On October 4, local T-Mobile employees came out to volunteer at OVLC’s Native Plant Nursery and on our restoration sites at the Ojai Meadows Preserve. Robert Lobato Jr., Market Manager, SMRA Sales at T-Mobile, not only organized the day of service, but also applied for a grant for $5,000 from T-Mobile’s Volun-T Grant Program to benefit OVLC. This was the first time any of us had seen a giant check, and we are still super excited about it! These funds will go toward much needed equipment and supplies for OVLC’s volunteer program. Thank you so much to Robert and T-Mobile for your hard work and generous donation!

Restoration has grown a lot lately—in the coming months, we are focused on engaging the community through Rewild Ojai, laying the foundation for watershed-wide Arundo donax eradication, and kicking off new restoration projects at the Ventura River Preserve and Steelhead Preserve. 

Fiscal year 2023 (July 2022-June 2023) can be best summarized as a year of growth and planning. Early in the year we completed our new five-year strategic plan, that can be found on our website. Refining the organization’s mission: To protect and restore the natural landscapes of the Ojai Valley, forever; and putting forward a new vision: To lead the Ojai Valley’s response to climate change. The strategic plan lays out the strategies and the role for the organization to help secure a more resilient future for our valley.