On a late summer afternoon in Ojai, my friend Annie and I set out for a hike at Valley View Preserve, excited to enjoy the scenery before sunset. While pointing out new flora I have learned about while working at OVLC, we shared laughs along the trail. Then our hike took an unexpected twist when we encountered a mountain lion just ten feet away.

The decision to rename Fox Canyon Trail to John’s Fox Canyon Trail reflects the profound impact John Broesamle had on OVLC and the Ojai community. His involvement with the organization began in the 1990s, leading to an impactful seven-year tenure on the board from 1997 to 2005, which marked a period of transformation. John reshaped OVLC’s board structure, transitioning it from a larger assembly to a focused, productive team. His pivotal role in shaping OVLC into a business entity, guiding the Ojai Meadows restoration, and his hands-on involvement at Cluff Vista Park and Ventura River Preserve were instrumental to the organization’s success today.

Whispers of scales sliver through wildflower duff, like a knitting pin through soft alpaca wool. Weaving between woodlands, thickets of shrubs and across open grasslands, the California kingsnake embodies transformation and persistence.