More Than Just Your Pretty Views

From almost anywhere in Ojai, you can look out at the undeveloped hillsides and know you are home. In addition to conserving Ojai’s scenic backdrop, the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy’s protection and restoration of land has a myriad of benefits that go beyond beauty. The diverse and rich habitats that thrive in these open spaces provide the following essential ecosystem services that increase our resilience to a changing climate.
CREATURE FEATURE

Have you been out on the trails and seen an unidentifiable flash of pink go by? It was likely a red coachwhip (Coluber flagellum piceus). These beautiful, fast snakes are one of the most cryptic snakes in Ojai.
THE GREEN VALLEY PROJECT

The Green Valley Project (GVP) is an environmental initiative led by The C.R.E.W. in partnership with Ojai Valley Land Conservancy, Once Upon a Watershed, Pax Environmental, and Watershed Progressive.The GVP plans to restore ecosystems in the Ojai Valley over the next 20 years, so they can provide habitat for abundant wildlife and improve Ojai’s resilience to drought, fire, and climate change. Principal funding comes from a generous multi-year grant from the Cotyledon Fund, a private donor-advised fund. The partners are also committed to raising support from community donors, and state and local grants.
OVLC TRAIL MANAGEMENT

The OVLC’s mission is to protect and restore the open space, wildlife habitat, watersheds, and views of the Ojai Valley for current and future generations. Due to a number of factors, many land trusts do not allow public access on their lands. One significant factor concerns the fact that recreational trails can impair habitat values […]
Construction of the Rice Canyon Canal Bridge: A Photographic Chronology

We have worked hard over the last two and a half years to ensure the Rice Canyon Canal Bridge, which crosses over the Robles Diversion Canal, would be reborn from the ashes once again after it burned in the Thomas Fire in 2017. However, unlike its last two predecessors that were constructed of wood, the […]
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.
Let’s Talk Trash

We’ve tried different tactics to mitigate the trash issue including closing trash bins at trailheads, removing the trash bins all together, and asking users to pack out their own trash. From comments we’ve seen online there seems to be a misconception of what it means to pack it in, pack it out. Learn about how you can do your part to keep the preserves clean.
River Closed, Trails Open

We need your help!
Overuse and misuse are threatening the lands we love. We are not here to point fingers, but to ask you to help us address these problems together:
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, […]
Mountainfilm on Tour 2022 Sponsors

Thank you to our sponsors. You help make this event bigger and better every year! Interested in being an event sponsor? Or donating to the virtual auction or raffle?Fill out the form below, or contact Adam Morrison at adam@ovlc.org or (805) 649-6852 x 208. Become a 2022 Mountainfilm Weekend Sponsor About Mountainfilm on Tour Eight […]
Mountainfilm ’19 Recap

We want to say thank you to our amazing OVLC community for joining us at the 5th annual Mountainfilm on Tour Ojai. We are so grateful to everyone who told a friend, showed up, volunteered, posted on social media, and helped make this year’s fundraiser so incredibly successful. We had 2,000 people in attendance this […]
Film Line Up

Under the Open Sky Friday, September 20 Broken Jon Wilson lost a leg to cancer at 23. He found joy some years later by developing a solitary routine of skinning and climbing up a ski mountain on his remaining leg, at night, and skiing back down. Wilson wrote and narrates this tone poem about perseverance […]
Brian Stark Has Left The Building

Brain Stark, Executive Director and employee of 9 years, leaves the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy.
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 […]
Comments on Pending Criminal Case
August 19, 2019: Many of you have already read the articles that were recently published in the Ojai Valley News and Ventura County Star which reported that the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy (OVLC) was a victim of theft. The Ventura County District Attorney has filed 14 counts of grand theft and forgery against our former […]
Welcome, Baby Juniper!

Please join us in congratulating Jill Lashly (OVLC Conservation Director) and her husband Evan on the birth of their beautiful daughter Juniper Jean Lashly. We are so excited to have a new member join the OVLC family. Here’s to the next generation of conservationists! Click here to make a gift in honor or in memory […]
Annual Fire Clearance

On May 20, the OVLC will begin routine fire clearance on parts of our preserves that border structures or roads. Thanks to a grant from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire), this work will be completed by the local Concerned Resources and Environmental Workers (the CREW) and an additional contractor. They […]
Arundo removal

For over a decade, multiple agencies and organizations have been working to remove the invasive plant, Arundo donax (Arundo), from waterways throughout the Ventura River Watershed and all through the state of California. Since this work began, over 150 acres of the plant have been removed in the Ventura River Watershed. This work continues in […]
Directions to the OVLC Office

The OVLC office is located at 370 Baldwin Rd, Bldg A4, Ojai, CA 93023 on the old Honor Farm After the main entrance, when you come in the gate, stay to the left and follow the signs for the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy. You will drive by the farm and the road will wrap around the old […]
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 […]
Allan Jacobs Trail Update

The progress continues on building the newest OVLC trail in the Ventura River Preserve. As of October, we’ve had 108 people, both volunteers and staff, working on the Allan Jacobs Trail. So far we have created 791 feet of trail! This averages out to about 1.94 feet of trail built per person per hour. Why […]
Farewell Marti!

Thank you to everyone that came out to celebrate Marti and her retirement! Photos by Stephen Adams. At the end of December, the OVLC will be bidding a fond farewell and happy retirement to our long-time office manager Marti Reid. Marti joined the OVLC in November 2009, as our part-time bookkeeper, and over time assumed […]