VENTURA — The Board of Trustees of Ventura Land Trust (VLT) is proud to announce the name of the hillside preserve it will be opening to the public later this year.
Last year, VLT embarked upon a community conversation to engage residents in the search for a name for an area that has held many names throughout history. It was once simply called “the hills” by the Chumash people living in the village known as Shisholop. With the arrival of the Spanish and subsequent colonization of the region, the hillsides were part of the Rancho Ex Mission San Buenaventura land grant. More recently, the hillsides were referred to as Mariano Rancho.
This 1,645-acre preserve provides a dramatic backdrop to historic downtown and midtown Ventura with the most high-profile hills in the region. The eastern edge of the preserve contains one of the famous “Two Trees.” The western corner of the property is adjacent to Ventura’s Grant Park, home to the Ventura Botanical Gardens.
The six-month outreach effort conducted by VLT led to engagement with the Chumash people, neighbors, and fellow environmental stewards. In the first round of community input, VLT received hundreds of suggestions from community members, narrowing it down to a short list of options before returning for further community input later that winter.
After careful deliberation over several months, the VLT Board has voted to name this marquee land trust property the “Ventura Hills Nature Preserve.” The clear and simple delineation is referential to the preserve location and follows a similar brand-focused approach undertaken by other regional land trusts.
In addition to this action, VLT is coordinating with Chumash representatives to identify and name key geographic landmarks within the preserve to honor their historical place in these significant lands. VLT will also retain the Mariano moniker on a feature within the preserve. Naming the preserve or features within the preserve to honor the Chumash people and their history, as well as retaining the name “Mariano” were suggestions that came out of the community engagement process.
The Chumash people inhabited this region for at least 13,200 years, as evidenced by archaeological findings on the Channel Islands and elsewhere. Many community members suggested terms from the Chumash language that described the hills, the plants, and the wildlife of the region.
Similarly, suggestions indicated that some community members desired VLT to keep Mariano as the preserve name, in a nod to the ranching history of the hillsides. Mariano Erburu was a Basque immigrant who built a mercantile business that he later sold to finance the purchase of hillside acreage, upon which he ranched sheep, and later cattle.
With the acquisition of this land, VLT comes full circle to the reason the organization was established in 2003: to preserve and protect the hills that define Ventura’s landscape. The ecological restoration of these hillsides will support the recovery of its highly endangered coastal sage scrub plant community and safeguard a corridor of open space critical for wildlife movement and survival in the region. The scenic property is part of a county-designated wildlife corridor that connects the Ventura River watershed to the Santa Clara River watershed.
The Ventura Hills Nature Preserve will also offer free public access to a network of sustainably designed trails for hiking and biking.
“We are beyond thrilled to be on a path towards opening our spectacular new preserve later this year,” said VLT Board President Drew Powers. The preserve, a project decades in the making, is the culmination of the advocacy, community organizing, and fundraising efforts of hundreds of dedicated community members.
The final financial boost was a $7.2 million gift provided by the State of California to complete the acquisition and permanent conservation of this acreage. California State Assemblymember Steve Bennett was the primary advocate for directing state funds to Ventura Land Trust for land acquisition, stewardship, and infrastructure for public preserve access.
“The State of California’s investment in the acquisition efforts of Ventura Land Trust will give residents enormous outside recreational value for many generations,” says Bennett. “I’m proud to partner with them and Senator [Monique] Limón in securing these funds.”
The Ventura Hills Nature Preserve will officially open to the public toward the end of 2025. In the meantime, Ventura Land Trust has posted a page with Frequently Asked Questions and other information about the preserve on its website at www.venturalandtrust.org
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, which opened in June 2020. Harmon Canyon Preserve is Ventura’s first large-scale nature preserve and is open to the public daily from dawn to dusk for free. In addition to these major holdings, Ventura Land Trust owns and stewards other parcels across Ventura County, for a total of 3,877 acres. Ventura Land Trust received accreditation by the Land Trust Alliance in 2019. Learn more and become a member at www.venturalandtrust.org