Wildlife cannot exist without habitat. Protecting the land where our beloved birds live is essential for their survival, and in the San Francisco Bay Area, we’re lucky enough to have organizations whose primary focus is the protection of such lands. Whether your favorite birding spot is up in the hills, under the redwoods, or out on the shore, odds are good that you’ll be hiking through lands that have been protected by the Peninsula Open Space Trust.

For nearly 50 years, Peninsula Open Space Trust has helped shape the network of protected lands that makes the Peninsula and South Bay such an extraordinary place for people and wildlife. Mark Medeiros will share the story of POST’s founding, explain how a nonprofit land trust works with landowners and public partners to acquire and permanently protect land, and highlight major conservation accomplishments throughout the region. The presentation will include examples from Santa Clara County — including Coyote Valley — and explore how protecting and connecting habitats supports wildlife, agriculture, public access and the long-term resilience of our communities.

Mark Medeiros is the Director of Community Engagement at Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST), where he has worked for the past 11 years to connect people with nature and build broad, diverse community support for local conservation. A lifelong South Bay resident and the son of Azorean immigrants, Mark founded Veggielution Community Farm in East San Jose before joining POST in 2014, and connecting people to the land and to each other has been the connecting theme across his professional career. He holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from San José State University and has a deep appreciation for the landscapes and communities of the Santa Clara Valley.

This program will be recorded and posted to our Youtube channel.