waterside banks to be built up into levies. Though support for environmentally friendly practices is increasing, many developers still “manage” waterways adjacent to urban or suburban areas to lessen the likelihood of flood damage instead of avoiding construction in areas prone to flooding.
San Bruno Mountain State Park sits at the northern end of the Santa Cruz Range, offering long views of the city, bay, and surrounding landscape. On clear days Mt. Tamalpais, Mt. Diablo, and the Farallon Islands are all found along the horizon line.
We all know that San Francisco is wild, but it’s pretty surprising how many wild animals inhabit the area too. Historically, the Peninsula supported a diverse array of ecosystems and a glut of creatures on land and sea. While development has lessened the flora and fauna, and the size of their respective ranges, there is still plenty of life supporting wilderness to protect.
San Mateo County is a popular place to live. As it ranges from mountain ridge to rugged coastline while connecting San Francisco proper to Silicon Valley, it’s easy to see why. Add accessible outdoor recreation opportunities at the 21 local parks, and you’ve got yourself one high standard of living.
The Bay Area is renowned for its expansive and accessible open spaces, but is there any guarantee that they’ll stay that way? As construction continues and the population bourgeons, it becomes increasingly difficult to balance development with environmental and recreational needs. Good thing the bay area population is also renowned for its ecofriendly bent and for organizations such as the Santa Clara County Open Space Authority.
This one’s for the birds; thank goodness someone is. A September 2014 Audubon Society study found that climate change will threaten at least half of North American bird species by 2080. Yikes! Luckily the Audubon Society itself, and its various local chapters such as Santa Clara, is tackling the issue. 
With a mission as elegant as “to protect and restore redwood forests and connect people with their peace and beauty so these wonders of the natural world flourish,” Save the Redwoods League is pretty easy organization to get behind. The League follows a science-based master plan to guide conservation and restoration efforts. These include buying redwood forestlands and buffers, negotiating conservation easements or agreements, and more. 
