Open Space...What is it? Open space is many things to different people. Presently, "open space" is a buzz word in Ventura County and around the country. Over 1,300 land trusts or conservancies protect over 12 million acres of open space around the country. The largest group is The Nature Conservancy, which protects lands throughout the world and the smallest, are land trusts that are the size of the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy (OVLC). Most land conservancies are private, nonprofit corporations, which depend on donations from individuals with some support from private and public grants. Over the past five years, OVLC has received 70% of its funding from individuals and businesses in the Ojai Valley and Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties.