The mission of the Ojai Valley Green Coalition is to bring together community organizations, government, schools, businesses, and people of all ages to make the Ojai Valley a model green and sustainable community.
Formed in 2007, motivated by Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth, the OVGC has organized committees to work as a community toward a sustainable future. These include
- Building / Construction
- Energy
- Environmental Health
- Food and Agriculture
- Transportation
- Waste Management
- Watershed
OVGC WATERSHED COMMITTEE Mission Statement:
... to balance and integrate people and living systems through a healthy sustainable watershed.
As the committee gets organized, initial goals and project ideas include the following:
Education and Information Projects :
(Our target audiences will be the general public, policy makers and schools.)
a) Present an evening program to educate the coalition about the watershed
b) Develop a document about the watershed to include a vision for the watershed
c) Get existing videos about the watershed on local cable
d) Compile and distribute BASIC Water Conservation information
Policy issues:
a) Draft ideas to present to Ojai City Council – i.e. IMPLEMENT Magney Urban Creeks Plan
b) Draft ideas for the Ventura River Watershed Council
c) Stakeholder Watershed Plan
Direct action:
a) Create Watershed Map – put on internet – Google Maps(?)
b) Install Watershed signs when one enters the area or to identify waterways in the area
c) Support policies of Ojai Trees, regenerating the urban forest through citizen action
d) Create a watershed website
e) Promote legislation to outlaw invasive plants like Arundo
f) Demonstrate the use of swales and private ocean friendly/drought-tolerant gardens in Ojai
g) Presentations to homeowners groups/institutions
To get involved, Watershed Committee meetings are held at 7 p.m. on the first Thursday of the month at either the Chaparral Auditorium or Ojai School District Board Room. Check the OVGC website for upcoming dates: Ojai Valley Green Coalition
