New Signs on the Preserves
Burned Sign in the Thomas Fire
Volunteers Replacing Kiosk
When the Thomas Fire burned through the preserves, it cooked quite a few of our trail-junction signs and caused damage to some informational kiosks as well. The fiberglass on the trail signs warped, melted, and became a hazard to clean up. We have cleared most of the old, burned, and destroyed signage off of the preserves and have already begun to replace the signs with new metal ones.
Thankfully help has come our way for this sign replacement project. Grants from REI and the American Hiking Society’s National Trails Fund have helped purchase new posts and metal signs. While these signs cost quite a bit more than the old fiberglass signs, they are worth the investment because they are much more fire resistant. Of course, we haven’t just had financial help, we’ve had plenty of volunteers give us a hand as well. A local boy scout troop repaired one of the kiosks that was wrecked when a burned tree came down upon it. Meridian Design and Construction of Ventura donated lumber and skilled labor to help lead community volunteers in building the kiosk at Oso Trailhead. Currently, we are working with community volunteers to replace dozens of trail junction signs throughout the Ventura River and Valley View Preserves.
New Fire-Resistant Signs
All of these signs, from the trail-junction signs to the informational kiosks, help us manage our preserves. Our signs help you find your way on the trails and educate you about the landscape, wildlife and restoration efforts of each one of our amazing preserves. So while it may seem like a small project, replacing and upgrading our signs is vital to your experience and we’re incredibly grateful for all of the help we’ve received in our continuing recovery from the Thomas Fire.
