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CREATURE FEATURE
Beep! Beep! You might know the greater roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus) from the classic Looney Tunes cartoon and how the character Road Runner always seems to run faster than Wile E. Coyote; but this isn’t the case in real life. In fact, coyotes can run up to 43 miles per hour, while the greater roadrunner clocks in at a top speed of 26 miles per hour.
VOLUNTEER PROFILE: STUART NIEBEL — OVLC DOCENT
Stuart Niebel has been an Ojai Valley Land Conservancy (OVLC) docent since 2012, and has led dozens of tours on our preserves, including guiding hundreds of local school children. We hope you will consider becoming a docent too. Don’t worry if you think you don’t have the knowledge base – Stuart has created extensive docent manuals for the Valley View Preserve, Ventura River Preserve, and Ojai Meadows Preserve! We are proud to highlight Stuart’s contributions to the OVLC, in an interview he had with Land Steward, Linda Wilkin.
NEW BENCHES AT THE VENTURA RIVER PRESERVE
If you have visited the Ventura River Preserve in the last couple months, you may have noticed some new and enticing places to sit. Specifically, some fine, hand-crafted redwood benches. We’re at long last replacing benches lost in the Thomas Fire and installing new memorial benches too.
TRAMPLE TRAILS: HELP US PROTECT THESE LANDS FOR YOU
There are more and more unsanctioned trample trails popping up all over OVLC preserves, and they are a problem. Some of these trails (like the trample trail pictured to the right) are clearly there because trail users just have to know what is around the bend. You are not a cat. Do not let curiosity overwhelm your faculties. In this regard, we want to assure you, OVLC is not hiding a secret oasis or Garden of Eden. If there is a beautiful spot or stellar vista, we already guide you there!
THE SEED COLLECTOR
There are many lessons learned when the days are spent with plant and animal folk—a literacy of some ancient hum that this unseasoned human must learn. On the fall day before rain this early October—unbeknownst to me—the acorns were ready.
WELCOME NEW STAFF MEMBERS
Our OVLC family is growing! We’re excited to announce three new staff members: Vivon Crawford, Adam Morrison, and Lisa Nix.
FROM THE DIRECTOR / NOVEMBER 2021
Local conservation organizations like OVLC struggle with how to address the global phenomenon of climate change. What can a small group do to ameliorate threats that affect the very things that we are trying to save but are governed by global scale factors? The discussion can focus on mitigation versus adaptation and resilience. Mitigation comes in the form of investing in forests and other natural systems that effectively store carbon for hundreds of years. Adaptation and resilience measures seek to protect and enhance the local ecosystems in response to anticipated changes. Sometimes, the best approach is both.
Fall Native Plant Sale 2021
This year’s Fall Native Plant Sale is being hosted in-person on October 30 from 9am to 12pm at our Ojai Meadows Preserve Native Plant Nursery. We will be selling some of our favorite drought tolerant plants and a variety of wildflower seeds collected from the preserves for you to grow at home in your garden. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to bring the beauty of the preserves to your yard!
OVLC VIRTUAL AUCTION
In support of our Mountainfilm on Tour events, we are hosting a virtual auction from September 17-27. The auction is open to the public (no Mountainfilm on Tour ticket purchase required) and featured items include a six-night stay at a 15th-century Tuscan hilltop house, a tour of the Jack and Laura Dangermond Preserve, a Fletcher Chouinard Designs surfboard, marketing from Fionna Hutton & Associates, local Airbnb’s, and a whole lot more.
RESTORATION / JULY 2021
OVLC Restoration Field Crew has recently gained a new member, Sophie McLean, to help out with field tasks and nursery management. She has a degree in Plant Biology and is excited to exchange her knowledge with OVLC Nursery Manager, Ron Singer.
Why Oak Trees?
Every year OVLC plants hundreds of oak trees. These oak trees help the Ojai Valley become resilient to a changing climate. The oaks we plant today start off small and fragile, but with time they will become majestic towering oaks that define Ojai’s landscapes. Restoring our lands back to oak woodlands has a myriad of benefits for our […]
JOIN OUR NEW ADOPTER PROGRAM!
Wish you could volunteer on your own schedule? Now you can! We’re very excited to announce that with funding from the Ojai Women’s Fund we are starting our Volunteer Adopter Program. This will help us maintain our 27 miles of trails and our oak woodland restoration sites. Individuals will be able to take on responsibility for a section of trail on our various preserves (Trail Adopters) or several oak restoration circles on the Ventura River Preserve (Restoration Adopters). Join our new Adopter program!
RESTORATION / MARCH 2021
If you walk in the Ojai Meadows Preserve, you may have noticed burned areas scattered throughout the preserve. The Ventura County Fire Department believes that each of these fires was intentionally started, and is investigating further.
Restoration / December ’20 OJAI MEADOWS PRESERVE SOUTH CHURCH FIELD
OVLC field crew has been hard at work controlling weeds. One area in particular that has changed dramatically in the last year is what the OVLC calls the South Church Field at the Ojai Meadows Preserve.
Stewardship / December ’20
In March, with the Allan Jacobs Bridge nearly complete, it was time to plan our next projects for our volunteer trail program. We decided to turn our attention to the three trails the OVLC adopts from the Los Padres National Forest: lower Gridley Trail, lower Pratt Trail, and Foothill Trail. With this goal in mind, […]
FROM THE DIRECTOR / December ’20
It has been said that the only constant is change, and like our society at large, 2020 has been a year of change at OVLC. In addition to the staff changes detailed on page 4 of this newsletter, the organization has a newly streamlined mission statement, a new July 1 fiscal year, and a new […]
Raffle Prizes Mountainfilm on Tour 2021
Thank you for coming to Mountainfilm!
Preorder Food & Save the date: Mountainfilm 2020 September 18-20.
Virtual Mountainfilm on Tour 2021
The in-person showings of Mountainfilm on Tour are all old out, but the tour is not over, folks! From October 1-3, the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy is teaming up with Mountainfilm on Tour to bring the original films of the annual festival in Telluride, Colorado to your streaming devices at home. It’s a film festival experience like you’ve never experienced before, and we can guarantee it will be cozy!
Mountainfilm on Tour: Film Program
The following film program will be shown on September 23, 25, 26 and virtually October 1-3 for OVLC’s Mountainfilm on Tour. The Under the Open Sky program is a different set of films being shown on September 24
OVLC Store
We’re proud to offer the highest quality, most unique merchandise on the market today. From our family to yours, we put lots of love and careful attention in each item. We hope you enjoy our work as much as we enjoy bringing it to you.
All purchases support OVLC’s mission to restore and protect the open spaces, wildlife habitat, watersheds and views of the Ojai Valley for current and future generations.
Rice Canyon Canal Bridge is complete, but we need your help to pay for it
The moment we’ve all been waiting for has finally come to fruition. The Rice Canyon Canal Bridge is officially complete! The Ojai Valley Land Conservancy, in partnership with the Casitas Municipal Water District and Bureau of Reclamation, has worked hard over the last two and a half years to ensure the Rice Canyon Canal Bridge, […]
Rattlesnake Avoidance Training for Dogs 2021
Snake season is all-year-round in Ojai! The Ojai Valley Land Conservancy is hosting a rattlesnake avoidance training clinic for dogs so you can take your dog outdoors with peace of mind.
Please Welcome Our New Executive Director!
The staff and Board of the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy (OVLC) are excited to introduce Tom Maloney as our new Executive Director. His background in Economics and Resources Management and Administration, along with 25 years of conservation experience, make him the ideal candidate to lead the OVLC. “We are fortunate that Tom will be joining […]
Mountainfilm on Tour 2019
Thank you for coming to Mountainfilm!
Save the date: Mountainfilm 2020 September 18 & 19.
Under the Open Sky 2021
Friday, September 20, 2019
Ventura River Steelhead Preserve
Tickets on sale now!
MOB SHOP MOVIE NIGHT 2019
MOB SHOP Movie Night
Saturday, August 31
Doors open at 7:00 pm, Films start at 7:30 pm
From the Director / June ’20
At the OVLC, we think about community, because quite candidly we couldn’t be here without the support of our generous community. OVLC preserves are the places where the community comes to rejuvenate, exercise, or simply reflect. While COVID-19 has altered how we gather, with physical distancing in place and community and volunteer events on hold, […]
Rattlesnake Avoidance Training for Dogs 2019
Rattlesnake Avoidance for Dogs
June 1 & 2, 8 am–4 pm
SOLD OUT!
Tania Parker Named Deputy Director of the OVLC
In recognition of her critical role in the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy’s growth and success, the OVLC has named Tania Parker as Deputy Director. Tania Parker has been with the OVLC for over 5 years, and in that time she’s made a sizable impact on our fundraising and community outreach programs, including doubling our membership […]
From the Field
It has been another busy season for the field crew! This three-person team installed a recording breaking number of plants this season. While the final count has yet to be tallied, the number is in the thousands. The primary focus for restoration this season was the 36-acre orange grove project on the Ventura River Preserve […]
We are your local land trust, and we want to hear from you!
Brendan Taylor, OVLC Stewardship Director, is in the process of creating a 5-year plan for the stewardship of the preserves. We recently sat down with him to learn more about this plan, and why feedback from the community is so important. Q: Why are you embarking on a 5-year plan for the preserves? A: A […]
Kathy’s Commitment
Kathy Bennett loves to look out her window at the mountains that the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy (OVLC) has protected forever. She is “paralyzed by the beauty of it all,” and has included the OVLC in her estate planning because “she wants to make sure that it is there for future generations.” While Kathy loves […]
Congratulations, Xena!
As the weather gets warmer, Xena wants to remind everyone that the ground can get very hot for paws. She recommends getting out on the trail early in the morning or in the evening, or investing in some shoes for your furry friends. Otherwise, you might end up carrying them on the trail. Photo: Xena […]
Thank you and we wish you the best, Natalie!
For the last two years, the OVLC has had the honor of counting Natalie Everton as a member of the field crew. While she will be leaving the OVLC to start her next adventure, she has certainly left her mark on the preserves. We will truly miss this wonderful woman, from her wealth of knowledge […]
Benefit Concert
Benefit Concert with Grammy Winning Artist: Peter Kater
Friday, May 17 at 7 pm
Private Address
Planting on the Preserves
A huge thank you to Ojai West and International Rotary for the donation of 100 5-gallon coast live oaks that are being planted at the Ventura River Preserve. The oak circle in the photo, and many others, were re-planted in December a year after burning in the Thomas Fire. In addition, 35 OVLC supporters grew […]
In Defense of the Trees
Invasive Beetle in Ojai What do beautiful communities, rich wildlife habitats, parks, bird nests, our global climate, and tire swings all have in common? They all depend on trees, a notable symbol representing a healthy environment. Much of the conservation and restoration work undertaken by the OVLC has revolved around the planting and protection of […]
Restoration at Work
Some history of the Ojai Meadows Preserve At a quick glance, it is obvious that the Ojai Meadows Preserve is doing what it’s meant to—connecting people to the natural world. However, unless you remember the way Highway 33 used to flood during a rainstorm, you may not realize the important role the preserve plays in […]
Thank You, Volunteers!
In the field, in the office, at events, and wherever else we need help—our amazing volunteers put in 4,214 hours last year! We are so grateful for every minute you take to help us conserve Ojai. You make it possible for us to do all that we do and we are excited for another year […]
Protecting What He Loved
Bequest from Peter Noone Peter Kinnoch Noone embodied the down-to-earth style of the outdoor industry and is credited with shaping the development of the outdoor retail store as a commercial force, customer refuge and the forefront for the protection of wilderness. He laid the foundation for his career by skiing, climbing and fly-fishing his way […]
The Importance of Native Gardens
In a drought-ridden state like California, it’s so important to do everything that we can to preserve water and take care of wildlife. There are many ways to do this, but one you may not think about is growing native plants in your own yard. This video from Wild Yards Project speaks to all the amazing […]
Property Donation Among Largest One-time Gifts to the OVLC
In August 2018, the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy received one of its largest gifts ever with a donation of property in the City of Ojai. The property, appraised at $515,000, is an undeveloped one-acre parcel in an Ojai neighborhood that was donated with the intention that it be sold to generate funds to support local […]
Fundraising Campaign with HELIO Solar Lights
Get a great solar light and support the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy! HELIO is an ultra-efficient 100% Solar Flashlight, Lantern, and Powerbank all-in-one. This handy tool is great for camping, hiking, emergencies, charging your gear, and much more. HELIO is a true off-the-grid solution for portable light and power. Makers4Good is a proud sponsor of […]
Fall Guided Bird and Nature Walk
Guided Bird and Native Plant Walk
October 27, 8:30–10:30 am
Ojai Meadows Preserve
New Stewardship Director
The Ojai Valley Land Conservancy is excited to announce the arrival of our new Stewardship Director, Brendan Taylor.
An idea for renewal
[a haiku]
The Great Burn surrounds.
A feral pause in the scorched.
Stillness in stirred ash.
Mountainfilm Festival 2018 was the Best Year Yet!
What a weekend! Our Friday event, Under the Open Sky was pure magic. Thank you to the 1,700+ people that came out to our Saturday event, Mountainfilm on Tour and made it such a success!
