Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District Celebrates Anniversary

SAN MATEO COUNTY, CA — The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District kicked off the celebration of its 50th anniversary at a meeting last week.

Midpen, created in 1972 out of a grassroots effort by community members who wanted to address impacts of development and growth, has worked to protect public open space and agricultural lands in the greater Santa Cruz Mountains region and along the San Mateo County coast.

The district said it has protected a greenbelt of more than 65,000 acres of public open space in the Santa Cruz Mountains and cared for nearly 250 miles of trails in 24 preserves in San Mateo County.

“After half a century, our mission remains the same and more relevant than ever,” Midpen General Manager Ana María Ruiz said in a news release. “Midpen’s ongoing work to preserve, connect, restore and care for public land helps all life in our region meet today’s challenges with resilience and hope for the future. As we celebrate the path and people that brought us this far, we also look ahead at the next generation who will carry the work forward.”

The boards of supervisors for both Santa Clara and San Mateo counties recognized the anniversaries at meetings in January.

“Time and again, I’ve been so impressed with the passion, the dedication and the care the folks at Midpen bring to their work,” Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian said. “They roll up their sleeves, and they do the hard work. That’s what it takes to protect the natural resources in our region.”

The public is invited to several community events this year to celebrate the anniversary, including the Bayside Family Festival on April 30 at the Ravenswood Preserve and a Coastside Community Celebration in the fall near Half Moon Bay.

Midpen is also offering several free naturalist-led hikes to all 26 of its preserves. Reservations can be made at openspace.org/activities.

And watch out for pop-up events at a new preserve each month, where staff, board members and volunteers from Midpen will be available to share their experiences with the organization.

“The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District has long been an important part of the fabric of San Mateo and Santa Clara counties’ regional open space identities,” San Mateo County Supervisor Horsley said. “I have been particularly pleased with Midpen’s support of agricultural on the San Mateo County Coast, and the quality of stewardship they apply to all of their open space holdings.”

Visit openspace.org for more information.