Ojai Valley Green Coalition

The Ojai Valley Green Coalition operates throughout the Ojai Valley because of the tireless efforts of a long list of volunteers. In April we were pleased to welcome architect Vina Lustado further into the fold as our newest board member. She has been working on the built environment council and helping as a volunteer with various events since early 2010.

With a reputation as Shangri-La, a noted commitment to its natural and cultural resources, and a long history as a sanctuary for spiritual and physical rejuvenation, Ojai seems perfectly poised to join in the growing global trend of Ecotourism. On Saturday and Sunday, April 14 and 15, an interactive forum will be held to explore the possibilities of bringing together the Ojai Valley’s unique assets for an Ecotourism initiative, with the goal of creating a plan of action.

At the February 28 city council meeting Executive Director Deborah Pendrey gave a heartfelt presentation and several individuals along with representatives from the Surfrider Foundation and Santa Barbara Channelkeeper gave further testimony as to the importance of passing the ordinance (some support conditional on changes to the ordinance). Council members requested several changes, but with a vote 5 to 0, supported the ordinance, and on March 13 a final reading will be done and the ordinance is expected to officially become law! Now, the ordinance is a ban on plastic bags (state law does not allow a fee on them) with a fee on paper bags because the point is to reduce all single-use point of sale bags.

"The goal of the ballot initiative is simply that GE (genetically engineered) food be labeled" - Jan Dietrick and Ron Whitehurst

Thank you Jan and Ron for your tireless leadership, time, and effort!

If you agree we have a right to know and are a registered voter, but have not signed yet, please make a point of doing so at one of these locations before April 22. For sites outside of Ojai go to www.labelgmos.org/ventura.

- Ojai Farmers' Market, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sundays

Businesses hosting tables with petitions for Ventura County registered voters only:

- Rainbow Bridge, 211 E. Matilija St., Ojai
- Ojai House, 304 N. Montgomery St., Ojai
- Farmer and the Cook, 339 W. El Roblar Dr., Ojai

If you want to save money and lighten your ecological footprint, read on. At the last community gathering we announced the roll-out of our Ojai Energy Efficiency Initiative with the long term goal of a “Net Zero” valley. The initiative is an educational outreach program to connect energy consumers to the newest technologies and funding resources to help lessen our overall energy consumption.

Spring is coming, and what better time to gather in the beautiful Ojai Valley to share seeds! All gardeners and farmers – both current and aspiring – are invited to join in the fun on Saturday, February 25, at 1:00 p.m. Bring your seeds, bring your stories, and bring your passion for growing food to the Chaparral Auditorium located at 414 E. Ojai Ave., Ojai.

An Ojai Valley-wide meeting about new water quality standards and local options to protect water quality will be hosted by the Coalition on December 13, 2011. Presenting will be the Regional Water Quality Control Board, with local input from the Resource Conservation District and the Waste to Energy bio-digester project.

We’ve raised $1,437 toward our $10,000 matching challenge goal needed by January 31, 2012. Membership has gone from 171 to 186 individuals with many renewing members. We’d love to double membership to 350. Can you be one of those 164 new members? Or add a year-end gift to your existing membership? Or give a membership to someone as a holiday gift?

If you are a new OVGC member, we have been leading an ongoing creek riparian habitat restoration project since November 2009 that began in Ojai Creek inside Libbey Park near Ojai Avenue.

Two volunteer work days are coming up November 19 and December 3, with more in February-March 2012. On the 19th, we will finish up mulching and do planting in Ojai Creek. In December we will move over to the Fox Canyon Barranca to clean out brush, debris and trash. If you are as excited about this project as we are, we invite you to participate. The work days are from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., rain or shine. We meet above the Libbey Park lower tennis courts, up the stairs off the Libbey Park Montgomery St. parking lot before proceeding to the location of the day.

If you are one of the many that cringe at their monthly water bill and/ or want to create a more sustainable lifestyle, you won’t want to miss the Nate Downey presentation on harvesting rainwater – Wednesday, October 19, hosted by the Coalition. The talk and book signing will be from 7 to 9:00 p.m. at the Chaparral Auditorium, 414 E. Ojai Avenue.

Nate is part down-to-earth landscaper, hands-on scientist, and, dare we say, entertainer. Luckily for us, he said yes to a stop in Ojai on his way to larger speaking engagements in Santa Barbara and Los Angeles.

Nate’s aim with his latest book, “Harvest the Rain- How to Enrich Your Life by Seeing Every Storm as a Resource,” is to make doing the smart thing ecologically easy and a no-brainer for each and everyone out there. The book is filled with doable projects and ideas that can fit into anyone’s busy schedule, yes even in these days of trying to scrape together a living and, pardon the pun, stay afloat.

Nate shares information on everything from water-catchment techniques (created by digging, preparing soils and mulches, composting, cutting swales, and sowing and planting) to methods for converting an existing septic system into a “sludge-hammer”, a closed system method of converting sewage into useful greywater and eliminating expensive pumping.

Besides being thoroughly practical and enjoyable, his ideas are ranked according to time requirements, expense, and difficulty, and come with the highest of praise from major players in the sustainable and environmental movements.

Dear Ojai Valley Green Coalition members,

Five years ago we held a series of Ojai Valley Wide Discussion (OVWD) meetings held at Nordhoff High School. We worked together and agreed on two priority areas of focus that would have a positive impact on the Ojai Valley. Those two areas were “making the Ojai Valley a model green and sustainable community” and “disaster preparation, including CERT training”.

Green Thumbs Up to New City Manager, Rob Clark

At a city Building Code workshop, Coalition member and green building contractor, Reggie Wood expressed a concern about the lack of a provision to allow residents to thicken the walls of a guest house for energy efficiency purposes without losing interior space. Shortly afterwards we received a copy of an email from the city manager.

“This is actually a zoning issue rather than a building code issue. I have authorized the issuance of a minor administrative variance in these cases so those interested in paying extra for an energy efficient building are allowed to enjoy the same amount of interior space as those who do not. Eventually we should amend the zoning code to make this permissible without a variance.”

Download a simple sheet of 'Top Ten Energy Reduction Tips' HERE.

Come be part of the 12th annual Earth Day event, EarthPlay 2011, on Saturday, April 23, at Oak Grove School. The free event will celebrate sustainable living, global awareness, and the joy of nature.

"I know the adage is ‘make Earth Day everyday’, but gatherings like this can't happen everyday…” says Lori Hamor, Program Director for Food for Thought, an event co-host. “Earth Day is a very special and necessary reminder for all of us to stop and consider our impact on the planet we share."

Join fellow members of the OVGC, and co-hosts Food for Thought, Oak Grove School, and The Ojai Valley Land Conservancy, in a day of environmental exhibits, live entertainment, art, and outdoor activities.

“Educating for Sustainability,” a green school conference hosted by Besant Hill School on January 22, drew participation by schools from as far away as the Bay Area, which were represented by students, administrators, and teachers. Attendees at the conference also included representatives from the Ojai Unified School District, Thacher School, Ojai Valley School, and Oak Grove.