Join VLT staff at the Hayden Preserve, our teaching property, to help chop, pull, and lop non-native, invasive plant species and/or remove trash and refuse that are wreaking havoc on our native riparian ecosystem! 

Help us with fire restoration at our teaching property, an area not open to public access. We'll provide the tools, you provide the enthusiasm!

 

Meet VLT staff at 9 a.m. at 249 Canada Larga Rd. Ventura, CA 93001. Please wear pants, long sleeves, closed-toe shoes, and don't forget sunscreen and water!

 

Please note: River cleanup volunteers must be at least 16 years old. Due to the nature of tools used and bio-hazardous materials occasionally found in the river estuary, we do not encourage young children to participate in these events. Please see our Events Page for more family-friendly outings!

 

Want to contribute more than sweat-equity? The Ventura Land Trust now offers affordable River Restoration Sponsorship opportunities. Environmentally-minded individuals and businesses are invited to support our habitat restoration work by financially contributing to the costs of cleaning, clearing and restoring the land. There's no better way to put your money to work!

All About Ocean Friendly Gardening

EXCITING NEW SPEAKER & TOPIC!

Join Laura Oergel, head of the Ventura County Chapter of Surfrider Foundation’s Ocean Friendly Gardens (OFG) Program and owner of A Woman’s Touch Landscaping, for evening of sustainable gardening education. Surfrider Foundation's Ocean Friendly Gardens program is volunteer-run landscape education, hands-on training and advocacy program.

In 2017, Ventura Land Trust and the Surfrider Foundation’s Ventura Ocean Friendly Gardens (OFG) program received a grant and teamed up to build a beautiful ocean-friendly garden at the end of Main Street along the Ventura-Ojai bike path. If you’ve walked, run or biked past the “Welcome to Ventura” sign on the bike path, you’ve passed this project.

The Surfrider Foundation’s Ocean Friendly Gardens Program strives to educate the community about sustainable landscapes, ocean pollution from contaminated urban run-off, and combating climate change through the carbon sequestration these gardens provide. They do this through outreach and by installing gardens in Ventura County that meet the OFG CPR criteria: Conservation, Permeability and Retention.

Grab a beer, sit back and learn about why ocean-friendly gardens are so important for protecting our environment. The best part, learn how to incorporate ocean-friendly gardening techniques into your own yard.

For the second summer running, Ventura Land Trust and Topa Topa Brewing Co. have teamed up to present "Nature on Tap" - a series of free environmental talks presented by subject matter experts in a comfortable community forum.

Mix and mingle with VLT and Surfrider staff and board from 7 - 7:30. Presentation begins at 7:30.

Volunteers are needed at the Wild and Scenic Film Festival to help with set-up, check-in, beer and wine sales/serving, raffle ticket sales, clean-up, game coordination and so much more. Volunteering is a fun way to work alongside a great group of like-minded people, connect with your community and contribute to the preservation of open space all at the same time. Sign up today!

Volunteers shifts are either 2 or 3 hours in length.

Sign up for the shift that works best for you.

1 - 4 PM (set-up) * 4 - 7 PM (during) * 7 - 10 PM (during) * 10 pm - 12 am (clean-up)

Volunteers receive our heartfelt gratitude AND free entrance into the Festival!

TICKETS ON SALE NOW! CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE YOURS TODAY!

This year's festival will be bigger, better, and OUTSIDE! We are thrilled to be moving our popular film festival to an outdoor venue. Bring your low-back chairs and blankets, and prepare for a night to remember!

With two bands, food trucks, outdoor games, and more, this year's festival will be one night of fun for the whole community to enjoy. All proceeds from this event will help support the mission of Ventura Land Trust. 

The Wild and Scenic Film Festival offers audiences the chance to enjoy a series of award-winning short films that celebrate the beauty and bounty of our natural world.  This popular festival, which sells out every year, helps to connect the Land Trust’s work to similar environmental efforts around the globe. In addition to viewing films, attendees also enjoy live music, special guests, food, beer, wine and the chance to win high-end items in a raffle that includes original artwork, outdoor gear, dining-out certificates and much, much more.

Doors Open at 5 PM, Films Begin at 8 PM, Fun Lasts All Night!

Sponsorships for this event are open!

Check out the 2018 Wild and Scenic Sponsorship Benefits

The Hills are Alive at Harmon Canyon

Join Ventura Land Trust (VLT) to learn about the amazing recreational possibilities and wildlife at the Harmon Canyon Preserve. VLT is purchasing this 2,123 acre property to open it to the public for hiking, biking and nature loving. Derek Poultney, VLT Executive Director, and Kate Furlong, VLT Stewardship Director, will share photos, plans and passion for what will soon become Ventura’s largest publicly accessible open space.

For the second year running, Ventura Land Trust (VLT) is teaming up with Topa Topa Brewing Company to host a series of three free environmental lectures during the summer months. Beginning at 7:30 PM, VLT staff members will talk about a variety of local environmental topics and answer questions about the organization’s mission, projects and programs.

Mix and mingle with VLT staff and board from 7 - 7:30. Presentation begins at 7:30.

Get Acquainted to the Mission and Passion of "Runners for Public Lands"

Join Vic Thasiah, California Naturalist and co-founder of the Runners for Public Lands project, to learn about the newly formed  Runners for Public Lands (RPL) nonprofit organization. Runners for Public Lands is dedicated to building relationships between runners and local land conservation organizations to deepen runners’ connections to, and encourage stewardship of, the open spaces through which they run.

An avid trail runner, Vic Thasiah is a member of the Ventura Running Club and also is the chair of the religion department at California Lutheran University, where he teaches courses on Zen Buddhism and ecological ethics.

Mix and mingle with VLT staff and board from 7 - 7:30. Presentation begins at 7:30