A quiet Friday class addressed the lexicon of environmental studies. Understanding concepts like eco-system, bio-diversity, monoculture, and restoration ecology, prepared students for Saturday’s service work, where they converted these terms and principles in actions.
OVS students partnered with the Ojai Valley Green Coalition, C.R.E.W (Concerned Resource Environmental Workers), and community members in an on-going restoration project in Ojai’s Libbey Park.
Ojai Valley, historically, was crossed by many small seasonal and perennial streams draining the foothill watershed. Now most have been channelized into a system of barrancas or have been otherwise impacted by human activities. Today’s effort focused on removing non-native blackberry brambles and vinca from a seasonal riparian habitat in Libbey Park and re-planting natives.
OVS students’ first assignment was hand-carrying buckets of creek water to 14 California sycamores and coast live oaks that had been planted on an earlier workday.
Afterwards, students went hands-on in the “detail” work of digging out re-starts from a previous large-scale removal. This work was dirty and hot– temperatures above 80 degrees–but the group worked productively, with good-humor and focus.
The second half of the morning revealed another side of restoration. Volunteers planted native mulefat, willow, mugwort and coast live oaks that will hopefully re-establish in this area, providing lush riparian habitat for amphibians, other wildlife.
For information about upcoming workdays please visit OVGC’s website or contact david@ojaivalleygreencoalition.com or call (805) 669-8445. For more information about employment and leadership opportunities with The C.R.E.W. or their projects visit their website at www.thecrew.org
Always inspiring reports on this site. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for checking in. I’m looking forward to our continued participation with this project.