The subject area of public engagement and partnerships includes:

1.  Engaging the public in the City’s Open Space Program and at its open space sites, and                                                       
2. Developing and fostering partnerships with other interested and involved parties to achieve
   the City’s Open Space Program goals.

Increasing the level of public engagement in the City’s Open Space Program and at the City’s open space sites themselves is an effective way to build community and increase understanding and awareness of the City’s unique open space areas and of the program in general.

Recent Accomplishments -- Public Engagement and Partnerships

 Completed an Open Space Survey

In the fall of 2021, the City asked the public for its views on various aspects of the Open Space Program, including the program’s acquisition strategy, its focus on habitat restoration and public access and its efforts to engage the public in the stewardship of the City’s open space areas. The City received 288 responses.  

In general, the survey results show general support for the current direction of the Open Space Program, and the action items in the Strategic Plan.  The survey also shows continued strong support for Measure O, the City’s special open space parcel tax.  However, the feedback also exposed a few areas that need improvement:  (1) very few people are familiar with the Open Space Program and what it does, (2) people still seem to be confused about what constitutes an open space area, and (3) very few people know that information about the Open Space Program exists on the City’s website.  Staff is working with the City's communications team and the Open Space and Habitat Commission to address these issues.

 Continued to build and expand partnerships

The City relies on a devoted group of volunteers to help maintain and enhance its open space areas. The City's Open Space Program has only one full-time land manager so the program must reach out to volunteers to get large maintenance and capital improvement projects done. For example, at the North Davis Upland Habitat Area, it took volunteers hundreds of hours to construct a new trail made of geocells that will be accessible to people with disabilities. Those volunteers were recruited and organized by the Friends of North Davis Ponds, the Putah Creek Council, Yolo County Resource Conservation District and Tree Davis. These volunteers attached thousands of plastic panels together, installed landscape fabric, and provided innovative ideas for solving problems and getting the project done.  This was hard, dusty and potentially knuckle-busting work pounding the panels together and dragging them around the site, but you'd never know it from all the smiling faces in the photo below!

To provide a steady and reliable stream of volunteers, the City has entered into formal agreements with several organizations to help recruit and organize volunteers for large maintenance and capital improvement projects at the City's open space areas. These organizations include Tree Davis, the Putah Creek Council, and the Yolo County Resource Conservation District.

Hosted open space interns

The City hosted one open space intern in 2022 from American River College, which offers an internship program for students to help them get work experience and earn units toward their degrees or certificates. The City's intern was interested in working in the field of open space lands management.  The intern helped City open space staff control invasive species, spread mulch, pick up garbage, fix fences, plant native species, clear trails, and generally maintain the City's open space areas. We are so appreciative of the intern's work, and look forward to hosting more interns next year.  

Established a working group with other City land managers

To better foster communication between City departments, the City established a working group comprised of land managers from open space, parks and public works. The group meets on a quarterly basis to share effective land management techniques, resolve conflicts and inefficiencies, and improve inter-departmental communication and cooperation. These meetings have led to better stewardship of land that is managed by multiple City departments, such as the Old Lincoln Highway, the Putah Creek Parkway and the North Davis Channel. 

Partnered with local residents

The City has partnered with groups of local residents to enhance habitat areas and develop better weed abatement strategies for the City’s open space areas.  For example, the Friends of North Davis Ponds now recruits and organizes a dedicated group of regular volunteers to weed, spread mulch, plant replacement plants, fix irrigation problems, and do whatever is needed at the City's biggest habitat restoration site, the North Davis Upland Habitat Area. The City has also partnered with the Friends of North Davis Channel to maintain and enhance the habitat restoration project that was recently completed along the banks of the North Davis Channel.  The channel's primary purpose is to convey stormwater through Davis and out to the Willow Slough Bypass.  However, between 2013-2017 the channel underwent a major habitat restoration with the help of a state grant. Although the channel is not technically one of the City's open space areas, open space staff helps the City's Public Works Department maintain the new habitat along the channel banks.  In 2021, the City entered into a formal agreement with the Friends of North Davis Channel to allow volunteers to help manage and maintain the native plantings along a large section of the channel.