The Ventura Hillsides Music Festival was established in 2003 and ran for 10 successful years. The funds and awareness raised through these events helped to launch the Ventura Hillsides Conservancy (now VLT) and substantially grow its base of support. Thanks to the hard work of the volunteers and staff who created these events, VLT was able to accept several donations of land within the Ventura River watershed, and could get to work restoring and opening these preserves to the public. VLT’s success there led to greater awareness and support from the community.

When the Ventura Hillsides Music Festival was put on hiatus after ten smashing years, another great annual event, the Wild and Scenic Film Festival, came to replace it as VLT’s signature annual event.

The Ventura River has been heavily impacted by the proliferation of illegal camps and the trash and pollution they generate. No trash or septic services are available in these areas, and as a consequence, vast quantities of refuse enter our river and end up on our beaches and in our ocean. In some areas vital habitat for native and migrating species has been degraded beyond the capacity to support wildlife. To address this issue the Land Trust has partnered with the City of Ventura and various local social service organizations to offer “a hand up, instead of a hand-out” to individuals who are ready to make a change for the better. We do our best to make it possible for people interested in those services to make the transition from outdoor living to case management and recovery programs. Project Understanding, the Salvation Army and the Turning Point Foundation are organizations who provide services to this population and their help has been instrumental in our efforts to reclaim and reconnect to our water source.

Ventura Land Trust has a diverse base of support, including individuals, foundations, businesses, government agencies, and earned income. Some the strategies employed by VLT to raise funds include:

Enlisting a broad membership base
Sponsoring fundraising events
Soliciting direct monetary donations
Receiving endowments and gifts
Pursuing grants from foundations and government agencies
Partnering with other organizations to obtain grant monies in conjunction with a project of mutual interest

Our land stewardship strategy balances public recreation, preservation of scenic views, and enhancement of ecosystem values. Baseline studies are conducted in order to assess biological and cultural resources present on the land, and restoration and recreation plans are developed accordingly. Trails for hiking and cycling may be built depending on the area, and all potential land uses will be overseen by the experts on our stewardship committee.

If you are interested in helping the Ventura Land Trust by donating your time and expertise we have a robust volunteer program. If you like to get outdoors you can attend one of our monthly habitat restoration events, which generally occur every third Saturday of the month from 9AM-Noon, or join our WHIP (Wildlife Habitat Improvement Program), which meets every Sunday and Monday from 8-10 AM. More information can be found on our events page. We also have several committees in which you could participate depending on your interest and skill, including for special events and our annual film festival. Other committees include Development, Education, Land, Stewardship and Finance.

VCHP and the Land Trust are two separate nonprofit corporations with their own boards. There is no overlap in board membership. VCHP is a 501(c)(4) political, non-tax deductible non-profit run entirely by volunteers. VCHP has no sign-up fees or dues. The Land Trust is a 501(c)(3) tax deductible non-profit land trust. The Land Trust has membership dues and paid professional staff to accomplish its mission to acquire, manage and protect open space lands for public access.scription