The Bay Area Open Space Council is a collaborative of member organizations actively involved in permanently protecting and stewarding important parks, trails and agricultural lands in the ten-county San Francisco Bay Area. Founded in 1990 by a group of land conservation practitioners, the Open Space Council provides a vision for the region, serves as a voice for land conservation, and is a central hub for its members and the community by providing information, tools, and connections.
The Open Space Council holds an annual conference - typically in May - where over 300 people gather to discuss current events and topics in land conservation.
One of the Open Space Council's projects is Transit and Trails which helps people Find Plan and Share outdoor adventures. In early 2010 a Transit and Trails mobile app was launched. On the longest Saturday of the year the Triple Threat bike challenge is held which consists of riding Mt Hamilton, Mt Tamalpais, and Mt Diablo in one day, using public transportation to get between the three peaks.
Another project of the Open Space Council is the Conservation Lands Network, a vision for the region's efforts to preserve biodiversity. Part of a five year science-based study by over 125 organizations and individuals, the project was tasked to identify the most essential lands needed to sustain the “natural infrastructure” of our region—a functioning web of life that gives us freshwater, wildlife, local food, fresh air and beautiful places. Over 4.3 million acres (17,000 km2) were studied and over 1,000 variables were considered – from redwood forests to California red legged frog habitats, from climate change to migratory routes. Along with the Subtidal Habitat Goals Project and the Baylands Ecosystem Goals Project this project is part of a science-based, regional approach to protecting the important biodiversity of the Bay Area.