VLT_Outlook_Spring_2025

Ventura Land Trust

GROWING STRONGER

TOGETHER

NEW TO THE VLT TEAM BOARD OF TRUSTEES DAN WAKELEE is a native Californian who has lived in Ventura since

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Drew Powers • President Russell Galipeau • Vice President Doug Trapp • Secretary Meridith Thompson • Treasurer Brian Clark John Krist Kate Larramendy Osmany (Ozzie) Rios Sylvia Schnopp Dan Wakelee

OUR MISSION

The mission of Ventura Land Trust is to permanently protect the land, water, wildlife, and scenic beauty of the Ventura region for current and future generations.

OUTLOOK

THE NEWSLETTER OF VENTURA LAND TRUST Editor: Melissa Baffa Contributors: Melissa Baffa, Chris Chaleunrath, Dan Hulst, Laura Pavliscak Design: T Christian Gapen 805.643.8044 PO Box 1284 Ventura, CA 93002 venturalandtrust.org

STAY CONNECTED Find us on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube Copyright 2025 Ventura Land Trust.

All rights reserved.

Ventura Land Trust is accredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, awarded to land trusts meeting the highest national standards for excellence and conservation permanence.

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Ventura Land Trust • Outlook

childhood. He is a professor emeritus at California State University Channel Islands where he served in a variety of roles including Professor of Political Science and Interim Provost. While at CSUCI he studied public lands, developed a course on national parks, and played a key role in establishing the Santa Rosa Island Research Station. Dan received his A.B. in Political Science from Occidental College, a Master of Public Administration from CSU Northridge, and his Ph.D. from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Dan is a lifelong hiker and cyclist who grew up exploring the trails in Ventura County and the Sierras. Among his volunteer activities he and his wife Joanne serve as naturalists with the Channel Islands National Park and Marine Sanctuary.

STAFF FIELD TECHNICIAN ERIC REYES was born and raised in Ventura

County. He graduated from Westmont College, with a B.S. in Biology: Ecology, Evolution, and Natural History. During his time there, he developed a deep passion for conservation and biological monitoring through the research he assisted. His research studies involved understanding the physiology of reptiles in urban settings, island dwarfism of reptiles on the California Channel Islands, and population dynamics and distributions of acorn woodpeckers across the Santa Barbara area.

He is looking forward to continuing his passion here with the VLT stewardship team, aiding with invasive plant management and biological monitoring. During his free time, Eric enjoys mountain biking, going to the gym, and collecting/listening to vinyl.

ASSISTANT EDUCATOR SAND POWELL-WEBBER grew up in coastal

Massachusetts, where they spent much of their developmental years wandering through broadleaf forests observing and learning about any wildlife they could find. Their deep reverence for the natural world and its intersection with board sports led them to Southern California, where they studied Environmental Horticulture and Restoration Ecology at SBCC. Years of Coyote Mentoring and teaching snowboarding and skateboarding lessons to children of all ages have equipped them with skills to support kids in playful nature adventures - building their confidence and self-esteem along the way. They enjoy creating patient, supportive spaces where kids feel empowered to develop their personal rhythm, style and aspirations as they move through and connect with their environments.

Connecting with nature is a daily practice for Sand, whether it’s decoding the chatter of local bird species, tending to their organic gardens, surfing the seasons or advocating to protect native ecosystems.

ON THE COVER Mariposa lily: Floral “butterflies” of spring Matilda Smith and John Nugent Fitch. 1898. Calochortus clavatus – botanical illustrations.

Curtis’s Botanical Magazine, Volume 124. Public domain via Wikimedia Commons

Nothing symbolizes the fleeting beauty and tender wonders of spring quite like lilies! Vibrant and eruptive, lilies are geophytes--plants that store most of their reserves in underground structures like bulbs and tubers. They stay alive but dormant most of the year until the gentle prompts of spring stir their explosive short-lived growth and riotous blossoms.

Slender mariposa lily, Calochortus clavatus var. gracilis, is our local taxon and occurs in both of our hillside preserves. It is highly endemic and only known to grow in the western Transverse Ranges and San Gabriel Mountains of California. It is a species of special conservation concern, classified as 1B.2 by the California Native Plant Society—rare, threatened, or endangered in California with 20-80% of occurrences threatened. The common name is derived from the Spanish word for butterfly – an apt moniker for these pretty and delicate blossoms!

NEW OFFICERS As of January, VLT’s Board of Trustees is now led by DREW POWERS as its PRESIDENT and RUSSELL GALIPEAU as its VICE PRESIDENT

ANDREW “DREW” POWERS, a native of North

Carolina, has over 20 years in local government in cities spanning the East and West coasts. He currently serves as City Manager for the City of Thousand Oaks, California, an agency he joined in 2007 where he also held the positions of Assistant City Manager and Chief of Staff / Public Information Officer. Drew has been on the VLT Board of Trustees since March 2023.

RUSSELL GALIPEAU worked for the National Park

Service from 1978 until 2018, when he retired from the position of Superintendent, Channel Islands National Park. His career brought him to work in seven of our nation’s national parks. He currently serves on the Expert Assessment Group for the Green List (EAGL), as a part-time professor at CSUCI, and as a member of the Executive Council for the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks. Russell has been on the VLT Board of Trustees since January 2022.

QUILL YATES has been promoted from FIELD TECHNICIAN to FIELD MANAGER In his new role, Quill will be instrumental in opening Ventura Hills Nature Preserve to the public. From supporting habitat restoration to helping develop preserve infrastructure such as trails and signage, Quill’s role will touch all parts of the preserve. Quill’s knowledge and skillset will ensure that VLT continues to responsibly balance our conservation and recreation goals for our preserves. “I feel incredibly lucky to have a job that intertwines conservation and public access for the betterment of our environment and community. Wedged between Main Street and The Avenue, the new preserve is an amazing opportunity to preserve an incredible piece of coastal sage scrub habitat while allowing the public to explore and connect with the environment that surrounds them. I am thrilled to play a role in formally opening Ventura Hills Nature Preserve to the community and to realize a dream of so many committed volunteers and VLT staff members that have set the groundwork for this preserve,” says Quill. If you see Quill around the preserves, please congratulate him on his welldeserved promotion!

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE

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pringtime: the season of birth and growth, of renewal.

Symbolized in popular culture by flowers and eggs and baby animals, spring is the season of starting afresh, marveling at the lengthening days and the warming temperature. It’s a time of emergence: from seed coats, from eggshells, and from the downy coverings we donned all through the winter.

Within our preserves, it’s an especially busy time: monitoring and eradicating invasive plants in their earliest stages; evaluating trails, especially after we’ve received some much-needed precipitation; and preparing for our very busy fire fuel clearance season.

Because so much of what we do on an annual basis is governed by the regular boom-and-bust cycles of natural growth, and because VLT has experienced such rapid and dramatic progress over the past five years, we decided that the obvious theme for this spring’s Outlook is “growth.”

With your support, Ventura Land Trust has experienced tremendous growth, and just like those first few tender shoots of spring, we need your continued care to grow up strong and sturdy, ready for the challenges ahead. Read on to learn of the many ways to support our progress with your time, treasure, and talent. We are growing stronger together! Thank you in advance for your continued support.

Yours in Nature, Melissa

SPRING 2025

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COVER STORY

Growing Stronger, Together

By Melissa Baffa

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or most of its existence, Ventura Land Trust grew slowly, like a drought-adapted succulent plant acclimatized to limited resources. But with the quick acquisition of 3,768 acres in 2020 under my predecessor Derek Poultney, VLT experienced sudden, leap-frogging growth.

In the years since, we’ve worked to grow VLT – in everything from staff size to programming to work plans to community stature – in a way that supports those ambitious 2020 acquisitions. As of this writing, the VLT staff stands at 24 members, with an additional three roles in the hiring phase. Our Board of Trustees, currently ten members strong, represents a broad range of experience in leadership and expertise, hailing from throughout Ventura County. Our Advisory Council, similarly intentionally diverse in experience, background, and geographic location, is comprised of an additional 40 members of our community, and 30 more supporters round out our various committees.

The huge variety of knowledge and connections provided by these critical volunteers provides a strong and sturdy base of support for our operations.

Building upon that strong and sturdy base, we look to the future and to further growth. In the short term, that’s expressed in the more than 200 acres currently in our acquisition pipeline, adding to VLT’s portfolio of significant, biodiverse habitat throughout Ventura County. It means the acquisition of a building to house a public-facing Welcome Center that will host events, programs, and exhibits about VLT’s preserves and the incredible ecosystems they protect.

It also means an increased call for support. Last year, members of VLT’s Board of Trustees launched the “My VLT” campaign, which encourages all our regular preserve users to become

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Ventura Land Trust • Outlook

The rolling hills above downtown and midtown Ventura, now called the Ventura Hills Nature Preserve, will be a great place to catch epic sunsets like this one, captured by VLT’s Deputy Director Dan Hulst.

VLT members. If only 10% of our regular preserve users become members, for as little as the cost of a cup of coffee per month, our stewardship budget would be fully funded. Please consider joining, if you are not already a member, and encourage your fellow nature lovers to do the same!

As a former middle school teacher, I can’t help but liken VLT’s explosive growth to that of an adolescent: we’re like that short little kid who comes back after summer vacation, shot up to six feet tall, all arms and legs. Bigger, stronger, at times a little awkward, and just like that adolescent, still very much in need of care and feeding.

With the opening of the Ventura Hills Nature Preserve and the VLT Welcome Center later this year, we are ramping up our call for volunteers to support our efforts. Whether you are interested in becoming a one-time volunteer or a VLT Ambassador, joining a committee, joining our docent program, or serving in another way, we have many opportunities for you to lend your time and talent.

Together, and with your support, we are growing bigger and stronger every day.

Protecting nesting birds in an unexpected way Birds face enormous pressure from threats like climate change, habitat loss, depredation from domestic cats, and collisions with glass windows--the latter two estimated to kill 2.4 and 1 billion birds every year in the US, respectively. There is another silent threat you may not have heard about, and one we have an opportunity to mitigate.

Open vertical pipes are a significant mortality threat to small mammals, reptiles, and especially to birds.

Animals evolved to view cavities in trees, soil, and debris as habitat would have no way of knowing that the deep, smooth-walled recess of a pipe would be a trap they could not crawl or fly out of. Entrapped animals in pipes slowly starve to death. In 2009, staff from Audubon California on their Kern River Preserve discovered a fallen 6” diameter pipe previously used for farming irrigation that held the remains of over 200 dead birds.

Additional pipes in the area all contained bird carcasses. Numerous succeeding studies have demonstrated that open pipes, coined “the silent killer,” are estimated to kill tens of millions of birds every year.

Open pipes are commonplace in our wildlands and neighborhoods—from old farming and ranching infrastructure to sign posts to downspouts and plumbing vents.

In the last two years, Ventura Land Trust has capped over 200 pipes on our properties with staff and volunteer help. We have more to do, so if you are interested in getting involved, please be in touch! And if you find an open pipe on your property or in your wanderings, consider adding a metal mesh cap or applying a temporary cap with a large stone or debris to prevent wildlife from entering.

While we can’t immediately fix all the threats our wild neighbors face, capping open vertical pipes is an easy and impactful way to make a difference.

PHOTOS BY LAURA PAVLISCAK Clockwise from top; members of the Ventura High School Cougar Crew, led by VHS teacher Craig Carey, cap pipes near the main trailhead at Harmon Canyon Preserve. An example of a pipe capped using metal mesh and concrete. No longer able to access the inside, where it could become trapped, a bird rests atop a capped pipe.

THE HILLS ARE ALIVE…AND RENAMED

We are beyond thrilled to be on a path towards opening our spectacular new preserve later this year.

Last year, we embarked on a community conversation to engage residents on a future name for an area that has been known as Mariano Rancho for several generations.

Our outreach led to some fantastic engagement with the Chumash, our neighbors, and fellow environmental stewards. In the first round of community input, we received hundreds of suggestions from community members, narrowing it down to a short list of options before returning for further community input later that winter.

After careful deliberation over several months, the VLT Board has voted to name this marquee land trust property the “Ventura Hills Nature Preserve.” The clear and simple delineation is referential to the preserve location and follows a similar brand-focused approach undertaken by other regional land trusts.

In addition to this action, VLT is coordinating with Chumash representatives to identify and name key geographic landmarks within the preserve to honor their historical place in these significant lands. VLT will also retain the Mariano moniker on a feature within the preserve to ensure that its place is not lost in history.

SPRING 2025

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NOTES FROM THE FIELD

The Season of Growth Ecological Conditions After a Unique Winter

by Laura Pavliscak

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n exceptionally warm, dry, and windy winter has provided phenomenally scant precipitation - as of late February, we had only received about 20-30% of our typical annual rainfall.

Despite that, new life is unfurling all around.

While uncountable seedlings erupt underfoot, our drought adapted shrubs are budding with new growth. Birds conduct their ancient courtship rituals of melodious song and dazzling plumage, and the miracle of migration is stirring. Insect populations spike, and other animals like birds, bats, and lizards take advantage of this seasonal fluctuation. The complexity and wonder of this circle of life is never more apparent than in the spring. It is a great time to get outside, slow down, watch closely, and marvel at the miracles unfolding all around you.

Up for a seasonal scavenger hunt? Here are two fleeting spring season splendors to search for in your local wanderings. ❀ Wild cucumber (Marah spp.). Like the fairytale vine in Jack and the Beanstalk, this robust, fleshy, fast-growing vine erupts from the earth with our first substantial rains.

A tangle of tightly curled tendrils, smooth palm- size leaves, and fountains of white flowers, this plant can form dense ephemeral capes over shrubs and trees or carpet the ground in its verdant glory. Its fruits are large, oblong, green, and spiky, hosting a soft white fleshy interior with a few giant chocolate-colored seeds.

The vine fades in early summer and the remainder of the year this plant is dormant. Its secret to success is its extraordinary root system! Also called “man root”, Marah species generate an enormous tuber that carries them through both their long dormant period and through dry years. We have two species at Harmon, both native. These plants are only visible for a few months of the year, so enjoy their wild succulent splendor while you can! ❀Moss. The awakening of the vibrant moss carpets is a special and evanescent spring phenomenon. These ancient, non-vascular plants are moisture specialists, activating with the winter rains to form green carpets both ubiquitous and unexpected—on exposed sunny road embankments, in the dappled understory of shrubs, on the smooth surface of cobbles, and along the vertical walls of ephemeral creeks, the fissured bodies of oaks, and the pools of thin soil gathered on 6

Ventura Land Trust • Outlook

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Wild cucumber flowers.

PHOTO CREDIT: LAURA PAVLISCAK

your roof. If something stays still long enough, it will likely be colonized by moss.

And lucky for us (since they play a vital role in building and stabilizing soil, cycling nutrients, sequestering carbon, and slowly releasing moisture), because they are true ecosystem servants. Most of the year they are desiccated and dormant, awaiting enough moisture to awaken from their parched meditation.

There are 10 species of moss identified at Harmon and 11 at Ventura Hills Nature Preserve — and counting!

Appreciate their soft resplendent beauty before they begin to fade.

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PHOTO CREDIT: MELISSA BAFFA ▲ Wild cucumber fruit.

PHOTO CREDIT: LAURA PAVLISCAK Moss at Harmon Canyon Preserve.

SPRING 2025

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STEWARDSHIP

Managing Vegetative Growth: Controlling Spring’s Exuberance with an Eye Toward Wildfire Mitigation

by Dan Hulst

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s a landowner on the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI), Ventura Land Trust (VLT) is uniquely positioned as both a practitioner for the conservation of imperiled habitat and an entity responsible for maintaining defensible space around adjacent structures to mitigate fire risk.

Frequently, these two mandates conflict with one another and often require intensive resource commitment, collaboration with stakeholders, and proactive communication to keep the community informed of our actions.

Conventional wisdom along the WUI focused on clearing as much biomass as possible with the idea that less fuel equates to reduced fire risk. However, the issue with clearing away all vegetative growth (fuel) along the WUI is that these areas, which were historically intact coastal sage scrub, will type convert to non-native invasive herbaceous vegetation in the next growing season, or even with the next rain event.

Invasive herbaceous vegetation like mustards, thistles, and annual grasses generate enormous amounts of uninterrupted persistent biomass, making them both incredibly flammable and ignitable, and they do not share the same fire-mitigating growth properties that coastal sage scrub species possess.

Once present, they are very difficult to eradicate and require consistent maintenance throughout the growing season. In very wet years like 2023/24, this growing season can last for 10 months, requiring consistent monitoring and management.

Given that the approach along the WUI for the last half century has been to clear as much fuel as possible, invasive herbaceous plants have become abundant along the WUI and VLT now faces the challenge of restoring coastal sage scrub species, which are more fire-resilient and slope stabilizing, in addition to managing the growth of invasive species that dominate these areas.

Vegetation management along the WUI is a year-round process for VLT. Throughout the wet season (if we get one!)

VLT staff monitor on the ground conditions and observe the growth cycles of the species present along the WUI. Depending on the amount and timing of rainfall, line trimming typically takes place between March and May, and often again in the late summer. Line trimming herbaceous vegetation is most impactful if it can be done ahead of the species producing seed. This allows the seed bank present in the soil to slowly deplete over time. At the same time,

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PHOTO CREDIT: BRIAN CLARK VLT Field Manager Quill Yates and Conservation Director Laura Pavliscak manning a table at the Ventura Wildfire Preparedness Town Hall held on March 7, 2024.

Ventura Land Trust monitors native shrub growth within the WUI with the goal of maintaining shrub diameter and spacing to comply with WUI fuel management best management practices. Factors that can complicate these efforts include wildly variable precipitation and temperatures, which can significantly change the timing of treatments and level of effort required; extreme topography and limited access points through neighboring private property, which makes accessing the WUI and removing biomass difficult; and variable weather, including hurricanes (think Hilary) and red flag conditions, which no longer seem to keep to a regular season in our changing climate.

While vegetation management along the WUI is one component of mitigating fire risk to structures, the hardening of structures and management of the vegetation that immediately surrounds the structure is vital to fire risk reduction. While VLT does not own residential lots along

Before (above) and after (below): Removal of invasive, highly flammable plants reduces fire risk and supports native plant recovery.

the WUI, we do our best to connect our neighbors with the resources and tools needed to mitigate risk to their homes.

At the structure level, home improvements such as vent screens, fire-resistant eaves, fire-resistant roofing, and nonflammable deck, fencing, and siding materials are great places to start. The Ventura Regional Fire Safe Council offers free home hardening assessments (visit https://venturafiresafe. org/home-wildfire-assessments for information) for residents of Ventura County and can provide additional resources for homeowners who are interested in reducing the risk of fire damage to their homes. Removing all flammable vegetation within 5 feet of the structure is an important best practice. From a distance of 5 to 30 feet from the structure, homeowners should trim grass to 4 inches tall, remove any dead or dying vegetation, and space trees at least 10 feet apart. At a distance of 30 to 100 feet from the home (the zone VLT typically works in), property owners should thin vegetation and remove ladder fuels that can introduce fire to the crowns of trees.

Managing vegetation in the Wildland Urban Interface is complicated but essential to mitigating fire risk to our community. VLT is committed to both conserving the biodiversity and ecological function of imperiled coastal sage scrub while reducing fire risk to our neighbors by implementing best practices in vegetation management and informing our community of our efforts along the way. If you have questions about VLT’s efforts to mitigate fire risk, please do not hesitate to reach out to Deputy Director Dan Hulst at dan@ venturalandtrust.org.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES TO EXPLORE:

❀A recent statement and informational post put out by the Theodore Payne Foundation collates a lot of wildfire resources in one place. http://bit.ly/4jY9Wao ❀The Ventura Regional Fire Safe Council has a free home assessment program to help you understand how to better harden your home against wildfire. If you are interested in banding together with neighbors, you could also work toward becoming a Firewise Community. https://venturafiresafe.org/ ❀In the vein of “if a little of something is good for you, then a lot of it must be better,” science has shown us that this is not always the case. A decade-old publication by the California Fire Science Consortium has tackled the question of whether we ought to increase the distance requirement for defensible space. https://bit.ly/3EDwJIv ❀And a recent podcast by the Golden State Naturalist with fire expert Dr. Alexandra Syphard about fire in built environments is fascinating and well worth a listen, if you are concerned about wildfire in Southern California, or just want to learn more. https://bit.ly/3EwRZQf

SPRING 2025

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LEND YOUR SUPPORT

Planting Seeds for the Future Supporting Current and Future Growth at VLT

by Chris Chaleunrath

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here are many ways you can support the growth and sustainability of Ventura Land Trust beyond a traditional cash donation. Some of the most popular options include:

raffle or auction item at a future VLT event helps us to raise much-needed funds.

5. Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs)

A DAF allows donors to contribute funds, receive an immediate tax deduction, and recommend grants to Through a new partnership with Careasy.org we are making nonprofits over time. Some donors roll up income from income streams like their social security or a pension to their it easier than ever to donate your car, truck, boat, RV, DAF, making the process more seamless. Working with your or other vehicle (including farm machinery!) to support financial planner or advisor, you can plan contributions to Ventura Land Trust. Through this hassle-free program, your VLT for the amount and timing that works best for you. vehicle donation will help fund our efforts to protect and restore Ventura’s open spaces. Careasy.org handles 6. IRA Charitable Rollovers everything—from free pick-up to paperwork—so you can Individuals aged 70½ or older can donate directly from make a big impact with minimal effort. Plus, your donation their IRA, which may count toward required minimum is tax-deductible! See below to learn more and begin your distributions (RMDs), and help you to avoid income tax. VLT process. can recommend qualified and trusted financial advisors to ❀Vehicle Donation Web Page: https://careasy.org/ help you in this process.

1. Vehicle Donations

ventura-land-trust

❀Vehicle Donation Toll-Free Number: 855-500-7433 | 855-500-RIDE 2. Stock and Securities Donations Donating publicly traded stocks, bonds, or mutual funds can help avoid capital gains taxes while providing financial support. Transfers are simple, as you can direct any stock or securities directly to VLT’s account. See below for VLT’s account details.

❀Broker: Charles Schwab ❀DTC #: 0164 ❀Account #: 8445-8032 ❀EIN #: 01-0769456 3. Gifts of Real Estate and Conservation Easements From gifting land, rental properties, or vacation homes to donating partial interest in a real estate holding or setting up a conservation easement on your property, you can meaningfully support VLT’s sustainability while receiving long-term tax benefits.

4. In-Kind Donations VLT gratefully accepts two major types of in-kind donations.

Donated professional services (such as legal, marketing, or consulting services) save VLT a significant amount of money and may provide a tax-benefit to the professional.

Alternatively, a donated product or service to be used as a

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7. Legacy and Planned Giving Including VLT in your will, trust, or estate plan is one of the most impactful methods of long-term support. By including Ventura Land Trust in your bequests, charitable remainder trusts, annuity or life insurance policies, you can ensure future support to protect our open spaces for generations to come, without impacting your current finances.

8. Fundraising and Peer-to-Peer Campaigns Did you know you can host a personal fundraiser for VLT? From a birthday campaign to hosting a fundraising run or special event, you can connect more people to VLT’s mission while raising money and awareness. VLT can create a personalized fundraising page just for you!

To get started: Email: development@venturalandtrust.org Call: 805-643-8044 ext.1 Visit: https://www.venturalandtrust.org/ other-ways-to-give

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT

Dennis Kulzer

Improving Our Preserves One Dad Joke at a Time

by Dan Hulst Have you ever found yourself walking through Harmon Canyon Preserve, enjoying nature and a nice daydream, only to be interrupted by a witty dad comment? If so, it’s likely you have experienced firsthand the charisma of Dennis Kulzer. From helping the stewardship staff with field projects to developing VLT policies as a former member of the Board of Trustees, Dennis has played a major role in the maturation of Ventura Land Trust.

Dennis joined Ventura Land Trust as a volunteer in 2015 and served on the Board of Trustees from 2017 to 2023. He was instrumental in preparing Harmon Canyon for public access and helped install many of the fences, benches, trails, and gates that make the preserve what it is today. Dennis hasn’t slowed down and continues to be a “highly paid volunteer” logging hundreds of hours a year at VLT using skills as a mechanic, welder, and equipment operator along with numerous other talents needed to keep our preserves open and safe.

Ventura Land Trust would like to thank Dennis Kulzer for his steadfast support of our organization over the years. His expertise and countless volunteer hours have turned our preserves into treasures beloved by the community, and Ventura Land Trust into a widely supported nonprofit organization. Thank you, Dennis!

▲ PHOTO CREDIT:VLT “Thanks for coming in today!”

Dennis’s incredible work ethic and good humor are natural assets for VLT

PHOTO CREDIT: BRIAN CLARK Dennis assists VLT donor Ken McAlpine in placing the plaque associated with his adoption of an oak tree at Harmon Canyon Preserve.

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A retired fleet manager for the City of Ventura, Dennis has led an interesting life in service to the world including being a member of the Peace Corps in Tonga and helping run refugee camps in Tanzania. Locally, Dennis volunteered for several years with the National Park Service doing environmental restoration work on the Channel Islands, and along with his wife Jayne, rescues marine wildlife with Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network. His experiences have honed Dennis as a natural problem solver who loves to push us all to “get it done.”

SPRING 2025 11

Ventura Land Trust

UTLOOK Ventura Land Trust PO Box 1284 Ventura, CA 93002 www.venturalandtrust.org

Join Ventura Land Trust for the 2025 WILD & SCENIC FILM FESTIVAL — an unforgettable night of inspiring films celebrating nature, adventure, and environmental activism.

Get inspired by breathtaking landscapes, powerful storytelling, and a community dedicated to protecting our wild places.

Be moved. Be inspired. Be part of the change.

SUPPORT THE FESTIVAL! Partner with us as a sponsor and showcase your commitment to conservation while gaining exposure to a passionate, engaged audience. Opportunities available at all levels!

For tickets and to learn more visit: venturalandtrust.org/wild-scenic-film-festival