1. Vol. 11 No. 1 Spring 2015
Continued on page 3
Willoughby Restoration Benefits
Community – And Wildlife
by Lee Sherman / Photos by Derek Poultney
C
onservation Manager Derek Poultney and I were between the Highway
101 overpass and the railroad trestle when we heard the footsteps. We
returned to the area a few days after our most recent volunteer workday to
make sure no one returned to the campsite we had just cleared. As we stood in the
clearing, we heard the sounds of something moving in the brush between us and
the estuary - something big. Expecting another meeting with a camper, we began
announcing our presence, but there was no reply. Instead, the sound grew louder
and closer. Suddenly there emerged three mule deer, led by a young buck with tiny
budding antlers about the size of my thumbs. Stunned and elated, we each began
fumbling through our pockets to snap a quick pic with our camera phones, but our
movements were quickly noticed and they bounded off north along the trail toward
the Main Street Bridge, where
pedestrians have reported multiple
deer sightings.
A few months earlier on our
weekly patrols, Poultney and
Conservation Assistant, Dashiell
Dunkell, kept waking up the
same bobcat along the trails of the
Willoughby Preserve. At one point,
the bobcat actually sat and posed
for Derek. Other notable sightings
include the endangered least Bell’s
vireo, Swainson’s hawk, belted
kingfisher, king snake, and the
return of egrets and herons now that
the preserve is being restored and is
unburdened by illicit camping.
“One of the goals of our efforts is to make the public feel safe and use the trails
we’ve created, for bird watching, hiking or biking,” said Poultney. “We’ve seen
about seven or eight deer down in the river that we didn’t see when the camps were
there. I’ve seen a bobcat, kingfishers, blue herons and egrets. When we go down
there, we’re on guard because you never know what’s going to happen. Once we
heard some rustling in the bushes and we said, ‘Oh, great. Who’s in there?’ and
The bobcat (Lynxrufus)is a North American mammal of the cat family.
The bobcat is an adaptable predator that inhabits wooded areas, as well
as semidesert, urban edge, forest edges, and swampland environments.
It is about twice as large as the domestic cat. Seen here in ourWilloughby
Preserve.
6th Annual Wild &
Scenic Film Festival
Will Awe and Inspire
F
or the sixth consecutive year, the
Ventura Hillsides Conservancy
won a grant to host the popular
and growing Wild & Scenic Film
Festival. Wild & Scenic is a national
tour of independent short and feature
films celebrating outdoor adventure and
human interactions with Earth’s natural
places and creatures. The Festival is
produced by Nevada City-based South
Yuba River Citizens League. Twenty-
one films - from a two minute short to
a 26-minute feature - will be screened
at Ventura’s Poinsettia Pavilion over two
evenings: Friday and Saturday, March
13th
and 14th
. Most of the films were
drawn from the 2015 national tour and
selected by the Conservancy’s volunteer
Continued on pages 4 -5

2. 2 Ventura Hillsides Conservancy Outlook Spring 2015
President’s Message
Poised for Success
in 2015
VHC News Briefs
T
he recent rains brought much needed moisture to our hills and watershed
areas. With that, the Ventura River, which had stopped flowing above ground,
again came to life. This is important because now the plants and animals
indigenous to our area are returning. So begins a new chapter in the life of the Ventura
River watershed.
The relationships VHC strengthened in 2014 with local landowners, government
officials, local organizations and potential grantors promises to bring land acquisition
opportunities and continued stewardship projects closer to reality in 2015. Armed
with an updated strategic plan, a invigorated board and staff, and potential funding
for land acquisition, your conservancy is on the verge of something big.
VHC recently received $135,000 to remove invasive non-native vegetation and
$87,000 for local students to plant trees and beautify the stretch of the Ventura River
Parkway just south of Foster Park. We’ve also received funding to construct a large
interpretive kiosk near the Main Street Bridge to showcase the river parkway and our
massive clean-up efforts restoring the recreational trail to a healthier estuary. We are
honored to continue translating your continued support into greater conservation
benefits for all area residents.
I want take a moment to sincerely thank two trustees who will be cycling off
the board this spring: Tim Coonan, who has served on the board since 2011 and
as president the past three years. As a wildlife biologist, Tim’s expertise has been
invaluable to the conservancy during his tenure.
I want to also thank Tom Weisel, who joined the board in 2009 and has served
as vice president of the conservancy. Tom has brought an important guiding hand to
the organization. Together, Tim and Tom have been a dynamic duo and will surely be
missed.
Finally, thank you to the many dozens of hard working volunteers and hundreds
of members who help to keep your conservancy vital and moving forward.
I’ve been involved in the conservancy for over 10 years, first as a member, then
as an advisor, trustee and now as president. Please let us know if you have questions,
comments or ideas about the work that we are doing – we want to hear from you!
David Comden
President, Ventura Hillsides Conservancy
Ventura Hillsides Conservancy Outlook
Tel: 805-643-8044 • P.O. Box 1284, Ventura, CA 93002 www.venturahillsides.org
Stephen Svete, Editor / email: editor@venturahillsides.org
Contributors: David Comden, Joe Cahill, Dashiell Dunkell,
Richard Francis, Derek Poultney, Lee Sherman,
Layout/Design Frank Boross Media Services
q
Outlook is published semi-annually by the Ventura Hillsides Conservancy,
a 501 (c) (3) California nonprofit organization.
Story submissions and ideas welcomed.
Copyright ©2015 Ventura Hillsides Conservancy. All rights reserved.
Conservancy Readmitted as a Member
of the California Council of LandTrusts
The Ventura Hillsides Conservancy
has re-attained full membership
status with the California Council
of Land Trusts (CCLT). CCLT is a
unified voice for more than 150 land
trusts working in local communities
throughout California. VHC’s
membership was suspended in 2010
related to differences over the details
of a land donation accepted that
year. Under the guidance of President
Tim Coonan, the Conservancy spent
the better part two years upgrading
its policies and practices to meet
CCLT’s membership qualifications.
Its qualifications ensure that CCLT
membership consists only of land trusts
that are engaged in and dedicated to
sustainable land conservation, that
conduct themselves in accordance
with legal and equitable principles
appropriate for non-profit organizations
operating solely in the public interest,
and that implement the highest
standards and practices of charitable
management. The Conservancy has
been a member of the national corollary
organization, the Land Trust Alliance,
since 2003.
Thanks to the loyal support of
our members, volunteers, board and
staff, VHC has proven its ability to
properly acquire and effectively manage
conservation lands in a challenging
urban setting. With full membership
status in these important organizations,
VHC is poised to compete at the
highest level for state and national
funding to increase our land holdings
for the benefit of people and wildlife in
and around Ventura.

3. 3Spring 2015 Ventura Hillsides Conservancy Outlook
But there are other benefits, and we are
seeing those now. The area is safer and
cleaner for visitors to explore. Wildlife
has returned in noticeable numbers.
Since acquiring the Willoughby
property in July of 2012, VHC
volunteers have collectively removed
over 10 acres of invasive vegetation
and over 900 tons of trash left by
illicit campers. The native plant life is
rebounding and we are noticing a lot
more wildlife on the preserve.
Last April, when the Willoughby
Preserve had been cleared of camps,
trash, and Arundo for about a 18
months, several volunteers, including
local botanist Ken Niessen, ecologist
Matt James, and biologist Jamie King,
gathered on the property to conduct
a “Bio Blitz.” A Bio Blitz establishes
a documented inventory of all the
different species of flora and fauna
onsite at a particular moment and
results in a baseline condition. The
data the team gathered tells the story of
how bad conditions had become in the
years prior to VHC’s acquisition and
restoration of the property, how much
better they are now, and how much
better they’ll be in the coming years.
Conservancy staff patrols the entire
estuary area twice weekly. Thanks to
our dedicated volunteers, we are proud
to report that the entire east side of
the Ventura River bottom between the
Main Street Bridge and the ocean is
free of campers and trash and ready for
trail and interpretive improvements to
enhance the Ventura River Parkway.
We encourage everyone to visit
the Willoughby Preserve and wander
the paths of this newly restored area.
Visitors will enjoy great views of the
estuary, ocean and when looking
directly north up the main channel of
the river, the mountains above Ojai.
You never know when you’ll get lucky
and see an endangered steelhead passing
through – like we often do at the Big
Rock Preserve, just downstream from
Foster Park.
Willoughby
RestorationContinued from page one
a couple of deer popped out. It was
awesome.”
As a requirement of the Federal
Clean Water Act, the State Regional
Water Quality Control Board has
mandated a Total Maximum Daily
Load (TMDL) program. The term
refers to the maximum levels of trash
that can enter waters of the United
States. The Ventura River is one
such regulated watershed, and the
Conservancy has been at the center of
a strong collaboration with the Ventura
County Watershed Protection District,
City of Ventura, State Parks, Caltrans,
County Fairgrounds, The CREW,
California Conservation Corps, and
Resource Conservation Partners to assist
responsible local agencies in complying
with these important environmental
laws safeguarding our water supplies
and quality. Our impressive cadres of
volunteers that have participated in
countless cleanups on our Willoughby
Preserve and in other downstream
Ventura River estuary waters have
significantly improved water quality.
The great blue heron(Ardeaherodias) is a large wading
bird in the heron family Ardeidae, common near the
shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North
America and Central America.The great blue heron can
adapt to almost any wetland habitat in its range.They
may be found in numbers in fresh and saltwater marshes,
mangrove swamps, flooded meadows, lake edges, or
shorelines. Spotted in ourWilloughby Preserve.
The snowy egret (Egrettathula)is a small white heron.
Protected in the United States by the Migratory BirdTreaty
Act, its numbers have rebounded. Their breeding habitat
is large inland and coastal wetlands from the lower Great
Lakes and southwestern United States to South America.
Viewed at ourWilloughby Preserve.
Lee Sherman served as Membership and Development Coordinator for over
four years. We thank him for his many contributions.
PhotosbyDerekPoultney.

4. 4 Ventura Hillsides Conservancy Outlook Spring 2015
film committee. In addition, VHC will present a short subject film of mountain
biking by local adventure sport filmmaker Maxwell Frank, and a documentary
about Ventura Water’s Take 1 Festival. Frank will be on hand to address the
audience.
Filmgoers will be introduced to environmental action on four continents.
In addition to providing informative and engaging cinema, the Wild & Scenic
Film Festival serves as the land trust’s annual membership drive. New members
can join and former members (if lapsed before September 1, 2014) can re-join
at the $35 level and receive two free tickets. Join or
renew at the $50 level and receive four free tickets. Join
or renew at the $100 level and receive 10 free tickets or
four Silver Circle tickets. Individual tickets are $10 each
night. Silver Circle tickets are $25 each and offer reserved
seating in the first four rows plus one drink ticket!
The event is locally sponsored by Ventura County
Credit Union, Cal Am Water, City of Ventura
Environmental Services, Ventura Water, REI, Poseidon
Brewing Company, Two Trees Brewing Company, and
many others.
“Wild and Scenic is always a huge success” said
Gary Bednorz, film festival committee co-chair. “Wild
& Scenic is inspiring because it connects the work of
our local land trust to similar efforts of community and
environmental projects around the globe. It is also just
plain fun, as citizens from around the region join to
celebrate in the iconic Poinsettia Pavilion.”
For updated and additional info about the film
festival, please visit out our website: venturahillsides.org.
Friday Night Films, March 13
I Heard—MichaelRamseyDirector,AbbeySmithProducer,
Stacy Bare Executive Producer
A Seuss-esque journey into some of the 110+ million acres of
designated American wilderness
that we have to enjoy. Award-
winning filmmaker Michael
Ramsey’s short film celebrates
the 50th Anniversary of the
Wilderness Act which ensures that we will have places “...
where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled
by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain.”
(2014, 3 min.)
Monarchs and Milkweed — Steven M. Bumgardner
Take a microcosmic safari through a field of milkweed
and discover a whole world of life, from bees to wasps to
hummingbirdstobutterflies.ThecharismaticMonarchbutterfly
is completely dependent on
milkweed for its survival, and
places like Yosemite National
Parkofferprotectionforthisoften
overlooked plant. (2014, 8 min.)
Catch It — Sarah Menzies, Let Media
LéaBrassygrewupsurfingthewarmwatersofSouthernFrance.
Accustomedtoalifeontheroad,hernomadiclifestyletakesa
pause at the Unstad break in the Lofoten Islands in Northern
Norway.Trading in her bikini for a thick wetsuit, she connects
withthesurroundingmountains,Arctic
surf, and simple living. Whether it’s
paddling hard for a wave, or chasing
after a passion - Léa reminds us that if
the timing is right, we have to Catch It. (2014, 10 min.)
TheEdgeofImpossible —ConorToumarkine,RoyTuscan
Inthespringof2014,theHighFivesFoundationgaveaWinter
Empowerment grant to provide the team with the tools and
travel necessary for Tony Schmiesing to accomplish “The
Edge of Impossible” trip to Points North Heli-Adventures in
Cordova, Alaska! This uplifting and truly inspirational video
wasproducedtoshowcasethehuman
spirit and allow Tony to accomplish
the life-long goal of experiencing
the weightlessness of pure Alaskan
powder skiing. (2014, 13 min.)
BrilliantDarkness:HotaruintheNight —EmilyDriscoll
Thisfilmexplorestheimportanceofdarknessthroughthestudy
and preservation of firefly habitats in Japan and the United
States. Fireflies are reportedly disappearing, as artificial night
lightsdisrupttheir‘languageoflight’.Thisfilmfeaturesartists
and scientists on different continents working to understand
firefly flash patterns and how to live among wildlife in urban
settings. (2014, 12 min.)
Bird Songs of Yosemite — Steven M. Bumgardner
Yosemite National Park’s beautiful landscapes also contain
unique soundscapes, and birders
and ornithologist flock to the park
to see and hear over 250 species of
birds.Openyoureyesandearstothe
birdsongsofYosemite!(2014,6min.)
The Colorado River —Jeff Litton
The Colorado River is more than beautiful, it sustains life for
11,000speciesincludingus.SeasonedExpeditionLeaderDave
Edwards shares a funny story and
what he takes away after almost
40yearsofrowingdowntheGrand
Canyon. visit ChangeTheCourse.us
(2014, 5 min.)
River of Eden
— Peter McBride
JoinfilmmakerPeteMcBride,aNationalGeographicFreshwater
Hero, on a journey into the Fijian Highlands to discover why
the locals said“no”to easy money from
resource extraction, and how they
turnedtotourismtofundaconservation
area that protects one of the most
beautifulriversonEarth.(2014,5min.)
Sufferfest 2 — CedarWright
After The original Sufferfest, in which Professional Climbers
Alex Honnold and Cedar Wright enchained all of the 14k
peaks in California by bike, they swore they’d never do
ilm Festival
Continued from page 1
F

5. 5Spring 2015 Ventura Hillsides Conservancy Outlook
Become a
Sustaining
Member:
It’s easy!
B
ecoming a Sustaining
Member to the Ventura
Hillsides Conservancy
is an easy way to ensures that
more of your membership dollar
goes directly to support land
acquisition, habitat restoration,
and natural resources education
programs. A Sustaining Member’s
monthly contribution is deducted
automatically from your credit
or debit card, which means no
renewal dates to remember, no
checks to write, no stamps to buy,
and no reminders from us – so
we spend less time and money
printing and posting.
By reducing administrative
costs, more of your contribution
goes to support work that
makes a real difference in our
community. Your membership
is always current, and you can
increase, decrease or suspend your
monthly contribution at any time
by contacting our staff by mail,
phone or email.
Spreading your support over
time is easier on your budget
and gives VHC the security of a
steady, reliable stream of support.
You’ll have the satisfaction of
knowing that you are playing a
key role in helping to preserve
our precious open space for
generations to come.
Contact us or visit www.
venturahillsides.org to learn more.
Become a sustaining member
today!
something like that again. But... with
selective memory being one of this
quirky duo’s strengths, less than a year
later, they were planning Sufferfest 2,
and ambitious bike powered journey to
climb45ofthemosticonicDesertTowers
in the American Southwest, by bike.This time Alex and Cedar
are also finishing the trip with a Solar Project on the Navajo
land where they plan to finish their trip... but will they finish?
(2014, 26 min.)
Front Country Descent
— Maxwell Frank
Explore the Santa Barbara front-
range along with professional
mountain bike rider Jeff Kendall-
Weed as he makes a dramatic
descent from Lizard’s Mouth to the gorgeous Santa Barbara
Channel,displayinghisuniqueridingskills.(USA,2015,2min.)
SaturdayNightFilms,March14
Spaceship Earth Passenger
Safety Briefing — Dave Gardner
Whatifeverypassengeronourplanet,
SpaceshipEarth,hadtowatchaquick
safetyvideobeforetakeoff?Whatadvicewouldwegettoavoid
a crash or other disaster? Fasten your seatbelt and watch!
(2014, 2 min.)
Pride of Namibia — Andy Maser, Jenny Nichols
Namibia is home to one of the
greatest wildlife recovery story
ever told. “Pride of Namibia”
tells the story of communities
committed to protecting wildlife,
ofanationthathasenshrinedconservationintoitsconstitution,
and of the future of responsible travel – tourism that directly
benefits the people who give wildlife freedom to roam.
(2014, 6 min)
Twenty Eight Feet: Life on a Little Wooden Boat
— Kevin A Fraser, MelaniWood
A short documentary about David Welsford, who has given
up the luxuries of land in search for happiness and adventure
on a 50 year old wooden boat he restored from a scrap heap.
(2013, 8 min.)
Love in the Tetons
— Amy Marquis, Dana Romanoff
Fifteen years ago, Juan Martinez, an
at-risk teenager from south-central
LosAngeles,steppedoffabusinGrandTetonNationalParkand
sawthestarsforthefirsttimeinhislife.Theexperienceinspired
him to connect more diverse and urban youth to nature, and
in the process, he met Vanessa Torres, a park ranger, and fell
in love all over again. This debut film of NPX’s 10-part series
reveals the compelling journey that led Juan to theTetons, to
Vanessa,andtohisrenewedvisionoftheAmericanDream:one
that blooms out of love, inclusion, and our living, breathing
national parks. (2014, 9 min.)
Bounce — Guillaume Blanchet
I am not a good freestyle player,
but I love to give it a try. For two
yearsnow,I’vebeenluckyenough
tovisitafewcountrieswithaballasafaithfulcompanion.
(2014, 4 min.)
The Wilderness Act: 50th Anniversary
— Mark Decena
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of theWilderness Act,
thisfilmcaptureswhatdroveusasanationtocreatethe
WildernessAct.Thosemotivationsarepartiallyrootedin
the fight to protect, but also the wonderment of seeing
and feeling these lands and realizing their priceless
value to not only nature, but human nature. One of the
contemporary themes addressed is wilderness as an
antidote to our device-addicted culture. (2014, 8 min.)
Common Ground — Alexandria Bombach
Severalranchingandfarmingcommunitieslivingagainst
the stunning landscape of the Rocky Mountain Front in
Montanaarefacedwiththedecisionofwhatistobecome
of this unprotected public land.When the people begin
toraisetheirvoices,theycometofindthatwhatisfeared
most is change. (2014. 18 min.)
Dream — Skip Armstrong
I wonder... if... one day... When a newbie kayaker goes
paddling, he discovers a posse of pros on the river and
wonders whether someday he could be that cool. A
daydream in the eddy transforms the purple-helmeted
rookieintoawhitewaterAdonis.JoinkayakerBenMarras
hetakesustoaworldwhereapaddler’swildestfantasies
come true. (2014, 5 min.)
Dryden
TheSmallTownthatChangedtheFrackingGame
— Chris Jordan-Bloch, Kathleen Sutcliffe
The industry kept saying:‘We have the power; you have
none. We are coming. Get out of the way or leave,’’said
Joanne Cipolla-Dennis, recalling what happened when
theoilandgasindustrycametohertownofDryden,NY.
But Joanne and her neighbors came up with a plan.This
is the true story of people who discovered their shared
strength and turned the tables on a powerful industry.
(2014, 11 min.)
The Story of Place —
Sinuhe Xavier, Justin Clifton
Deep into the unprotected
territory of Southeastern Utah, Author Craig Childs
narrates the story of this grand landscape, how it has
shapedeachandeveryoneofus,andthethreatsthiswild
landscape is currently facing. (2014, 8 min)
The Ridge — Danny Macaskill
ForthefirsttimeinoneofhisfilmsDannyclimbsaboard
amountainbikeandreturnstohisnativehomeoftheIsle
ofSkyeinScotlandtotakeonadeath-defyingridealong
the notorious Cuillin Ridgeline. (2014, 8 min.)

6. 6 Ventura Hillsides Conservancy Outlook Spring 2015
ANNUAL PICNIC FETES VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR: Lindsey Svete
“Arundo Man”sculpture by Mike Batt made from bamboo
cane collected in ourWilloughby Preserve.
Lindsey Svete,Volunteer of theYear 2014
A Fond Farewell to
the Tierra Dominguez
Property
In late 2007 a friend of the
Conservancy named Luis Dominguez
generously donated a one-acre property
to VHC, making it the first property
we assumed responsibility for since
becoming a land trust in 2003.
William B. Smith, then a VHC Trustee
who managed the transaction, said at
the time “I truly hope that this generous
donation of land will inspire other
landowners and community members to
work with VHC to conserve Ventura’s
open space… for future generations.”
Indeed it has, as the Conservancy
currently owns and manages about
25 acres of Ventura River riparian and
upland property donated.
Continued on page 8
T
his past November, the
Conservancy hosted its annual
Volunteer Appreciation Picnic
at the Redwood Glen in Arroyo
Verde Park. Over 50 staff, volunteers,
trustees, members, and friends
enjoyed a lunch BBQ. Quite a few
folks rode their bikes, which was very
pleasing for our Volunteer of the Year,
Lindsey Svete.
“I am almost neurotic about
reducing my carbon footprint. I ride
my bike everywhere, take a bus to
work, am super proud of my backyard
compost efforts, and LOVE thrift
stores and everything they give to
energized our work crews. “I love to
volunteer with the Conservancy on
the Ventura River because water is the
foundation of life, and to reconnect
a community with its watershed and
encourage stewardship of natural
resources is a beautiful thing.” We
couldn’t agree more!
On behalf of the Conservancy,
Lindsey received a Certificate of
Appreciation from Congresswoman
Julia Brownley as well as a sculpture
from Mike Batt of Crazy N’Ocean,
whose “Arundo Man” sculpture
(pictured) stole the show. Mike uses
nothing but reclaimed and recycled
material in his environmental
friendly art works: The arundo
for “Arundo Man” came from
our Big Rock Preserve in the
Ventura River! Check out his
work at https://www.crazynocean.com.
If you are interested in becoming
a volunteer please call the VHC office
at 805-643-8044 or send an email to
volunteer@venturahillsides.org.
society!’ remarked Lindsey, who works
in Water Conservation at California
American Water in Thousand Oaks.
A Southern California native, she
received her undergraduate degree
in Hydrologic Sciences at UCSB.
Lindsey then spent several years
abroad, earning a Master’s Degree in
Environment and Natural
Resources at the Norwegian
University of Life Sciences,
where she met her husband.
They lived in Europe for
four years, working as
conservation volunteers
in England and on
organic farms in Italy
through the WWOOF
program (World Wide
Opportunities on
Organic Farms, www.
wwoof.net).
Lindsey has been a
constant presence at all
of our Ventura River clean
ups since returning to the
area and her spirit and
enthusiasm have really
Sandwiched between two
residential properties and containing
less than a quarter-acre of walkable
land between the edge of Grant Park
and Cedar Place just east of Ventura
Avenue, the Tierra Dominguez
property could never really fulfill
VHC’s mission of providing public
recreational access on important
aesthetic or natural resource lands. It
was small, steep, and too close to the
adjacent residences, and zoned for
residential use. VHC contemplated
hosting a community garden there,
but even this idea met opposition from
neighbors. Even without public access,
it became a place where folks dumped
miscellaneous debris and yard waste.
Under federal tax law, VHC is
required to keep the donated land for
at least three years before using the sale
money toward other land acquisition
projects that better fulfill our mission.
So we cleaned up the property, installed
a gate (thank you Lucas Overton!),
worked hard to pass weed abatement
inspections every year (thanks John and
Theresa Darling and Ken Merideth!),
and waited for the economy to recover.
In the summer of 2014, VHC teamed
FormerTrustee Bill Smith surveys the lowland portion of the
Tierra Dominguez parcel in 2008.

7. 7Spring 2015 Ventura Hillsides Conservancy Outlook
VHC wins $87,000 grant
to reestablish trees in
Ventura River Parkway
H
elping close out 2014 on a
high note, the Conservancy
learned in December that it
was awarded a grant from the County
of Ventura’s Tree Mitigation Fund
to plant protected trees on and near
our Big Rock Preserve in the Ventura
River Parkway. We plan to restore over
450 California sycamore (platanus
racemosa), valley oak (quercus lobata),
and coast live oak (quercus agrifolia)
trees to areas that are currently bare
ground or contain invasive species.
Planting these beautiful native trees
will benefit wildlife, improve water
quality, and encourage public visitation
and use of the area. The tree planting
will also enhance our ongoing invasive
species removal project by restoring
native species into and around
the affected areas. Included in the
$87,080 grant is funding to bring
local schoolchildren to the preserve to
help plant trees and to learn about the
benefits of restoration.
In addition to plantings on
Conservancy property, the tree
plantings will occur on Caltrans right-
of-way, city of Ventura and county of
Ventura lands adjacent to the Ventura
River Trail south of Foster Park. The
target areas have been cleared of
invasive Arundo donax on our Big
Rock Preserve. We are enthusiastic
Ventura Botanical Gardens
Demonstrates Demand for
Hillside Hiking
By Richard Francis
Demonstrating the long-latent
desires to hike our precious
hills, Venturans and visitors have
been making a success story of the
Ventura Botanical Gardens. Begun
in approximately 2005, citizens from
all over Ventura County gathered to
discuss the possibility of locating a
botanical garden that would inspire
and educate visitors of all ages. In
2007, they formed the non-profit
corporation with tax-benefits for
donors under the IRS Code, §501(c)
(3) designation. While finding the
perfect site was exhausting, eventually
the search committee settled on Grant
Park which was offered by the City of
Ventura when they were asked for a
mere 12 acres.
Utilizing a concept developed
by the acclaimed landscape architect
Mia Lehrer, a long-range plan for
the site will include world class
gardens representing the five major
Mediterranean climate environments
of the world, including the California
coast. The gardens will provide
interpretive educational, cultural,
historic and aesthetic experiences for
people of all ages, backgrounds and
abilities.
about the benefits of tree planting
along the bike trail because as large
canopy native trees, these species will
provide shade, improve air quality,
and diminish the effects of road noise
from the nearby State Highway 33.
As they mature and grow, these trees
will also sequester atmospheric carbon,
offsetting the green house gases emitted
by vehicles using the Highway 33
as well as those generated by heavy
equipment and machinery used at
nearby petroleum extraction sites.
VHC believes strongly in involving
the public in our conservation efforts.
Through direct hands-on involvement
in conservation we hope to reconnect
the people to the neglected yet vital
natural resource that is the Ventura
River. The funding for youth outreach
will enable us to reach children
from disadvantaged neighborhoods
who otherwise would not have the
opportunity to participate in outdoor
projects such as this one. We will
also need plenty of volunteer help in
order to implement this grant-funded
project, so keep your eyes out for
upcoming opportunities!
Ventura Hillsides
Conservancy
— OUR MISSION —
The Ventura Hillsides Conservancy is a land
trust operating in the Ventura region to
protect and conserve open space resources
through acquisition of land and easements,
stewardship of protected lands, and public
education about local natural resources.
Board of Trustees
David Comden, President
Paul Meehan Vice-President
Jennifer Montoya, Secretary
Lynn Bartosh
Tim Coonan
Richard Francis
Gerhardt Hubner
Jens Reddeman
Tom Weisel
VHC is a proud member of the LandTrust Alliance — Visit www.lta.org
Continued on page 8
Photo by Richard Francis
Sycamore (platanusracemosa)grows in Cañada Larga. Photo by
Stephen Svete

8. 8 Ventura Hillsides Conservancy Outlook Spring 2015
Non-Profit Org.
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OXNARD, CA
www.venturahillsides.org • Printed on recycled paper.
www.venturahillsides.org
Ventura Hillsides Conservancy
PO Box 1284 • Ventura, CA 93002
A D D R E S S S E R V I C E R E Q U E S T E D
VENTURA HILLSIDES
CONSERVANCY 2015
CALENDAR
March 13-14 Wild & Scenic Film Festival
7 PM – 10 PM Poinsettia
Pavilion
March 21 Volunteer fieldwork morning
9 AM-Noon
April 9 VHC Presentation at the
Agricultural Museum, Santa
Paula, 2 PM
April 16 Volunteer fieldwork morning
9 AM-Noon
April 18 Volunteer fieldwork morning
9 AM-Noon
May VHC's Annual Meeting
May 16 Volunteer fieldwork morning
9 AM-Noon
June Annual River Picnic:Tours,
booths, food, music
June 20 --Volunteer fieldwork
morning 9 AM-Noon
July 18 Volunteer fieldwork morning
9 AM-Noon
August 15 Volunteer fieldwork morning
9 AM-Noon
September Annual fundraiser
September 19 --Volunteer
fieldwork morning 9 AM-Noon
October 17 Volunteer fieldwork morning
9 AM-Noon
November 21 Volunteer fieldwork morning
9 AM-Noon
December 19 Volunteer fieldwork morning
9 AM-Noon
up with Realtors Judy Fairchild and Tina Comden of the Fairchild/Ridgway Re/
Max Gold Coast Real Estate Group who generously agreed to take on this sales
project pro bono. Thanks to their efforts, we found the perfect westside couple to
purchase the property and call it their home. The money from the sale has been
invested into our growing stewardship endowment and earmarked for a future
hillside land acquisition. But that first land gift will always be remembered. A
heartfelt thanks to Midge and Luis Dominguez for their generous donation, which
has primed the pump for VHC to continue its land conservation work.
Farewell to the Tierra Dominguez Property (cont. from page 6)
In 2012, the group was able to obtain a License
Agreement with the City of Ventura, and commenced its
“Trail Demonstration Project.” Hikers have been enjoying
the demonstration trail since 2014. Later that year, the
trail was voted by VC Reporter readers as “Best Hiking
Trail in Ventura County.” It traverses the first plantings
in the “Chilean” Garden section of the park. In January of
this year, the Ventura Planning Commission unanimously
recommended a zoning change and a use permit to enable
the Gardens to proceed with their long-range plan.
Hosting between 1200 to 1500 people per week, it is
clear that the garden trail addresses a profound pent-up
demand for hiking in Ventura’s glorious hills that is barely
being met. The Hillsides Conservancy applauds the work
done by the Ventura Botanical Gardens, and respects it
as a kindred spirit in the conservation world. At VHC,
we support the Gardens organization and enjoy watching
it develop into a finished product with gardens, designed
view sites, trails and bridges. Also, prepare to enjoy
hiking the hills behind Ventura as the Conservancy closes
in on its plans to make recreational hiking available in
the precious hillsides of Ventura – an activity we know is
growing in popularity.
Botanical Gardens (cont. from pg. 7)
Photo by Joe Cahill
VISIT OUR FACEBOOK PAGE —
for up to the minute information
facebook/venturahills