VENTURA — Ventura Land Trust will host a Community Roundtable on July 25th to invite input from Ventura residents on up-and-coming nature preserve Mariano Rancho. The 1,645-acre property in the hills north of Ventura was purchased by Ventura Land Trust (VLT) in 2020 for permanent conservation, with plans to open the preserve to the public in 2025. The event will be held at Ventura’s Poinsettia Pavilion from 6-8 pm.
VLT hosted a series of presentations for Mariano Rancho in 2022 with topics on public access, recreation, and conservation. The “Powerpoint-free” Mariano Rancho Community Roundtable will encourage dialogue between community members and a team of facilitators made up of Ventura residents, environmental experts, VLT advisors, and organization staff.
Roundtable topics include preserve name suggestions, trail design and types of recreation allowed on the preserve, conservation strategy, parking and access points, and community involvement and inclusion.
“This is an opportunity for people’s voices to be heard. In last year’s series of presentations, we shared VLT’s ideas for the preserve with the community. This Roundtable is for people to tell us what’s on their minds, voice concerns, and tell us what they know about these hillsides,” says Executive Director Melissa Baffa.
“We have heard so many great stories from people about things they have experienced exploring the hills,” says Baffa. “We want people to keep making memories there for generations to come, and meetings like this are one way to make sure that happens.”
“Transparency is a priority for VLT,” says Outreach Director Leslie Velez. “This new preserve will have a big impact on the community, and we want communication to flow freely between VLT and Ventura residents. Conservation at its best is a collaboration.”
Roundtable feedback submissions can be made now through an online form on VLT’s website at www.venturalandtrust.org/communityroundtable. RSVPs to the Mariano Rancho Community Roundtable are encouraged.
About Ventura Land Trust — The mission of Ventura Land Trust is to permanently protect the land, water, wildlife and scenic beauty of the Ventura region for current and future generations. Founded in 2003, Ventura Land Trust believes that preserving open space and providing public access enhances the economy, quality of life, and public well-being of Ventura and surrounding communities. The organization currently owns and manages land along the Ventura River and in the Ventura hillsides, including the 2,100-acre Harmon Canyon Preserve and the 1,645-acre Mariano Rancho (not yet open to the public). Preserves are open to the public daily from dawn to dusk for free. Ventura Land Trust is an accredited member of the Land Trust Alliance.