A fire, a pandemic, a flood: combined, these three disasters started, and stalled, a nearly seven-year-long campaign to build three new bridges on OVLC’s preserves. As of July, that effort finally finished with the construction of the Broida Bridge at the Ojai Meadows Preserve (OMP)! These bridges didn’t just take time to be built, they also cost a combined total of around $800,000. But the time, cost, and energy that went into the three bridges were worth it because bridges offer connection in a multitude of ways.

Fiscal Year 2024 (July 2023 - June 2024) was a transformative year for the OVLC, marked by significant land acquisitions and program achievements. These milestones not only expanded our conservation footprint but also strengthened our commitment to preserving the unique natural beauty of the Ojai Valley. 

Upon arriving in late 2019 as the new Executive Director, several OVLC supporters exhorted me to focus on protecting more land in the Ojai Valley. At the time, I thought that seemed like obvious advice. After all, preserving, stewarding and restoring land and habitat is the core mission of any land trust.