THE MORNING SEMINAR, PRESENTATION, AND LUNCH ARE SOLD OUT.
JOING US FOR THE AFTERNOON FESTIVITIES!
OVLC is partnering with the Agora Foundation for a one-day celebration of Aldo Leopold’s A Sand County Almanac. Join us at Oak Grove School on Saturday, February 1 for this inspiring event as we explore Leopold’s enduring legacy in conservation. Begin the day with a continental breakfast, followed by insightful presentations and a seminar exploring Leopold’s land ethic. Enjoy a vegetarian lunch, then immerse yourself in an afternoon film screening and a panel discussion on Leopold’s legacy and its relevance to Ojai’s conservation efforts. Presenters and panelists include Andy Gilman (AF), Jon Christensen (UCLA), Richard Knight (CSU), Roger Essick (OVLC), and Tom Maloney (OVLC).
Attend the entire event, just the lunch, or the film and panel discussion. As Leopold wrote, “Civilization has so cluttered this elemental man-earth relationship…that awareness of it is growing dim.” Let’s reconnect and honor the foundation that supports us all.
Reading:
A Sand County Almanac: And Sketches Here and There by Aldo Leopold
Oxford University Press; Illustrated edition (May 2020)
ISBN 978-0197500262
Schedule:
Morning Seminar and Presentation - A Sand County Almanac
Limited to 20 attendees
9:30-10:00AM - Continental breakfast in Oak Grove’s Main House
10:00-10:30AM - Introductory presentation - The Wisdom of the Sierra Madre: Apache, Leopold, and his Land Ethic - Richard Knight - CSU
10:30AM-12:00PM - Seminar Discussion lead by Andy Gilman and Richard Knight
12:00-1:00PM - Vegetarian Lunch provided.
Afternoon Events:
Limited to 120 attendees
1:00-2:30PM - Introduction and Film Presentation in Oak Grove’s Student Center
2:30-3:30PM - Panel Discussion on Aldo Leopold, the land ethic, and Ojai conservation.
Moderated by Jon Christensen - UCLA, Richard Knight - CSU, and Tom Maloney - OVLC
Costs:
Complete (Book, Continental Breakfast, Seminar, Lunch, Film, and Panel) - $75
Lunch only - $25
Afternoon Film and Panel only - $10
Location:
Oak Grove School
220 West Lomita
Ojai, California 93023
Meet the Speakers
ANDY GILMAN
Andy brings over 25 years of experience in strategic marketing, design, and event promotion. His expertise spans web and print design, social media, writing, photography, video production, animation, and crafting comprehensive marketing strategies. He has worked with diverse clients, including nonprofits, educational institutions, small businesses, and artistic organizations, with a focus on community engagement in Southern California.
His event management experience includes teacher trainings, fundraisers, festivals, concerts, and educational forums. Andy also supports organizations in enhancing their effectiveness, governance, and social impact. He is a founding member and former Board President of Ventura Charter School, Managing Director of The Agora Foundation, and collaborates with Oak Grove School, CASA of Ventura County, and The Ojai Chautauqua.
Andy holds a BFA in Design from CalArts and a Master’s in Liberal Arts from St. John’s College. In his free time, he enjoys music, hiking, reading, traveling, and cooking.
JON CHRISTENSEN
Jon Christensen is an adjunct assistant professor at UCLA's Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, Luskin Center for Innovation, and Center for Digital Humanities. He is a journalist-in-residence at the Institute, founder of the Laboratory for Environmental Narrative Strategies (LENS), editor of LENS Magazine, and a producer of the Earth Focus documentary series. He also advises Stamen Design, serves on the boards of the Liberty Hill Foundation and the Los Angeles River State Park Partners, and is on advisory councils for the Indigenous Law Center and the Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust.
Previously, Jon was executive director of Stanford’s Bill Lane Center for the American West and has been an environmental journalist for over 30 years. His work has appeared in The New York Times, Nature, High Country News, and more. A former Knight Journalism and Steinbeck Fellow, he holds a Ph.D. in environmental history and the history of science from Stanford.
RICK KNIGHT
Rick is a Professor Emeritus of wildlife conservation at CSU and is interested in the intersection of land use and land health in the American West. He is a five-time recipient of the students’ choice for Outstanding Faculty Member in the Warner College of Natural Resources at CSU, and he sits on a number of boards, including the Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust, the Science Board of the Malpai Borderlands Group, the Land Conservation Assistance Network, and Rocky Mountain Land Library.
ROGER ESSICK
An Ojai resident and avocado and citrus farmer for 46 years, Roger has enjoyed raising his family of two grown children and four grandchildren in the Ojai Valley. He lives in the east end of Ojai on a large avocado ranch with his wife Pat, a retired Topa Topa school teacher, who shares his love of the Ojai Valley. Roger has a long history with the OVLC after having served several times on the board since it was founded in 1987, including as a past-president. He looks forward to helping to preserve Ojai’s natural places for generations to come.
TOM MALONEY
Tom Maloney has been working in conservation for 25 years. During his career, Tom worked for numerous conservation organizations, including The Nature Conservancy, National Audubon Society, and the Tejon Ranch Conservancy. During his six years as the Executive Director of the Tejon Ranch Conservancy, he led the acquisition of over 100,000 acres of working lands conservation easements, wrote, negotiated and received a $15.7 million state grant for land acquisition, led the Accreditation process and raised over $2 million in private support for the conservancy.
Tom received his undergraduate degree in Economics from Boston University and his Masters of Science in Resources Management and Administration from Antioch University New England. When not working, Tom can be found out on the land. He is an ardent birder, hiker, and naturalist as well as an inept surfer. He is excited to get to know Ojai and plans to lead bird walks with longtime OVLC supporter Jesse Grantham.