VENTURA COUNTY — Ventura Land Trust (VLT) has been awarded a highly competitive grant from the California Coastal Commission’s Whale Tail Grant Program to expand coastal and environmental education access for Santa Paula youth.
The funding is part of a $2 million statewide investment announced on April 17th, 2026, supporting coastal education, conservation, and public access. The Coastal Commission selected just 47 projects from a record-breaking total of 434 applications, highlighting the significance of this award.
The $25,544 Whale Tail Grant will support El mar nos conecta (“The ocean connects us”), a new program within VLT’s education department that connects Santa Paula elementary students to Ventura County’s coastal environments through immersive, hands-on learning experiences.
Through El mar nos conecta, approximately 150 students from Santa Paula Title I schools will participate in three field trips during the 2026 – 2027 school year. These experiences will take place across local ecosystems, including beaches, estuaries, and inland watersheds. Unlike one-time field trips, the program emphasizes repeated exposure, helping students build familiarity, confidence, and a lasting sense of belonging in the outdoors.
The program will fully fund transportation, educational materials, and high-quality environmental programming, addressing common barriers that Title I schools face in accessing outdoor education. Field trips will include bilingual instruction, a culturally responsive curriculum aligned with California Next Generation Science Standards, and Indigenous perspectives in partnership with local Chumash elder and cultural practitioner, Julie Tumamait-Stenslie.
“This program is about more than just visiting the coast,” said Education Manager, Sarah “Trudy” Trudeau. “It’s about ensuring that every child has equitable access to the outdoors, and feels welcome, connected, and empowered in these spaces.”
During each field trip, students will engage in hands-on exploration, reflective journaling, and guided exploration focused on the importance of our coastal ecosystems, including topics such as biodiversity, food webs, and stewardship.
By the end of the program, 2nd – 5th grade students will have:
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Participated in 9 hours of outdoor, place-based education
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Completed coastal stewardship projects, such as habitat restoration, beach cleanups, and migratory bird counts
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Contributed to citizen science efforts, linking their observations to broader environmental understanding
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, totaling just under 4,000 acres. The two largest, Ventura Hills Nature Preserve and Harmon Canyon Preserve, are open to the public daily from dawn to dusk for free. In addition to these major holdings, the Ventura Land Trust owns and stewards other smaller parcels across Ventura County. Ventura Land Trust received accreditation by the Land Trust Alliance in 2019, and re-accreditation in 2025. Learn more and become a member at www.venturalandtrust.org