OVLC manages about 2,600 acres of open space in the Ojai Valley, including a spectacular network of trails populated by a diverse array of native species. In honor of these sacred lands the indigenous Chumash called The Valley of the Moon, and as a beneficiary of their protection and preservation, I wanted to pay their work forward.
I conceived, planned, and led a series of monthly summer-night hikes, each coinciding with and celebrating that month’s full moon. The experiences viscerally connected hundreds of community members—reached through social media content I created—to OVLC’s mission, and to the value of taking an active role in protecting access to public lands. The series was also an opportunity to practice the environmental stewardship that is part of my mission as a University of California Certified Naturalist
