OPEN SPACES
The newsletter of the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Roger Essick President
Don Reed Vice President
Sandy Buechley Treasurer
Bret Bradigan Secretary
Bill Brothers
Fiona Hutton
Phil Moncharsh
Tonya Peralta
Larry Rose
Lu Setnicka
Sarah Sheshunoff
Cari Shore
STAFF
Tom Maloney Executive Director
Tania Parker Deputy Director
Brendan Taylor Director of Field Programs
Dan Pizano Operations Director
Vivon Crawford Restoration Program Director
Xena Grossman Development Manager
Nathan Wickstrum Communications & Outreach Manager
Adam Morrsion Volunteer & Events Coordinator
Christine Gau Land Protection Specialist
Linda Wilkin Land Steward
Sophie McLean Native Plant Specialist
Jonathan LaPearl Restoration Crew Supervisor
Sarah Comyns Restoration Field Crew
Rhett Walker Restoration Field Crew
Wyatt McLean Nursery Assistant
Mission: OVLC protects and restores the open space, wildlife habitat, watersheds, and views of the Ojai Valley for current and future generations.
STAY CONNECTED WITH THE OVLC: OVLC.ORG
FIND US ON FACEBOOK & INSTAGRAM
Cover photo by Julio Martinez Fernandez
Just by including the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy in your estate plans, you can help protect the beauty of Ojai for generations to come. A bequest is a simple way to support the OVLC in the future while retaining control of your assets during your lifetime. By making the OVLC a beneficiary of your will, trust, retirement plan, life insurance policy, or financial accounts, you ensure your values will be passed on after you.
The real beneficiary, of course, is Ojai.
FROM THE DIRECTOR
“Despite its immensity, the Earth’s resources are not infinite, and it’s clear we’ve exceeded its limits. But it’s also resilient. We can save our planet if we commit to it.”
Yvon Chouinard
Having spent my professional career in conservation nonprofits, I was deeply moved and encouraged by the Chouinard family’s recent decision to dedicate nearly all of their wealth from Patagonia to conservation and climate advocacy. The stunning news broke in September that the family was giving their company shares to two separate entities: the Patagonia Purpose Trust and the Holdfast Collective. Together, this represents a truly unprecedented commitment to the company’s mission of being in “business to save our home planet.”
The visionary nature of the Chouinard’s dedication to combat climate change and protect undeveloped land around the globe aligns perfectly with OVLC’s strategic vision. OVLC sees protecting open space, the Ojai Valley’s natural capital, as a no regrets strategy to adapt to our changing climate. OVLC aspires to lead our community in investing in land protection and restoration as nature-based solutions to foster a more resilient community and combat climate change.
What the Chouinard family has decided to fund on a global scale, OVLC donors are already supporting at the local level in our
community. It is notable that Patagonia is an influential advocate for the restoration of Matilija Canyon (by removing the dam!) and the family consistently supports protection of the Ventura River and its tributaries. Ventura County has the dubious distinction of being the fastest warming county in the US. This sobering statistic reveals the importance of redoubling our efforts to protect and restore the lands and waters that make the Ojai Valley a special place.
Few of us have the opportunity to display the Chouinard’s level of transformative philanthropy, but if you are reading this it is likely that you are already doing your part. Thank you! For me, their example has inspired reflection about how I am working to “save our home planet.”
Tom Maloney, Executive Director
SPECIAL ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
IN MEMORY OF
Alyce Gregory from Avery Gregory
Jennifer Ridgeway from Gary & Theresa Bulla-Richards
Maddy from The Peaceful Pup
Mary Lou Larramendy from Jean Robinson
Steve Kraus
In honor of Dad. Who loved the Topatopa Mountains so very much.
from Deb Kraus
IN HONOR OF
Alice Marvin from Sanders Marvin
Anna Getty from Amelia Rose Simpson
Daren Magee aka Real Fun, Wow! from BANDITS Bandanas
Dottie Loebl
Happy Birthday from Greg and Barb Rosston
Jon Corpus
Happy Birthday from Nathaniel Lind & George Chase
Kathy Broesamle
Happy Birthday from Anonymous
Khaled Fouad
Happy Birthday from Bruce Mason, Lale Welsh & Jon Drucker, Lesley Laine
Lisa Cobb
Happy Birthday from Jeremy Cobb, Lisa Cobb, Dixie Evans, & Kimberly Palm-Enzensperger
Lou Ann Schlichter
Happy Happy Birthday from David and Claudia
Michelle Palza
She loved nature! from David & Rebecca Wilson
Rick Led
Happy Birthday from Rick Led, Betti Wien Skrederstu Mentzer, Kara Hooper, Pattie Happach, Brian Mcdaniel
Trish Whalen from Mike Whalen
A cknowledgments: 5/31/22-10/16/22
NEWEST 100 HOUR MILESTONE VOLUNTEER
Jon Hill
**Volunteer hours since 10/1/2018
Lalé Welsh & Jon Drucker in honor of your wedding and your commitment to supporting land conservation in the Ojai Valley.
Alan Kornfeld, Aya Kudrow, Bert Herrera, David Kamm, Elaine Parker, Gali Hagel, Howard Dubin, James Davis, Jennifer Krieger, Jennifer Wilk, John Chisholm, John Hagel, Karen
Grey, Laurie Berger, Lori Gunnell, Marc Drucker, Miriam Reaves, Nancy Maxson, Nozhan Bassir, Ole B. Konig, Penny Drucker, Rachel Edwards, Richard Bryson, Rita M Herscovici, Rob Eshman,
Robert Torczyner, Sepideh Tabibian, Shahram Monem, Soheila Kolahi, Stephanie Hubbard, Svetlana & Daniel Lucas, Teri Gunnell, Wendy & Chaim Avraham, Xena Grossman
Mazel Tov!
STEWARDSHIP
Well-versed volunteers have been invaluable at Valley View Preserve over the past few months. A substantial amount of work has been underway on the network of trails at the preserve, and all of this incredible work has been made possible thanks to our Volunteer Crew Leaders. Earlier this year, Volunteer Crew Leaders led our trail reroutes on Luci’s Trail, and are spearheading projects on Foothill Trail.
Problems with Luci’s Trail first arose when the Thomas Fire stripped the hillside surrounding the trail of native vegetation. Then the onset of the Covid pandemic led to an exponential increase in preserve usage, which had a significant impact on the trail. As a result of these two crises, Luci’s Trail was rutted by weather and trail users expanded the trail by cutting the switchbacks. Trail repairs on Luci’s have been a long time coming, but more emergent issues took priority. However, there was a silver lining to delaying the repairs on Luci’s Trail because it gave OVLC time to develop a group of solid volunteer leaders. Currently, we have four active Volunteer Crew Leaders: Dave Fleischmann, Mark Silbernagel, Emma Nathan, and Anthony Avildsen. While Dave has led volunteer trail projects elsewhere on Valley View Preserve, it was Emma, Anthony, and Mark who helped us on Luci’s Trail by leading 8 out of the 10 work trips we conducted.
With Volunteer Crew Leaders leading many of these work trips, our staff was freed up to plan future projects. This included planning and implementing a reroute on the portion of Foothill Trail within Valley View Preserve that passes through a drainage area. A year ago, any rain event would make this section of Foothill Trail (near the intersection of Fox Canyon Trail), so muddy that trail users would have to walk through water and muck. As a short-term fix, we installed a plastic sandbag turnpike. Unfortunately, we had to use plastic sandbags due to a lack of local rock. Left alone, these sandbags will degrade and spread microplastic, all without having addressed the root of the problem – its problematic location. To solve this problem, we are moving the trail away from the drainage and onto the dry hillside. Once this trail reroute is completed, volunteers will then remove and repurpose the plastic sandbags (before they degrade). Having volunteers lead in the field also allowed staff to focus time and energy on securing additional grant funding from Athletic Brewing Company’s Two for the Trails Program to support this work. Thanks to this grant, we will be able to purchase new tools for the trail crews and other volunteer supplies that we need.
Photos courtesy of Volunter Crew Leader, Anthony Avildsen
Volunteers assess the muddy section of Foothill Trail after a rain
It’s not just our local community volunteers that have helped with Valley View Trail projects. We also had several interns, including two interns from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife Watershed Stewardship Corps Program, help plan the restoration of the old trail tread. Equally important to any new trail work is the rehabilitation of the old trail and surrounding land. After all, trails users don’t want to look out on trampled terrain and restoration is integral to our mission. Therefore, as a final stage of the work done on Luci’s and Foothill Trail, we will go back and plant native plants in the old routes and shortcuts. With guidance from OVLC’s restoration team, our interns designed a specific plant palette that will be hardy enough to grow on the steep, sundrenched hillsides of Valley View Preserve. This will return the landscape to a beautiful biodiverse vista of native vegetation that stabilizes the hillside and sustains the integrity of the trail.
The return of a healthy native plant ecosystem, accessible via newly repaired and sustainable trails, is all a product of our increasingly experienced volunteer community. Our Volunteer Adopters will then take on the role of managing the trails and identifying restoration areas to help us sustain the impressive work of volunteers well into the future.
Brendan Taylor, Director of Field Programs
JOIN OUR ADOPTER PROGRAM
RESTORATION
Vivon Crawford promoted to Restoration Program Director!
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.
One of Vivon’s most admirable qualities is her devotion to her team and her desire to provide better opportunities for aspiring youth and early career workers in the environmental field. Vivon has increased our restoration staff’s capacity by placing an emphasis on implementing science. Utilizing a mix of her Master’s of Environmental Science and Management from the UCSB Bren School and the expereince she gained from working in Argentina with the Wildlife Conservation Society to develop a drone-based wildlife monitoring pilot program, Vivon has pushed her staff to get GIS training and use science-driven methods to expand their skill sets and improve our restoration efforts. This includes flying drones to map restoration sites!
interns are early-career biologists with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife Watershed Stewardship Program, and the other two students are Mantell Fellows from UC Santa Barbara, Vivon’s alma mater! Vivon also serves as a Board of Director for the Upper Ventura River Ground Water Agency. We are incredibly proud of Vivon for the impact she’s making at OVLC and in our community.
Looking ahead, there is a mountain of giant reed to conquer in Vivon’s future, but we have no doubt she’ll summit that peak at full-throttle.
UPPER VENTURA ARUNDO ERADICATION PROJECT
The Ojai Valley Land Conservancy recently received a grant from the California Department of Forestry and Fire (Cal Fire) for $777,414 to complete the eradication of invasive Arundo (Arundo donax) from the Upper Ventura River Watershed. Over the next four years, funds will be used to obtain all necessary permits to eradicate the 69 acres of Arundo remaining in the upper watershed and remove 14.3 acres of Arundo from the County’s Foster Park.
The Upper Ventura Arundo Eradication Project is a collaborative effort between OVLC, the Ventura County Resource Conservation District (RCD), and Pax Environmental, Inc.
OVLC will work with RCD and Pax to obtain programmatic permits and environmental reviews to expedite eradication. Arundo removal has multiple benefits that are important in the Ventura River Watershed—a priority watershed for Steelhead recovery where the high-profile removal of Matilija Dam is planned. In support of this watershed-scale effort, California Department of Fish and Wildlife has agreed to take an advisory role in guiding partners through the streamlined permitting pathways available for restoration projects through California Natural Resources Agency’s Cutting the Green Tape Initiative.
Vivon also hosted four interns at OVLC this summer. Two of the
Vivon gets photo-bombed by a striated caracara (Phalcoboenus australis) in Argentina
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.
While OVLC has done extensive work restoring native habitats across its preserves and in riparian areas, we realize that the benefits are limited if we cannot enhance habitat on private lands to build connectivity. It is this understanding that has driven OVLC to pursue its recent initiative to Rewild Ojai. Rewild Ojai is OVLC’s new program to increase the quantity and diversity of native plants grown in our nursery to sell to the community, initiate a seed conservation program (all plants grown in OVLC’s nursery come from seeds and cuttings collected sustainably from the Ojai Valley to protect and propagate local genotypes), and empower all landowners across the mosaic of land use types to take action to Rewild Ojai.
REWILD YOUR YARD
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 extreme climate events. Native plants are central to creating climate resilience. They help to restore soil function, compete against invasive species, save water, and provide habitat and resources for biodiversity.
Rewilding your yard is not just about restoring habitat; it is also about creating connectivity—reconnecting nature to the community. In joining the effort to plant as many native plants as we can in our yards, you are also contributing to the watershed-scale efforts to conserve native seeds, increase access to native plants, and reconnect fragmented habitats. By Rewilding your yard you will not only contribute to climate resilience, but also become a champion of community resilience.
REWILD LEADERS
As part of Rewild Ojai, OVLC has increased our dedication to our Native Plant Nursery creating two new positions; Native Plant Specialist and Nursery Assistant.
If you’ve been involved with OVLC over the past year, you’ve probably interacted with our new Native Plant Specialist, Sophie McLean. Sophie has been working with volunteers, sharing her knowledge about plant identification, planting oak circles with
Above: Sophie McLean tends to plants at the nursery
Below: Sophie and her brother Wyatt smile for a photo-op during an interview with Patagonia
Photos courtesy of Julio Martinez Fernandez
students at the Ojai Meadows Preserve, selling plants to community members at our plant sales, and helping at events like Mountainfilm on Tour. Her beautiful prose about manzanita and ceanothus have appeared in previous newsletters. If you don’t know her, know this—Sophie brings passion, dedication, and experience to her new role as Native Plant Specialist.
Wyatt McLean, Sophie’s brother, joins the OVLC as our Nursery Assistant. A long-time outdoor enthusiast, his interest in restoration was sparked when living on his boat amidst the Channel Islands off the coast of California. After this adventure he decided to change career paths to pursue his passion for native ecosystems. He now splits his time working both for Channel Islands Restoration and the OVLC.
With these new roles, OVLC is expanding native seed conservation, diversifying plants grown in our nursery, and increasing our leadership role in native plant propagation. When you join us in our effort to Rewild Ojai, together we will secure a resilient future for our valley.
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 Justice.
Our 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!
Native Plant Month
This November, OVLC is celebrating Native Plant Month to highlight the vital role native plants play in our local ecosystems and our 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 at a Native Plant Month event highlighting the importance of native plants and how they benefit our local ecosystems and help strengthen our community’s resilience to climate change.
WREATH MAKING
Thursday, November 17
Celebrate the season with OVLC at our first ever native plant wreath making event—led by local floral and event designer Lynn Malone and OVLC’s very own Native Plant Specialist Sophie McLean. This is a great opportunity to learn more about local native flora and sustainable harvesting while creating a beautiful arrangement just in time for the holidays. Space is limited.
RESTORATION TOUR
Saturday, November 19
OVLC’s Restoration Program Director Vivon Crawford and Native Plant Specialist Sophie McLean will lead us on a tour of our largest preserve and highlight the extensive restoration work at the Ventura River Preserve. This gentle 2-mile walk will take us through the Oranges to Oaks restoration area and cover the past, present, and future restoration efforts.
COMMUNITY RESTORATION DAY
Tuesday, November 22
Bring out the entire family and join the OVLC for a Community Restoration Day. OVLC’s Restoration Team will talk about the history of the Ojai Meadows Preserve and the importance of oak habitat restoration, and provide tips on how to help restore native ecosystems at home. Then, we’ll roll up our sleeves and get a little dirty as we gather and plant acorns. Families with young children are encouraged to attend.
NATIVE FLORA HIKE
Wednesday, November 30
Celebrate Native Plant Month with a Native Flora Hike led by OVLC’s Sophie McLean. This moderate to strenuous 5-mile hike will take you deep into the Ventura River Preserve as you search out native plants of the Ojai Valley. Hikers will visit several different plant habitats including riparian, chaparral and oak woodland and learn about native plant identification.
Fall Native Plant Sale
December 3, 2022
9 am – 12 pm
Ojai Meadows Preserve Native Plant Nursery
Inspired by Native Plant Month? Come to our Fall Native Plant Sale and buy plants for your yard!
We will be selling some of our favorite drought-tolerant plants and a variety of wildflower seeds for you to grow at home in your garden. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to bring the beauty of the preserves to your yard. By joining our Rewild Ojai effort you are helping increase biodiversity and strengthening our community’s resilience to climate change. We look forwarding to seeing you at the sale!
For directions to Ojai Meadows Preserve Native Plant Nursery, visit ovlc.org/fallplantsale2022 KNOW YOUR
MONARCHS & MILKWEED
• Monarch butterflies were recently added to IUCN Red List as endangered
• OVLC endorses native species because they provide the right food at the right time of the year to our native birds, bugs, and butterflies!
• Narrowleaf milkweed ( Asclepias fascicularis) is native to the Ojai Valley. We enoucrage you to plant this amazing native species in your yard for the sake of our local ecosystem and the environment.
• Tropical milkweed is banned in Ventura County
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. When Ale began working at OVLC, she would ride her bike in the summer heat to the Ojai Meadows Preserve just to get her hands in the soil. She has always shown dedication to the care of plants, coming in to water any day of the week, leading her peers in oak plantings, and methodically studying the Latin names of our native plants (some days it sounded like we were casting Harry Potter spells in the nursery). It has been a wonderful experience to see someone youthful be certain that native plants are worth the hard work, study, and patience.
Alessandra, thank you for your dedication to native plant propagation and for being a leader to your fellow interns. We are excited to see you flourish and someday pass the torch along to the next generation of botanists.
Sophie McLean, Native Plant Specialist
“I was introduced to the Nursery Intern position early in my sophomore year at Nordhoff High School. I remember the first day on the job so clearly; it was the feeling of excitement and eagerness to know the ins and outs of native plant restoration. Two and a half years later, I still step into the nursery with the same feeling, but now, with more experience and the desire to pursue conservation and native plant restoration as a profession. Over the past few years of interning with OVLC, I have gained personal growth through furthering my passion of sustaining ecosystems. I have learned to be efficient in a workspace, and I have formed lifelong friendships all while working to improve the Ojai community through native plant restoration. The Ojai Valley Land Conservancy has helped shape me into the person I am today. I am beyond grateful to be involved in OVLC’s mission of bettering our native ecosystems and protecting and restoring land for the community. As I start my college journey at UC Berkeley this fall, I believe my ecological perspective, experience in conserving ecosystems, practical tenacity, and absolute love for sustaining the environment will be vital for all of my future endeavors.”
– Alessandra Lucchesi
NURSERY UPGRADES
As part of Rewild Ojai, 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.
Late summer, the foreboding heatwave loomed over the horizon. Sweat nervously beaded on the brow of us nursery folk, caring for the tender green youth. We acted swiftly; volunteers and field crew building a shade structure in the nick of time. When the dappled light filled the nursery, and plants rested on tables beneath, it was a tangible breath of relief from us and the plants.
The stress of transpiration and high temperatures threaten their growth rates, but with just the right amount of shade and water, it settles them into the sweet zone. Ever since the shade structure, we have been counting the nodes like the ticks of a clock. A clock that reads the time of summer plenty, in which roots fill pots and green arms spread.
The nursery has been a foundation for supplying our preserves with restoration stock for over a decade. Thank you to Ron Singer, the previous Nursery Manager, who built the nursery program to supply our sites and community with thousands of plants. He taught interns, collected seed, and grew every plant. We are grateful for Ron’s contributions to OVLC for all those years.
These past few years, there has been a lot of change and growth. Professionalizing the nursery has been instituted for the mission of native plants. There are libraries beyond humans, and histories written without words. I believe that these languages are within the soil and the seed. It is a goal to transcribe these living stories across OVLC preserves, through methodical planting of what we have studied to belong. Our new initiative, Rewild Ojai hopes to connect deeper to habitat and trail restoration, using science and good stewardship as a waypoint.
We are trudging along now, transplanting on the shoulder of summer relief. We have hired a new Nursery Assistant, Wyatt McLean, and are continuing the student internship program with The Green Valley Project. The nursery is expanding not just in infrastructure, but in new opportunities for learning, professional development, and capacity. Soon enough, the nursery will be a community gathering place, central to our shared landscape.
Sophie McLean, Native Plant Specialist
2022 FISCAL YEAR ANNUAL REPORT
Fiscal year 2022 (July 2021-June 2022) proved to be an eventful year for OVLC that can best be summarized as building our resilience at an organizational and community level. Thanks to our generous supporters, OVLC has been able to grow our programs and conservation aspirations for the Ojai Valley. The fading of the Covid pandemic has provided opportunities to start getting together again. We see the few events of last year as being prologue to a much more active schedule moving ahead.
OVLC completed an acquisition this year in partnership with the Trust for Public Land (TPL). TPL needed a partner to own and manage a 28-acre parcel on the Ventura River south of Foster Park. OVLC took ownership and raised a stewardship endowment for what is now the Ventura River Parkway Preserve. This preserve is in need of major restoration of the floodway and removal of invasive plants before it can be opened to the public. TPL has committed to helping OVLC raise the funding to implement these projects and fulfill the vision of a new access point to the Ventura River.
OVLC significantly enhanced our staffing this year as well. We have five new positions and some outstanding hires to replace staff who moved on to other opportunities. Thanks to the generosity of two family foundations, OVLC added the position of Land Protection Specialist. In the spirit of building community,
we also added the position of Volunteer and Events Coordinator. Due in part to the tremendous use of OVLC lands, we also added a seasonal part-time position of Stewardship Assistant and our crew of dedicated trail volunteers has never been stronger or more dedicated! Lastly, to launch our Rewild Ojai program, we added the positions of Native Plant Specialist and part-time Nursery Assistant. We could not be happier with our outstanding team!
This increase in internal capacity has been met with an increase in funding from the state. In particular, OVLC received a major grant from Cal Fire to plan for the comprehensive eradication of giant reed ( Arundo donax) from the watershed. Also, the two state land protection funding agencies have benefited from California budget surpluses during the pandemic. This positions OVLC favorably for the upcoming land acquisitions we have been working toward…stay tuned!
We are currently closing the first quarter of fiscal year 2023 and we can feel the momentum from the capacity built over the past year. OVLC is well positioned to become a leader of climate resilience in the valley, helping to strengthen and prepare our community for the future. We invite you to learn more and get involved by joining some of our many upcoming events. Together, we can create a brighter future.
THANK YOU
TO OUR FISCAL YEAR^ 2022 DONORS
^ FY 2022: July 1, 2021 – June 30, 2022
* Deceased
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WESTERN FENCE LIZARD
The western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis) is one of the most common lizards found throughout the entire range of the western United States. You’ve probably spotted this species at an OVLC preserve, running across the trail or sunbathing on a rock. Often overlooked due to its prevalence in the valley, we might assume that the western fence lizard lacks unique qualities that make it special. However, the western fence lizard possesses a remarkable characteristic that is truly a gift to humankind. The western fence lizard has the ability to eat the most venomous spider in North America, the black widow (Latrodectus mactans), and it can also rid ticks of Lyme disease. The next time you encounter this species at the preserve, take the time to stop and appreciate it for the benefits it provides us. Oh, and if you see one hosting a tick, don’t worry! It’s just sanitizing that tick of Lyme disease.
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IT’S UNBE LEAF ABLE!
Step lightly. It is innate to tromp. Feet meant to stomp. Can I challenge you, on the trails, to step lightly? The lightness is not in the weight of the feet, but how feet connect to eyes. Step lightly because on the ground beneath are relatives.
Ojai navarretia (Navarretia ojaiensis) is a rare endemic plant to this region. She likes the borders of chaparral and grasslands in clay soils. She expresses along the edges of trails as chaparral breaks to small openings. Like an array of annual wildflowers, they have the one chance at life, when conditions awaken them from soil. I often see plants like her, so rare and special to see, right at the cusp of our feet. It is important; the biodiversity of our region supports life.
I encourage you to ponder this for a moment. Let the moment pass through fall heat, then fall fog. Let it soak in when rain comes. Then let the pondering stop when green visits again. Step lightly…
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Chris Hacker & Will Thomas
Chris Miller
Christine Bednar
Claudia Wunderlich
Connie Eaton & William Hart
Cynthia & Byron Grant
Dan & Vicki Breen
Daniel T FoundationAlvy Deposits
Diederik van Hoogstraten & Kelly Merryman
Dmitri Siegel & Woodwyn Koons
Donna & Ted Miller
Doug & VernandLiz
Doug Campbell
Elizabeth Blatz
Evander Schley
Firestick Pottery
Fred & Dana Fleet
Fred Kramer
Gay & HendricksKathlyn
Gene Wise & Fiona Hutton
George E. Berg & Gail Topping
Gerben & Jill Hoeksma
Graham Beck
Greg & GrinnellMechas
Herb & Amber
Courtney Herring Law Group
Huora L. Williams
Jacqueline Dammers
Jerry Maryniuk & Diane Bertoy
Jes MaHarry & Patrick Henderson
Jim & CampbellBecky
Jim & Kris Finch
Joan Kemper
John & BroesamleKathy
Judith & Donald Diaz
Judy Meleliat & Reilly Jensen
Julie Rischar*
Kay & ChatowskiJack
Ken & Candice Delbo
Kerry Miller Designer/ Builder, Inc.
Kim Master & Noah Lieb
Kimberly Peterson
Kitty & JohnstonJohnny
Kyle & Kate Thompson
Las Palmas de Ojai
Latitudes Gallery
Laura Lochrane
Linda Desch
Lisa Smith
Loebl Family Fund
Lucy & TolmachJonathan
Maggie Elder
Marcy & Steve Toscher
Margot Griswold & Michael Daley
Maria & Tyler Barrell
Mark & ConnallyCherryl
Mary Bergen
Matthew Hately
Matthew Velkes & Liza Chasin
McDaniel
Insurance Services
Michael Bennett
Mike & Erika
Swimmer
Mike Sullivan & Melissa Bishop
Move Sanctuary
Niels & Robin Nyborg
Playhouse - David Berger
Ojai Valley Trail Riding Company
Oliver Wilson & Kaarina Tienhaara
Peter Seery
Rachael & Griff Barkley
Raina Penchansky
Raindrop Pool & Spa
Richard & Maddy Ehrman
Rick Ridgeway
Robert Tallyn & Betsy Bachman
Robin Roy & Cathy Zoi
Roger & Pat Essick
Rotary Club of Ojai
Ruth Hemming
Ruth Lasell & Bob Bonewitz
Sandy Buechley
Sasha & Hanson Gifford
SC&A Insurance Services LLC
Scott Bevans & Valerie Dykeman
Shelley Scott
Shelter Social Club/Rancho Inn
Siobhan McDevitt
Sonny Ward & Michael Lombardo
Soul Body Ojai
Healing Arts & Yoga Center
Susan Bee
Susan King
Swanner Physical Therapy
Tasha Sween
The Glass Man Professional Window Company,Washing Inc.
The John J. Moller Family Foundation
Timbre Books
Toby & Melissa White
Todd Crawford
Tom & Michelle
Tamplin
Trent & Kris Greco
Vanessa McLean
Vanessa Mowell
Ventura ResourceCounty Cons. District
West Coast Air Conditioning
William & Elise
Kearney
William Burnside
Wyatt & Claudia Harris
Guardians of the Ojai Valley
$5,000+
Allen & Marilyn Camp
Andrew & Judith Gustafson
Ann & Harry Oppenheimer
Anne Crawford DeZonia
Annica & James Howard
Anonymous
Bruce & Marilyn Wallace Foundation
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA)
Christopher Noxon Charitable Fund
Cotyledon Fund
Courtney Nichols Gould & Gordon Gould
Doug & Mary Jo McLeod
Douglas & Angela Parker
Dr. David & Cindy Garber
Eric Goode - The Turtle Conservancy
Francis (Hank)
Pepper
Gregory Rutchik & Erin Stern
Henry SurveyingLand
High on Kennels - Fred Presson
Janet Jacobs
Jessie Hawkins
Jill & Bill Shanbrom
Karen Courington & Dan Lukasiewicz
Karen Hellmuth & Bob Vandersluis
Kenneth & Sarah Cluff
Larry Rose & Lisa
Larramendy
LEA Family Fund
Mary M. Downer
Michael Newkirk & Olivia Garfield
Molina Family Foundation
Patagonia
Patagonia.com
Patty & John Abou-Samra Kearney
Phillip Bradley
Ruth H. Brown Foundation, with thanks to Charla Brown
Ruth Smitherman - REI
Sespe Creek Collective
Shell Family Fund
So Hum Foundation
Tay Lesley
The Hirsch Family
The MOB Shop
The Trust For
Public Lands
Tom & Mary Orsini
Tom* & Esther Wachtell
Tonya Peralta Real Estate Team
Topa Topa Brewing Company
Tucker & Phil Adams
Ventura County Watershed Protection District
Broken Challenge/SpokeFast Green Racing
Ojai
Thank you to our amazing OVLC community for joining us at our 8th annual Mountainfilm on Tour. We are so grateful to everyone who told a friend, showed up, volunteered, posted on social media, and helped make this year’s fundraiser a success. Thank you to all of our event sponsors, including The Trade Desk, Totem Ranch Co, Ojai Valley Inn, Ojai Valley Imports, Trust for Public Land, and Sustainable Law Group Inc. Thank you Ojai Valley School for being the greatest host and welcoming us back on campus with open arms. Thank you to Ojai Valley Inn for providing parking in the Lavender Lot. Thank you to our food and drink sponsors Lorraine Lim Catering, Topa Topa Brewing Co, Ventura Spirits, Revel, Bonny Doon Vineyard, Lapis Luna Wines, The Big Red Monster, and Bubble Butt Rosé Seltzer.
Thank you to our business sponsors The Glass Man Professional Window Washing Company, Inc., Timbre Books, and REI for being present at the event. Thank you to The Morning Yells and Dave Cipriani for filling our event with rockin’ music. Thank you Shelter Social Club for lodging the band. Thank you to Bike VC for setting up our bike valet and to everyone who rode. Thank you to all of the wonderful virtual auction and raffle sponsors for donating some truly wonderful goods and experiences. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who made this event happen and we can’t wait to do it again next year. Thank you!
Join the OVLC for an intimate, locally sourced farm-to-table dinner on Friday, September 21. When the sun sets behind the historic Ventura River Preserve, we will enjoy a collection of Mountainfilm films specially selected for this evening. With special guests from the films, this is a night you won’t want to miss. All attendees will also receive complimentary tickets to Saturday night’s Mountainfilm on Tour.
SCHEDULE
5:30 Cocktails & Starters
6:30 Family-style Dinner
7:30 Films & Desserts
Mountainfilm on Tour photos by Olivia Klein
OJAI MEADOWS SPONSORS
Dr. David L. Garber, D.D.S
Henry Land Surveying
Las Palmas de Ojai
Lorraine Lim Catering, Inc
Patagonia
Topa Topa Brewing Company
STEELHEAD SPONSORS
BANDITS Bandanas
High on Kennels
REI
Sespe Creek Collective
SAN ANTONIO CREEK SPONSORS
The Glass Man Professional Window
Washing Company, Inc.
Herring Law Group
The MOB Shop
Ojai Valley Trail Riding Company
Rotary Club of Ojai
Tonya Peralta Real Estate Team
PARKWAY SPONSORS
Aqua-Flo Supply
Baleen
Broken Spoke Challenge/ Fast Green Racing
Firestick Pottery
Kerry Miller Designer & Builder, Inc.
Latitudes Gallery
McDaniel Insurance Services
Move Sanctuary
Ojai Playhouse
Raindrop Pool & Spa
SC&A Insurance Services LLC
Shelter Social Club/Rancho Inn
Timbre Books
Tobias Parker - General Contractor
West Coast Air Conditioning
RIO VISTA SPONSORS
Bohéme
California Solar Electric
Don & Cheree Edwards ~ RE/MAX Gold Coast Realtors
Euterpe Farms Native Plants and Music
Soul Body Ojai Healing Arts & Yoga Center
Spa Ojai
Ventura Spirits
IN-KIND SPONSORS
bITvision
California 101 Guide
Custom Printing
Hutchinson and Bloodgood
Jim and Rob’s Fresh Grill
Ojai Quarterly
Ojai Valley Directory
Ojai Valley News
WELCOME NEW DONORS!
Alice Braitman
Andrea Epinger
Andrea Haffner
Anthony Wayne Athletic Brewing Company
Betsy Held
Bradley Tabach-Bank
Bret Nighman
Bruce Hanson
Bryan Mershon
Carla Melson
Casey & Crystal Webb
Charles & Sarah Genuardi
Coco LaForge
David Shemper
David Yardas
Deckers Outdoor Corporation
Emma Nathan Etsy
Frank Gallegas
Green Valley Project
Guillermo Castro
Heather Teufel
Imogen Daly
Janelle Werdesheim
Jared Ward
Jay & Nancy Fortman
Jean-Ray Tippo
Jeffrey Cunningham
Jennifer & Gordon
Lubold
Jennifer Moran
Jessica Appel
Jim Stoecker
John & Lindsay McCrea
Jon Seskevich
Karen & Dave Brubaker
Kathryn Ferguson
Kevin & Mary Cox
Lana Rasmussen
Liana Beauregard
Linda King
Linnea Hall
Maggie & Anthony
Caspary
Maggie Rossi
Marie & Keith Brown
Megan Kenney
Mia Rondinella
Michelle Rosenblum
Mike Smith
Morgan Ramirez
Motorola Solutions
Nathan Burns-Sprung
Neal Githens & Miranda Kilbey
Nicki Anderson
Ojai Valley ImportsGerardo Luna
Pax Environmental
Phillip Forsman
PM A Friend
Rachel Lang
Rebecca & Todd Parker
Rob Neely
Ruth Shinkle & Robert Zurick
Sanders Marvin
Scott Hatton
Sharon Palmer
Shaunna & John Stith
Stacey Miller McDermott
Stacey Platt
Stephanie Beckmann
Susan Coulter & Beryl Schwartz
Tommy Tatham
Totem Ranch Co
Trade Desk
Trust for Public Land
Tyler Barr
Vinitha Beltran
Vinson M Jae
Virginia Souza
From: 5/31/22-10/16/22
THANK YOU VOLUNTEERS
In the field, in the office, at events, and wherever else we need help—our amazing volunteers put in 4,640 hours last year! We are so grateful for every minute you take to help us conserve Ojai. You make it possible for us to do all that we do and we are excited for another year with all of you!
PO Box 1092 • Ojai, CA 93024
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
A matching gift means your contribution will go twice as far. Many companies will double (or sometimes triple) the value of their employees’ gifts to the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy. These matching gifts provide valuable funds as we work to protect the views, trails, water, and wildlife of the Ojai Valley. Some companies will even match your gifts after you retire.
To see if your company will match a gift to the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy, contact your company’s human resources department. TAKE ADVANTAGE of your employer’s matching gift program.
