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Chris Horii at Trail Day with the FOSTP sign

Friends of Santa Teresa Park

The Friends of Santa Teresa Park is a volunteer organization based in San Jose whose purpose is to support Santa Teresa County Park. The president is Mike Boulland. Meetings are normally held the first Thursday of each month at 7:00 pm in the upper clubhouse at the Santa Teresa Golf Course. Check for schedule changes below. The public is invited. Typical meeting topics include park news, history, trail conditions, community issues, volunteer opportunities, and future plans. 

You are invited to our next general meeting, on Thursday April 3 at 7:00 pm.  It will be held at the Santa Teresa Golf Club upper clubhouse/banquet room at 260 Bernal Road, San Jose. Everyone is invited. Contact your neighbors and friends for new members. We are always looking for help in making Santa Teresa Park a better and safer place for our community. 

Minutes from past meetings are available below. See the meeting minutes for park news and upcoming events.

 See you Thursday night,
 Mike Boulland

For more information on the Friends of Santa Teresa Park, contact Mike Boulland.
See and join our Yahoo Group.
For questions on the stpfriends.org website, contact our webmaster, Ron Horii.

For County Parks volunteers, enter your volunteer hours here.



Mike Boulland greeting ranger on Stile Ranch Trail

Greetings from Mike Boulland:

The Friends of Santa Teresa Park welcome you and your family to our web page. We welcome you to participate in our service activities to make Santa Teresa Park a gem in the Santa Clara County Park system. Please use this web page to find out about our various activities. 

We invite you to explore and walk in the evening after work along the foothill trails to visit some of the most scenic sites in the entire Santa Clara Valley. Hopefully, you will visit our majestic waterfall trail and eat a snack at its base. Included, in our invitation is a walk to the upper meadows. We encourage you to sit in the shade of the Pueblo area and enjoy watching the various wildlife animals graze on the wild vegetation. Those of you who like views may take an enjoyable hike up Coyote Peak to get a vista view of the whole county. The trail’s scenic views can stretch the boundaries of your eye from San Mateo to Morgan Hill. 

We encourage you to use our web site to help you and your family gain information about our activities and events. We are a growing organization, whose members are dedicated to improving Santa Teresa County Park’s resources for the public to enjoy. 

Join us on our trail building day events, historical adventures, docent activities and other park service projects. We welcome all the volunteers we can muster. In the future we will need lots of volunteers to help us establish a docent program for the Joice-Bernal Museum site. 

Our organization is recognized with the County of Santa Clara Volunteer program and we can offer you and your family an opportunity to volunteer for fun service and be rewarded with a free County Parks parking pass. 

We meet monthly on the first Thursday night at 7:00 in the upper Santa Teresa Golf Course Clubhouse. 

Mike Boulland 
President of Friends of Santa Teresa Park 


News

  • Major construction of the East Barn at the Bernal-Gulnac-Joice Ranch has been completed. 4-H will use the barn for an animal project, most likely in 2014.
  • The Healthy Trails 3rd Edition guide has been published. It includes 2 trail routes in Santa Teresa Park.
  • Ron Horii will be giving an outdoor photography class and hike at Coyote Lake/Harvey Bear County Park on Saturday, May 3, 2014 at 10 am. See the events calendar below.
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   Old News
  • The Santa Teresa Community Fest will be held on Saturday September 18, 2010 from 11 am to 5 pm, George Page Park, Santa Teresa Blvd. at Miyuki Drive. The Friends of Santa Teresa Park had a booth there.
  • The County Parks is hosting a series of community meetings on setting the criteria for their acquisition plans. See here for more information. See here for the flyer on the community workshops.
  • The dedication ceremony for the Albertson Parkway was held on Saturday August 29, 2009 from 10:00-10:30 am at Jaggers and Conejo.
  • The Santa Teresa County Park Site Historic Plan final plan documents are available on the website. The plan was presented to the Historic Heritage Commission on 2/19/09, which was the last forum for public input before the CEQA and environmental review process begins. A public meeting was held on August 11, 2009 to discuss the Draft Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration for the plan.
  • We had a farewell celebration at the Mounted Ranger Unit, Monday evening, June 29, 2009.
  • Our organization was featured in the June San Jose City Council District 2 newsletter. We had our picture taken at our May meeting.
  • Councilmember Ash Kalra's District 2 newsletter for March 2011 has a picture on page 3 taken by Ron Horii from the Ridge Trail in Santa Teresa Park, showing a rainbow over the Santa Teresa Golf Course.
  • We participated in the Santa Teresa Library Anniversary on Feb. 5, 2011. We had a table, where we displayed artifacts, models, and passed out literature. Mike Boulland read stories to the kids. Ron Horii showed a slideshow on Santa Teresa Park (56 MB), Sam Drake had a display and gave a slideshow and demo on geocaching.
  • We gave a presentation and crafts activity on Santa Teresa wildflowers at the Santa Teresa Library on 4/30/11.
  • We are working on a design for an interpretive plaque on Coyote Peak. Here is a picture of a mock-up design for the plaque.
  • We have applied for Cycle 25 of the City of San Jose's CAP Grant. Here is a copy of our application. We have been awarded a CAP Grant for 2011-2012 of $500, which is half of what we asked for. Our application was initially denied, but after writing a letter of appeal and making a presentation, we received funding for everything except for Fandango Entertainment.
  • Ron Horii made a slideshow on Santa Teresa Park, the Albertson Parkway, and views from La Colina Park.
  • We helped out at Festival in the Park at Hellyer County Park on Saturday June 25. It ran from 11 am to 4 pm. There were booths for County Parks volunteers and Friends groups. We provided our latest newsletter and other information. Our members helped out in various places at the Festival. Here is a web page on the festival.
  • We will be taking a guided tour of Gilroy Hot Springs on July 31. Everyone is invited. Contact Mike Boulland for more details.
  • We be participating in Family Fandango at Santa Teresa Park on August 13, 2011. We could use help manning the booths and activities. Check back for more details.
  • The new County Parks Park Here Brochure is available, which has maps, pictures, and descriptions of all the County Parks. The cover picture is of the Norred Trail in Santa Teresa Park, taken on 5/27/10 by Ron Horii. Ron also took the pictures of Alviso Marina, Chesbro Reservoir, Chitactac-Adams Park, Uvas Reservoir, Rancho San Antonio Park, Sanborn Park, and Stevens Creek Park.
  • Councilmember Ash Kalra's District 2 newsletter for June 2011 has a picture on page 3 taken by Ron Horii from the Norred Trail in Santa Teresa Park, showing the Albertson Parkway.
  • The new County Parks Fall 2011-Spring 2012 Play Here Brochure is available. The cover picture is of the Bernal-Gulnac-Joice Ranch barns taken by Ron Horii. Ron took many of the pictures inside the brochure.
  • The Santa Teresa Community Fest will not be held this year (2011). It should be returning in 2012.
  • Ron Horii has a display of Park Photography at the Santa Teresa Library in the Community Room in September 2011. It will be on display for about a month. The room is normally open only for events. The best time to see it is during the Friends of the Santa Teresa Library's book sale on Saturday September 17 from 10 am to 4 pm.
  • Ron Horii had his display of park photography to Moonbeams Coffee, across Santa Teresa Blvd. from the Santa Teresa Library, next to 24 Hour Fitness, for the month of October, 2011.
  • We, the Friends of Santa Teresa Park, celebrated our 20th anniversary at the Santa Teresa Library from 10 am to 2 pm on Saturday March 24. We had an  information table where we passed out park information. Paul Bernal loaned us pictures of the Bernal Family and Rancho Santa Teresa and costumes so kids could dress up as Spanish soldiers. There were be arts and crafts for kids. Boy Scout Troop 227 had displays of their projects at Santa Teresa Park. Ron Horii had park pictures on display and a slideshow. The Tenor Band provided musical entertainment.

Newsletters
 New Pictures!

Rainbow over Santa Teresa Golf Course from the Ridge Trail


New Santa Teresa Park web pages with pictures:
Web Pages On Other Parks


Yahoo Group Pictures

Coyote Peak
Pictures for FOSTP Yahoo Group members only (anyone can apply to join, but you need a Yahoo ID, which is free):

Park Events


Pre-Mother's Day Hike, Fortini Trail

Park Events for 2014
  • County Parks Calendar
  • Play Here Guide Fall/Winter 2013
  • Play Here Guide Spring/Summer 2014
  • 2014 Calendar of Volunteer Events and Trainings
  • Saturday, March 29. Trickles to Torrents, Calero/Rancho San Vicente, 9am-1:30pm. Join a park docent for a moderate 5.5-mile loop hike to see how water from winter storms finds its way to the valley below. Meet at the Calero Park office off of McKean Rd. (south of reservoir), then carpool to the trailhead. This is a guided hike in an area not yet open for public access; group stays together; some steep sections; restrooms not available except at meeting location. Dress in layers with sturdy shoes, hat, and water. Registration required online or by calling (408) 355-2240.
  • Sunday, April 6 Photographers Day, Calero/Rancho San Vicente, 9am-3pm. Enjoy a wealth of photo opportunities as you join a park docent for a leisurely 3.5-mile out-and-back hike through rolling serpentine grasslands with a focus on the park’s natural beauty. Meet at the Calero Park office off of McKean Rd. (south of reservoir), then carpool to the trailhead. This is a guided hike in an area not yet open for public access; group stays together; some steep sections; restrooms not available except at meeting location. Pack a lunch, water, camera, hat, layered clothing, and sturdy shoes. Registration required online or by calling (408) 355-2240.
  • Saturday, April 12. Wildflower Drawing Class, Santa Teresa, 10am-11:30am. Increase your confidence in drawing and learn some skills to help you draw what you see during wildflower season. Materials are provided, but if you have a sketch pad and set of colored pencils or watercolors, bring them along. Instruction appropriate for ages 8-adult. Children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult. All skill levels welcome. Hat and sunscreen recommended. Rain cancels. Meet at the Fortini Trailhead. Note: There is no restroom at this location. Registration required online or by calling (408) 355-2240.
  • Saturday, April 12. Power to the Petal, Calero/Rancho San Vicente, 11am-2pm. Take a 4-mile hike with a Ranger to explore a bounty of wildflowers and discover why this unique environment provides critical habitat for endangered species. Meet at the Calero Park office, then carpool to the trailhead. Bring sturdy hiking shoes, sun protection, lunch and water. This is a guided hike in a closed area not normally open to the public; restrooms not available except at meeting location. (408) 268-3883.
  • Saturday, April 12. Wildflower Drawing Class • Santa Teresa • 10am-11:30am Increase your confidence in drawing and learn some skills to help you draw what you see during wildflower season. Materials are provided, but if you have a sketch pad and set of colored pencils or watercolors, bring them along. Instruction appropriate for ages 8-adult. Children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult. All skill levels welcome. Hat and sunscreen recommended. Rain cancels. Meet at the Fortini Trailhead. Note: There is no restroom at this location. Registration required online or by calling (408) 355-2240
  • Saturday, April 19. A Taste of Archery • Santa Teresa • 8:30am & 10:30am Join the Black Mountain Bowmen and learn how to shoot a compound or recurve bow, fletch arrows, and make a bow string. A mandatory safety class will be given prior to shooting a bow. Equipment provided by Predator’s Archery in Gilroy. Meet at the Santa Teresa Archery Range on Avenida Espana. Families welcome, ages 6-up. Two classes to choose from: 8:30-10am and 10:30-12pm. Register online or call (408) 355-2201
  • Saturday, April 19. Foothill Ramble, Calero/Rancho San Vicente, 9am-1:30pm. Take a moderate 5.5-mile loop hike with a park docent from valley floor to ridge-top to enjoy spring wildflowers in a variety of habitats. Meet at the Calero Park office off of McKean Rd. (south of reservoir), then carpool to the trailhead. This is a guided hike in an area not yet open for public access; group stays together; some steep sections; restrooms not available except at meeting location. Pack a lunch and dress in layers with sturdy shoes, hat, and water. Registration required online or by calling (408) 355-2240.
  • Saturday, April 26. Native Plant Discovery Walk • Calero/Rancho San Vicente • 9am-12pm Enjoy a leisurely 1.5-mile walk to discover the rich variety of native trees, shrubs, and plants that thrive in the Park’s serpentine grasslands and the roles ranching and water conservation have played in the parks history. Meet at the Calero Park office off McKean Rd. (south of reservoir), then carpool to the trailhead. This is a guided walk in an area not yet open for public access; group stays together. (408) 918-7771
  • Satuday, May 3. Introduction to Photography Coyote Lake-Harvey Bear Ranch, led by Ron Horii • 10am-1pm. Take a 3.7-mile photography hike on the spectacular Mummy Mountain trail. Learn outdoor photography techniques while enjoying breathtaking views. Meet at the Mendoza Ranch lot on Roop Rd. with a camera. Register online or call (408) 355-2201
  • Saturday, May 3. In the Park After Dark Campout • Santa Teresa • 6:30pm through 8am Sunday Join us for a great opportunity to enjoy the park under the night sky. Evening will include showings of Hunger Games I and II (PG-13). Meet at the Pueblo group area and bring all necessary camping supplies including tent, food, bedding, warm clothes and flashlight. No open fires allowed. For reservations call (408) 225-0225
  • Saturday, May 10. Wash Day and Old Time Games Santa Teresa Park’s Historic Bernal Ranch • 1pm-3pm Enjoy a fun-filled afternoon at the ranch. Experience what granny called her “weekly affliction” and play games from 100 years ago. The ranch is located at the corner of Camino Verde and Manila Dr. in San Jose. (408) 226-5453
  • Saturday, May 24. Nature Drawing Class • Santa Teresa • 10am-11:30am Hone your drawing skills while enjoying a pleasant morning at the park. We will focus on drawing plants, rocks, birds, and animals. Materials provided or bring your own. Appropriate for ages 8 to adult. Children must be accompanied by an adult. All skill levels welcome. Meet at the Pueblo Group Picnic Area. Register online or call (408) 355-2201
  • Saturday, June 14. Carnivorous Plant Night Santa Teresa Park’s Historic Bernal Ranch • 7:30pm-10pm Learn about fascinating meat-eating flora and take home a Venus fly trap, sundew or pitcher plant for your very own study! Afterward munch on popcorn while watching the man-eating-plant, sci-fi movie Day of the Triffids. For reservations call (408) 226-5453
  • Saturday, June 21. A Taste of Archery • Santa Teresa • 8:30am & 10:30am Join the Black Mountain Bowmen and learn how to shoot a compound or recurve bow, fletch arrows, and make a bow string. A mandatory safety class will be given prior to shooting a bow. Equipment provided by Predator’s Archery in Gilroy. Meet at the Santa Teresa Archery Range on Avenida Espana. Families welcome, ages 6-up. Two classes to choose from: 8:30-10am and 10:30-12pm. Register online or call (408) 355-2201
  • Saturday, July 19. In the Park After Dark Movie Night • Santa Teresa • 8:30pm-10pm Meet at the Corral parking lot to enjoy Thor: The Dark World (PG-13) under the stars with family and friends. Bring low chairs or blankets and a flashlight. This event is partially sponsored by the Santa Clara County Open Space Authority. Food available for purchase. (408) 225-0225
  • Saturday, August 2, In the Park After Dark Campout • Santa Teresa • 6:30pm through 8am Sunday Join us for a great opportunity to enjoy Santa Teresa Park under the night sky. Evening will include showings of a popular feature film. Meet at the Pueblo group area and bring all necessary camping supplies including tent, food, bedding, warm clothes and flashlight. No open fires allowed. For reservations call (408) 225-0225
  • Thursday, August 7. Healthy Trails Toddler Trek • Santa Teresa • 3pm-4:30pm Enjoy a 1.8-mile outing along the Joice/Norred Trails with your toddler. This trail has a short steep section (100 yards) to start. The remainder of the hike is flat and sunny. Jogger strollers recommended. Meet at the Bernal Ranch parking lot at the end of Camino Verde Dr. (408) 355-2240
  • Saturday, August 9. Wash Day and Old Time Games Santa Teresa Park’s Historic Bernal Ranch • 1pm-3pm Enjoy a fun-filled afternoon at the ranch. Experience what granny called her “weekly affliction” and play games from 100 years ago. The ranch is located at the corner of Camino Verde and Manila Dr. in San Jose. (408) 226-5453