Volunteer

Join our great staff and other volunteers at the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy office, one of our nature preserves, or even in the comfort of your own home. Lend your time and special talents to help with a project that we just couldn’t get done without you. Whether for just a few hours occasionally or on a regular schedule, every hour you can give truly makes a difference. Just let us know what you’d like to do. You’ll find a wonderful group of people working together to protect the Ojai Valley’s natural open spaces. It takes a community, please join us!

Want to help?  Send us an email to let us know what you would like to do info@ovlc.org.

There’s always SO much to do! 

Help out at the office

Experience the ‘pulse’ of the Conservancy by working at our office with our staff and other volunteers on mailings and special projects. We are always thankful for a weekly commitment of a few hours, but once a month or on call volunteers are also much appreciated.

Help us get ready for a special event

During the year OVLC sponsors several fund raising events. Each event has special needs that require unique talents and access to many different things to make them a success.

Trail and Sign Maintenance

Help keep our trails and signage in good shape for the enjoyment and safety of all. Group trail maintenance days are scheduled several times each year. This is a great opportunity to steward the land, and also to gain a wealth of knowledge from trained staff and restoration experts. Learn first hand about preserve projects, and the flora and fauna of each of our unique preserves. Half day sessions are generally scheduled in the morning. Bring your gloves and hand tools, or borrow ours. Check out the events page, or sign up to receive email notices for more info.

Help With Preserve Watch and Hospitality

Walk or ride trails and report on Preserve conditions and activities, or spend a few hours at a trailhead on a weekend morning welcoming guests and raising awareness about preserve etiquette and how they can become a part of keeping the preserves the special places they are. We’ll provide all the materials you’ll need, and an OVLC shirt and hat to wear while on duty. This is a fun way to meet people and to share your passion for what we do.

Help Keep the Preserves Beautiful

If you are interested in helping us keep the Ojai Meadows, Ventura River and other Preserves clean and beautiful, please join us at your leisure by taking a walk with a trash bag. Just take a trash bag with you when you walk the preserves on your own and enjoy the rewards of carrying it out full. Every little bit helps!

Restore Native Habitat, Plant a Tree

Come plant a tree, or provide watering and basic care for newly planted native trees and plants on the preserves to help assure the success of ongoing ecologic restoration projects.

Monitor Preserve Restoration projects

Help us to collect wildlife and plant data and implement habitat protection programs throughout our preserve system. Whether you bring knowledge or just sheer enthusiasm to let us know when you see a new plant or critter appear after a restoration project, we can use your eyes and ears. If you have a camera to document what you see, we welcome photos too.

Be a Preserve Tour Docent

Help guide nature walks of the Preserves for small groups of students, interested citizen groups, potential donors and others. We provide all the training and support documents you’ll need. We try have a team of 8-10 docents on call so that we can always find someone who is available to lead a tour when needed.

Help with Wild About Ojai Eco-education

Come experience our exciting education program. It’s a chance to be outside, learn about the natural world of the Ventura River Watershed and other natural wonders of Ojai. Help others gain a better understanding of the importance of protecting open space for future generations. We are always looking for presenters, and often need people to help lead or assist with a hike, or to check people in and provide hospitality services.

Be our Volunteer Coordinator

Help recruit, train, organize and motivate our volunteer force. Work with groups throughout the community to organize volunteer workdays to assist our small staff with big projects. Keep records, send out emails,

Help Make a Media presentation

Help create a short media presentation to promote the mission of the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy. We are looking for someone who understands, believes in and wants to spread the vision of preserving open space in Ojai. Whether you have the required technical skills, or just the organizational skills to help pull all the different parts (photography, interviews, graphics, duplications, etc.) together, we need you. If you are, or know a generous soul who would like to underwrite this project, all the better!

Write or Proof Newsletter articles or Press Releases

Do you have the interest and the skills to help us prepare our newsletter or write an occasional article? Do you have a great story about how land conservation in Ojai benefits your life or someone elses? We would love to hear it. Also, there are never enough fresh sets of eyes for proofing, so if you are one of those who can seek and destroy those pesky little typos, please let us know!

Help grow our stock of beautiful Ojai Photographs

Do you have or like to take great landscape photos or pictures of wildlife out and about on our Preserves or around the Ojai Valley? We would love to grow our stock of photos.

Call us or sign up today to receive volunteer opportunity notifications!

If you would like to help the Conservancy reach its goals through the generous contribution of your time, please call (805) 649-6852 or email us at info@ovlc.org.