In 2006, founders Tim Baird and Ken Wright, joined together to establish the Ojai Valley Green Coalition and focus on designs, plans, and programs to enhance the health, safety, and quality of the Ojai Valley and create opportunities for community members to connect and contribute to the betterment of the Valley. A couple of years later, in 2008, OVGC established a non-profit status, which allows donors to support the organization and gain a tax deduction.
In Fall 2019, the Ojai Valley Green Coalition Board sought to re-imagine the goals and strategies of the organization. As a result of outreach to the community, members of a small but local group called Project TrimTab (an innovative Ventura River Watershed Resilience coalition that had formed after the Thomas Fire), responded. TrimTab members Kathy Nolan, Janet Sager Knott, and Ray Powers had been looking for a partner with organizational resources such as what OVGC had built up over more than a decade’s work in the Ojai Valley. So, they enthusiastically joined the Ojai Valley Green Coalition Board of Directors to work on new solutions to some of Ojai’s “knottiest” environmental and systemic challenges.
The current Board members are continuing efforts to stimulate, facilitate, and/or lead in education on environmental topics, such as new ideas to mitigate climate change, building planet-friendly new habits, a deeper and stronger love of nature, and creating an inclusive experience throughout the Valley.
As part of the re-imagining and how to best serve the community, the Board has been identifying values, ethics, and potential initiatives, as they develop a new strategic plan to address both the social and the environmental challenges that community members face.
The goals, in summary, are to:
- Build a strong coalition of like-minded collaborative partners
- Design and facilitate educational platforms that empower community members
- Help design and/or support the implementation of programs and projects that move the Ojai Valley closer to adopting measures that greatly mitigate climate change and its current and future impacts
- Address intersectionality of social equity, climate justice, and environmental concern.
One area of interest is the need for “adaptive leadership” that helps transition to healthier models of community design and culture. In this regard, the Board members are committed not only to nature but to the nature of the challenges we are facing.
The perennial mission of the Ojai Valley Green Coalition is to advance a sustainable, resilient, and regenerative Ojai Valley. And, the tactics are evolving. We believe, with your help, we can make a significant impact going forward, as we continue to identify the right problems and develop programs that work, continue to be a bridge between policymakers and community members, and help accelerate collaboration and cooperation in pursuit of intelligent and practical projects that address our challenges today and tomorrow.
Through the years, OVGC has focused on making noticeable impacts in the Valley, and the organization is committed to continuing to support successful initiatives for the community. OVGC’s legacy includes a citywide ban on plastic bags, Ojai Ride and Roll, town halls focused on Fire Safe Building, Seed Swaps, Earth Day celebrations, E-waste collections, Green Living tours, creek clean-ups, workshop series at The Ojai Demonstration Garden, and much more. Please feel free to contact us about taking leadership in any of these kinds of projects or programs, so we can work to support your efforts, too.
Ways you can participate and become involved include:
- Become a supporting donor member
- Renew your monthly contribution
- Attend programs we offer or support
- Volunteer for programs and/or services
- Become a Guide or an Advisor
Sincerely,
Ojai Valley Green Coalition Board
– Kathy Nolan, President
– Betsy Van Leit, Vice President, Secretary
