Ventura Land Trust is excited to celebrate OAKtober, Oak Awareness Month, in October 2021. Join VLT and other organizations and individuals across the state as we recognize the importance of oaks and oak ecosystems.

Every individual, organization, and community can play an important role in celebrating oaks and oak ecosystems across California throughout the month of October—OAKtober!

California's native oaks have evolved with native plants and wildlife to make unique ecosystems. Trees work for us by cleaning our air and water, sequestering atmospheric carbon, buffering climate extremes and reducing energy usage. Oaks reduce flooding and support our native wildlife. Oaks, and trees in general, provide important benefits that provide the foundation for our personal and planetary health.  

Be Part of OAKTober

There are many ways you can join OAKtober. Your participation helps create awareness of the value of oaks across California, while developing a community network to support these important oak ecosystems. Here are some suggestions:

• Host an oak workday. Help remove invasive species as an individual or a group to improve growing conditions for oak ecosystems. Or plant, water, and mulch oak trees.
  
  
• Sponsor a campout. Camp at a designating campground or in your backyard and learn about the history and significance of oaks in Ventura County.
  
  
• Lead or join a walk through an oak woodland. Help participants notice all of the wildlife and plants that make up the oak ecosystem by leading or being part of a favorite neighborhood trail tour.
  
  
• Collect acorns and plant them.  Plant acorns directly on fence lines or in pots for planting in your community or parks in a few years. 
  
  
• Find the largest oak. Identify the largest oak tree in your community or park, determine its approximate age, and introduce community members to the tree and its history.
  
  
• Host a virtual OAKtober beer or wine event to benefit Ventura Land Trust. Oaktoberfest!
  
  
• Engage your school. Encourage students to write essays or create posters on the importance of oaks to our communities and our ecosystems. Use Once upon a Watershed’s Oaks program.
  
  
• Hug an oak tree.

Share Your Event with Ventura Land Trust

Be sure to register your event with Once Upon a Watershed Program Director Dr. David White and Development Director Leslie Velez at [email protected].

Visit Once Upon a Watershed's website for more information and videos featuring Oaktober.

Email us your OAKtober photos and activities, and we will share them on social media and with local, regional, and state-wide newspapers and social media to celebrate our collective action.