To Our Ojai Community:

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we recover from the damage from the Thomas Fire on our trails. In the coming months trails will likely open and close depending on rain and changing trail conditions. Click here for current information and trail notifications »

Tag: restoration

OVLC ACQUIRES 9.55 ACRES IN SAN ANTONIO CREEK

By on June 2, 2023 in Featured, News with 2 Comments
OVLC ACQUIRES 9.55 ACRES IN SAN ANTONIO CREEK

Ojai Valley Land Conservancy (OVLC) announces the purchase of 9.55 acres of land in San Antonio Creek. The acquisition signifies a milestone in the ongoing efforts to protect and restore the Ventura River watershed and the natural landscapes of the Ojai Valley forever.

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National Trails Day: June 3, 2023

By on April 28, 2023 in Events with 2 Comments
National Trails Day: June 3, 2023

In celebration of American Hiking Society’s National Trails Day, OVLC is hosting a number of volunteer opportunities including good old trail maintenance, trail cleanup, and some trail restoration work too. Projects will run from 8:30 am – 12 pm and range from easily accessible and not physically demanding to requiring a nice hike in with some rigorous work.
This is the perfect opportunity to get out in nature with the people you love, give back to the trails that bring us together, and make sure no one is left out. Our National Trails Day volunteer projects are fit for all ages and skill levels. We encourage you to invite the whole family!

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OVLC NATIVE PLANT NURSERY INTERNSHIP

By on February 17, 2023 in Featured, News with 0 Comments
OVLC NATIVE PLANT NURSERY INTERNSHIP

OVLC in partnership with Green Valley Project are looking for Native Plant Nursery Interns! This is a wonderful learning experience for high school students in the valley. All are encouraged to apply!

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REWILD OJAI

By on December 19, 2022 in News, Newsletter with 0 Comments
REWILD OJAI

Climate change is fueling landscape-scale shifts in our wildlands— the breadth and scale of human impacts across the globe have fundamentally altered plant communities, damaged ecosystems, and fragmented habitats. Reversing these trends requires proactive efforts at all scales, including in the Ojai Valley. 

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Seek the Creek

By on December 6, 2022 in Events, Featured, News with 0 Comments
Seek the Creek

The Ojai Valley Land Conservancy is conducting a community visioning process for the future removal and restoration of the Matilija Dam. This is an exciting project that will return the critical waterway of Matilija Creek to its original flow, providing much needed public open space to our region.

Join us for a community meeting on February 22, 23 or 25, where we’ll discuss potential use of the land around the Matilija Dam, as well as opportunities to provide more immediate improved access to existing open space in our region.

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FAREWELL, ALE! ALESSANDRA LUCCHESI — OVLC NURSERY INTERN

By on December 1, 2022 in Featured, News, Newsletter with 0 Comments
FAREWELL, ALE! ALESSANDRA LUCCHESI — OVLC NURSERY INTERN

OVLC thanks Alessandra (aka Ale) for her many years of hard work in the nursery. She effervesces a love for her community and the land. There is a certain kind of lifestyle in nursery work, in which the rhythms of one’s life sync to that of nature. It is a lifestyle that requires patience, and a kind of passion that transcends the classic summer internship. Ale embodied this completely.

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RESTORATION / NOVEMBER 2022

By on November 29, 2022 in Featured, News, Newsletter with 0 Comments
RESTORATION / NOVEMBER 2022

In recognition of her critical role in the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy’s growth and success, Vivon Crawford has been named Restoration Program Director. We welcomed Vivon as Restoration Program Manager just over a year ago in August 2021. During her time as Restoration Program Manager, Vivon reignited our restoration programs, developed new initiatives, and oversaw staff growth. In just one year, Vivon has secured $1 million in grant funding for climate resilience. Funded projects include the removal of giant reed (Arundo donax) from the Ventura River Watershed, a continuation of oak woodland restoration at the Ojai Meadows Preserve and Ventura River Preserve, and upgrading our nursery to meet the growing needs for native plants in the Ojai Valley. 

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NURSERY UPGRADES

By on November 21, 2022 in Featured, News, Newsletter with 0 Comments
NURSERY UPGRADES

OVLC is expanding and upgrading its Native Plant Nursery at the Ojai Meadows Preserve. Built in 2007 to support restoration efforts at the Ojai Meadows Preserve, the nursery was originally intended to be temporary. However, over the past 15 years the number of OVLC restoration projects and community plant sales have increased. The need for native plants as a means to restore our local ecosystems in the face of climate change is greater now than ever before.

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SUMMER FUN FOR INTERNS!

By on November 18, 2022 in News, Newsletter with 0 Comments
SUMMER FUN FOR INTERNS!

This summer, OVLC had four interns from two different programs working in our Restoration Program alongside our Field Crew! Lauren and Ruby, our interns from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Watershed Stewards Program (an AmeriCorps program) are both early career biologists in the Santa Barbara/Ventura region. Eric and Rosemary were our interns from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Eric is a graduate student at the Bren School of Environmental Science and Rosemary is an undergraduate in geography as part of the Mantell Student Mentorship in Environmental JusticeOur rockstar interns spent the summer hiking on OVLC trails performing plant surveys, conducting field monitoring, processing native seeds, helping with our Rewild Ojai nursery expansion, and of course, weeding, watering, and mulching!

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Native Plant Month

By on October 31, 2022 in Events, Featured, News with 0 Comments
Native Plant Month

This November, OVLC is celebrating Native Plant Month to highlight the vital role native plants play in our local ecosystems and community. The Ojai Valley is currently experiencing landscape-scale shifts in our oak woodlands, chaparral, riparian, and agricultural lands. While climate change is a global issue, climate resilience requires a local strategy; and restoring ecosystem functions of native habitats will support the system’s ability to rebound from these extreme climate events.
Join us this month for any and all of the following events as we discuss the importance of native plants and how they benefit our local ecosystems and help strengthen our community’s resilience to climate change.

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GREEN VALLEY PROJECT — STUDENTS HELP WITH RESTORATION AT THE OJAI MEADOWS PRESERVE

By on March 22, 2022 in Featured, News, Newsletter with 0 Comments
GREEN VALLEY PROJECT — STUDENTS HELP WITH RESTORATION AT THE OJAI MEADOWS PRESERVE

Thanks to support from the Green Valley Project, OVLC has hosted several hands-on habitat restoration events at the Ojai Meadows Preserve with environmental science students from Nordhoff High School.

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FROM THE FIELD / FEBRUARY 2022

By on March 8, 2022 in Featured, News, Newsletter with 0 Comments
FROM THE FIELD / FEBRUARY 2022

Back in July 2021, the OVLC removed several non-native red gum trees (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) from the Ojai Meadows Preserves. We also removed a Peruvian pepper tree (Schinus molle), a Chinese pistache (Pistacia chinensis), and a Mexican fan palm (Washingtonia robusta). We made the difficult decision to remove these non-native trees as part of a larger effort to restore the preserve and help make our community more resilient in the long term.

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THE SEED COLLECTOR

By on November 11, 2021 in Featured, News, Newsletter with 0 Comments
THE SEED COLLECTOR

There are many lessons learned when the days are spent with plant and animal folk—a literacy of some ancient hum that this unseasoned human must learn. On the fall day before rain this early October—unbeknownst to me—the acorns were ready.

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WELCOME NEW STAFF MEMBERS / NOVEMBER 2021

By on November 9, 2021 in Featured, News, Newsletter with 0 Comments
WELCOME NEW STAFF MEMBERS / NOVEMBER 2021

Our OVLC family is growing! We’re excited to announce three new staff members: Vivon Crawford, Adam Morrison, and Lisa Nix.

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OAK RESTORATION AT THE OJAI MEADOWS PRESERVE

By on July 28, 2021 in News with 0 Comments
OAK RESTORATION AT THE OJAI MEADOWS PRESERVE

On June 20 and 21, OVLC hired The C.R.E.W. to remove 7 non-native trees at the Ojai Meadows Preserve as part of a greater conservation effort to restore oak woodlands and savannas in the Ojai Valley.

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RESTORATION / JULY 2021

By on July 20, 2021 in Featured, News, Newsletter with 0 Comments
RESTORATION / JULY 2021

OVLC Restoration Field Crew has recently gained a new member, Sophie McLean, to help out with field tasks and nursery management. She has a degree in Plant Biology and is excited to exchange her knowledge with OVLC Nursery Manager, Ron Singer.

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NURSERY INTERNS

By on July 16, 2021 in News, Newsletter with 0 Comments
NURSERY INTERNS

You may have noticed some new voices on our social media the last few weeks. Thanks in-part to a generous grant from the Rotary Club of Ojai, we have two interns from Nordhoff High School: Alessandra (Ally) Lucchesi and Corallyn Moss. They will be assisting OVLC Nursery Manager, Ron Singer, in growing and caring for the thousands of plants that the OVLC uses annually in restoration projects.

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Why Oak Trees?

By on May 12, 2021 in Featured, News with 0 Comments
Why Oak Trees?

Every year OVLC plants hundreds of oak trees. These oak trees help the Ojai Valley become resilient to a changing climate. The oaks we plant today start off small and fragile, but with time they will become majestic towering oaks that define Ojai’s landscapes. Restoring our lands back to oak woodlands has a myriad of benefits for our […]

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JOIN OUR ADOPTER PROGRAM

JOIN OUR ADOPTER PROGRAM

Wish you could volunteer on your own schedule? Now you can! We’re very excited to announce that with funding from the Ojai Women’s Fund we are starting our Volunteer Adopter Program. This will help us maintain our 27 miles of trails and our oak woodland restoration sites. Individuals will be able to take on responsibility for a section of trail on our various preserves (Trail Adopters) or several oak restoration circles on the Ventura River Preserve (Restoration Adopters). Join our new Adopter program!

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RESTORATION / MARCH 2021

By on March 19, 2021 in Featured, News, Newsletter with 0 Comments
RESTORATION / MARCH 2021

If you walk in the Ojai Meadows Preserve, you may have noticed burned areas scattered throughout the preserve. The Ventura County Fire Department believes that each of these fires was intentionally started, and is investigating further.

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More Than Just Your Pretty Views

By on March 12, 2021 in News with 0 Comments
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.

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THE GREEN VALLEY PROJECT

By on December 22, 2020 in News with 0 Comments
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.

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OVLC TRAIL MANAGEMENT

By on December 17, 2020 in News
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 […]

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From the Field

From the Field

It has been another busy season for the field crew! This three-person team installed a recording breaking number of plants this season. While the final count has yet to be tallied, the number is in the thousands. The primary focus for restoration this season was the 36-acre orange grove project on the Ventura River Preserve […]

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Thank you and we wish you the best, Natalie!

Thank you and we wish you the best, Natalie!

For the last two years, the OVLC has had the honor of counting Natalie Everton as a member of the field crew. While she will be leaving the OVLC to start her next adventure, she has certainly left her mark on the preserves. We will truly miss this wonderful woman, from her wealth of knowledge […]

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Restoration at Work

By on February 25, 2019 in Around Our Valley, Featured, News, Newsletter with 0 Comments
Restoration at Work

Some history of the Ojai Meadows Preserve At a quick glance, it is obvious that the Ojai Meadows Preserve is doing what it’s meant to—connecting people to the natural world. However, unless you remember the way Highway 33 used to flood during a rainstorm, you may not realize the important role the preserve plays in […]

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Restoration After the Thomas Fire

By on February 27, 2018 in News with 0 Comments
Restoration After the Thomas Fire

The native vegetation that covered the preserves before the Thomas Fire is adapted to fire—meaning many of the plants will grow back. We are already seeing shoots emerge from the base of laurel sumac, yucca, wild cucumber, and soap plant; oak trees that lost their leaves have already begun to leaf out and are now […]

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Ojai Meadows Restoration Tour

By on May 17, 2017 in Events, Ojai Meadows Preserve with 0 Comments
Ojai Meadows Restoration Tour

Ojai Meadows Restoration Tour
Ojai Meadows Preserve
Saturday, June 3 at 9 am

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San Antonio Creek Update

By on May 15, 2017 in Around Our Valley, News with 0 Comments
San Antonio Creek Update

Since the fall of 2016, the OVLC has been removing arundo from San Antonio Creek along Creek Road. Arundo, which is native to the Indian sub-continent and looks similar to bamboo, has infested watersheds throughout southern California, including the Ventura River Watershed. Arundo crowds out plants that are native to our creeks and consumes a lot of water—see below. It also creates a major fire threat, increases flood risks, and deprives habitat for wildlife.

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Matilija Dam Ecosystem Restoration Project

By on February 9, 2017 in Events, News with 0 Comments
Matilija Dam Ecosystem Restoration Project

Matilija Dam Ecosystem Restoration Project
Talk by Paul Jenkin
March 11, 10 am – 12 pm
OVLC Office

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A is for Acorn

By on September 22, 2015 in Notes from the Nursery Manager with 3 Comments
A is for Acorn

Believe it or not it’s acorn collecting time again Collecting as many as we can for restoration projects Drought has seriously hampered acorn production in California Exudation is the sticky substance you find on damaged acorns. Leave them be. Find an oak with grass underneath for a soft landing and better chance of survival. Green […]

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Why the oak circle?

By on July 1, 2015 in News with 0 Comments
Why the oak circle?

Why the oak circle? Anyone that has been out to see our oak plantings on the Ojai Meadows Preserve and the Ventura River Preserve may have noticed a familiar planting pattern; that circular zone  planted with oaks and shrubs.  We call them oak nodes, or oak circles. We’ve had a few questions on the theory […]

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OVLC Restoration Volunteer Highlights

OVLC Restoration Volunteer Highlights

The OVLC has been fortunate to have a number of locals volunteering at our preserves. A regular volunteer group at both the Ojai Meadows Preserve and the Ventura River Steelhead Preserve is Once Upon a Watershed. Once Upon a Watershed is an outdoor education program that provides hands-on watershed education, restoration, and stewardship to 4th, […]

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Cluff Vista Park Undergoes Maintenance

By on January 27, 2014 in News, Press with 0 Comments
Cluff Vista Park Undergoes Maintenance

Lately, Cluff Vista has been getting some love from both the City of Ojai and Ojai Valley Land Conservancy’s Restoration Field Crew. The park has been pruned, cleaned, planted, and mulched. Just before Christmas Ojai Valley Land Conservancy’s Field Crew planted native plants grown in their own Ojai Meadows Preserve nursery to fill in the […]

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Rice Creek Restoration Time Lapse

By on December 19, 2013 in News with 1 Comment

In October 2013, the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy, along with our team of engineers and contractors, freed Rice Creek from an artificially created diversion ditch and back into its historic native route. The project healed a severed hydrologic connection between Rice Creek and the Ventura River. The project re-wetted ¾ of a mile of historic […]

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Press Release: Rice Creek Flows Free

By on December 16, 2013 in News, Press with 0 Comments
Press Release: Rice Creek Flows Free

This winter, Rice Creek will flow along its native route for the first time in roughly 85 years. The seasonal tributary of the Ventura River is located on the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy’s Ventura River Preserve. Back in the 1920’s, the stream was diverted from its native route to make room for a 60-acre orange grove. […]

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Rice Creek Reroute in Ojai

Rice Creek Reroute in Ojai

Some of you may have noticed the changes afoot in and around the orange grove down at the Ventura River Preserve.  I’ve got the inside scoop from Restoration Stud Brian Stark: 1.  What were the origins of this project?  The idea really started with previous staff members like Stevie Adams, Rich Handley, and Executive Director […]

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Meadows Restoration Update

By on October 31, 2013 in News, Ojai Meadows Preserve, Press with 0 Comments
Meadows Restoration Update

Starting this week, if you look around the Ojai Meadows Preserve, you will see that a lot of activity is underway on the open fields. This work represents the final phase of the master restoration plan prepared for the site in 2004. The open fields are currently being managed for weed control and, ultimately, their new function […]

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Local Partnership Improves Stream Habitats in Ojai

By on September 4, 2013 in News, Press with 0 Comments

Usually, the sound of a chain saw coming from a local creek is cause for concern. Recently, however, this sound has been associated with habitat improvements for fish and wildlife. A partnership between the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy (OVLC), the California Conservation Corps (CCC), and the Concerned Resource and Environmental Workers (CREW) has just completed […]

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Ojai’s Meadow Lark

By on September 7, 2012 in News, Ojai Meadows Preserve with 0 Comments
Ojai’s Meadow Lark

A merry and jolly Friday to all.  Please check this weekend’s calendar if you haven’t succumbed to football induced malaise yet. Proud to have OVLC VIP Brian Stark ITH (In The House, I just made that one up).  In anticipation of Saturday’s birthday party for the Conservancy we are taking you on an insider’s tour of the […]

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Our Meadow

By on September 4, 2012 in News, Ojai Meadows Preserve with 0 Comments
Our Meadow

I recently came to the realization that after 100 posts in 7 months I’ve given a scant few sentences to the Ojai Meadow Preserve.  What can I say, I’m a Ventura River Preserve guy, with it’s miles of quiet sylvan trails and punishing ascents (and ankle deep piles of horse apples).  But in light of […]

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Passion Inspires Rice Creek Realignment

By on February 29, 2012 in News, Press with 0 Comments
Passion Inspires Rice Creek Realignment

On Saturday the Sespe Fly Fishers Club recognized Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard’s commitment to preservation of the environment and support for local conservation through direct action in the Ojai Valley. Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia, is committed to supporting local conservation efforts.  Couinard is also a fly fisherman and member of the Sespe Fly Fishers […]

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