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Summer Newsletter 2012 Volume 19, Number 2
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Thoughtful Words From A Founder Of The Ojai Valley Land Conservancy, Ellen Hall Something about the air here makes me feel at home. Taking a deep breath and walking the riverbed through the Ventura River Preserve electrifies my senses. The pond with its gliding migratory birds at the Ojai Meadows Preserve does the same. It is a comfort, like being in a familiar motherly embrace. When I arrived in Ojai from Los Angeles in 1980, I was riding my bike down Creek Road and unexpectedly tears welled up at the beauty and the feel of the sycamore and oak lined creek. I thought, “This place needs to be preserved! Maybe it could be made a National Park or a UN Heritage site?” It turned out that others were thinking along the same lines. Our little band of land lovers grew in size and skill until we formed the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy (OVLC) in 1986. Through the tireless efforts of many, especially Richard Handley, we spent years convincing people that “Open Space” was valuable and as a community we needed to invest
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in its future. When the value of our open spaces finally broke through the consciousness of most residents, we purchased and restored the historic wetland next to Nordhoff High School. Then we were on a roll, protecting over 2,000 acres. The Land Conservancy’s efforts are now moving down the Ventura River to protect our rare wild river and its banks. But there is still much to be protected. It is very important for our children to experience the natural world, to roam in nature and have the freedom to explore its rugged and pristine beauty. Properly cultivated, a child’s love of nature matures into ecological literacy and we have the next generation of preservationists. What a great legacy we will leave to the children of Ojai if we continue to protect and preserve the open spaces of our extraordinary valley. To me, the land is sacred and we are its caretakers. The Ojai Valley Land Conservancy is the premiere vehicle for fulfilling the responsibility for this care.
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“It’s not going to happen tomorrow. But if we start today, in 25 years, we might have something worthwhile, something very precious.” -Former Ojai Mayor Frank McDevitt in 1986 when talking about the OVLC.
The Ones Before Us
A heartfelt thank you from today’s Ojai Valley Land Conservancy staff and Board of Directors to all of those who came before us. It is so tempting to call out specific people, but everyone that has ever contributed time or financial support to the organization is to be honored
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Ojai Valley Land Conservancy P.O. Box 1092 • Ojai, CA 93024 370 W. Baldwin Rd. A-4 Tel. 805.649.6852 • Fax 649.8913 info@ovlc.org • www.ovlc.org
Board of Directors
Roger Essick, President Don Reed, Vice President Stefanie Coeler, Secretary Cari Guerrero, Treasurer
Mary Bergen Margot Griswold Allan Jacobs Cricket Twichell Barbara Washburn
Staff
Above: Ellen Hall at an Ojai Valley Land Conservancy event in 2002.
Above: Leanne Campbell, Richard Handley and Harold Glenn accepting volunteer awards in 2005. Left: Stefanie (long time board member) and Wiley Coeler on the Ventura River Preserve with their horse friends in 2008.
Sandy Buechley Brian Holly Ann Oppenheimer Nathan Wallace Deborah Whorf
Greg Gamble, Executive Director Rick Bisaccia, Preserve Manager Todd Bertola, Restoration Technician Darcy Gamble, Marketing & Membership Brad Meiners, Restoration Technician Marti Reid, Office Manager Ron Singer, Nursery Manager Brian Stark, Conservation Director Lorraine Walter, Watershed Coordinator Lauren Ward, Restoration Technician