Mountain lions are some of the most iconic animals in the western hemisphere. But while we make plenty of room for them in our cultural imagery, we don’t always consider them when planning our landscapes. Mountain lions, or pumas, are rather shy apex predators that require a lot of space.
Wouldn’t it be nice if our world were a little more pedestrian friendly? With freeways, suburbs, and train tracks crisscrossing the landscape, it’s hard to get anywhere without four wheels and an engine. Luckily that reality may be shifting, albeit slowly. One organization giving the anti-walking status quo a big run for its money is the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council.
Santa Clara Valley Chapter Biodiversity, or biological diversity, is kind of a big deal. Watching Earth’s plant and animal species vanishing at ever-increasing rates does not bode well for our own survival (plants and animals are our only food sources, after all).
Yerba Buena Chapter: Native plants are kind of a big deal. The Yerba Buena Chapter of CNPS exists to encourage their proliferation in San Francisco and northern San Mateo counties, thereby supporting a healthily functioning, resilient ecosystem.
The San Mateo County coastline is remarkably beautiful. Just over the Santa Cruz Mountains from the Peninsula’s urban corridor, it’s a near-instant–access playground for Silicon Valley techies and San Francisco foodies alike. Unfortunately playgrounds, even natural ones, don’t maintain themselves. 
Coastside on Bikes is dedicated to preserving and expanding bike access and trail connectivity on the Coastside.
Sure, California’s crowded, but with so many state and national parks and open spaces it can be easy to forget. There are 15 state parks along the San Mateo County coast between Año Nuevo and Gray Whale Cove alone; and that's only 36 miles! This is an incredible number of protected places along an equally incredible stretch of coastline. But parks don’t clean themselves. So how does the state afford to maintain them all?
A chunk of green space creeping east of the Highway 280 corridor, Edgewood County Park and Natural Preserve is an assemblage of oak groves scattered across rolling serpentine grasslands. Exploring the meandering trail system is a treat year-round, but the spring wildflowers are known as the real showstoppers.
Tooling around in the great green out-of-doors is increasingly important in a concrete world ruled by screens. In the heart of San Jose’s cityscape, local residents and workers find a quick path to peace in the Guadalupe River Park and Gardens. A 2.6-mile river walk with gardens, playgrounds, park benches and public art greet the intrepid city adventures who enter here.
