Green Coalition Joins CREW in
Next Phase of Creek Restoration Work

Stewart Canyon Creek, the next two Saturdays,
December 6th and 13th

Beau Miller, our youngest volunteer to date, helped mulch in the West Barranca in December 2012

The Concerned Resources and Environmental Workers (CREW) is continuing the work it started with the Libbey Bowl Creek Restoration Project in the West Barranca. So far 52 tons of invasive vegetation has been removed and over 300 plants and trees planted. The new stretch of creek restoration work is Southwest of Libbey Park on the Stewart Canyon Creek and Fox Canyon Barranca and is being funded with a grant from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The CREW has been preparing the area and is now ready for Green Coalition volunteers to help sheet mulch and prep cuttings over the next two Saturdays for future plantings. The goal is to improve passage and breeding potential for endangered aquatic species, such as southern steelhead trout and California red-legged frogs.

Volunteers should check in by 9:00 a.m. at the Libbey Park lower tennis court parking lot off of S. Montgomery St. in downtown Ojai to receive training and instructions before work begins. Please wear sturdy shoes, long-sleeved shirts, and long pants. If you own them, please bring your own gloves and shovel; otherwise, tools will be provided. Note there is poison oak in the area, but it will be marked. The work days will run from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Those under the age of 18 will need the liability release waivers signed by a parent or guardian, which can be downloaded here.

to read more click here.

Donate Now and
Your Donation Will Be Doubled

Dear Friend,

We hope you've noticed how visible the Ojai Valley Green Coalition has been this fall:

• Hosting educational events (including films)
• Giving testimony at Ojai City Council
• Sponsoring a mixer for the Ojai Chamber of Commerce
• Acting as bike valet on Ojai Day
• Partnering on a creek restoration project
• Putting on another Green Living Tour & Home Show

The Green Coalition is the public face of environmental advocacy, service and education in the Ojai Valley.

If you've already recently joined or made your extra year-end contribution, we thank you for your vote of confidence and participation in our mission. You've helped make seven years of service and effort possible, and we want to continue our commitment to the flora, fauna and the good people of the Ojai Valley for years to come. And every dollar you gave to the Green Coalition as of November 1st will be doubled!

There is a challenge, though. We know that many people recognize and appreciate our work - ranging from transportation and energy efficiency to food and watershed literacy. Yet it seems too many assume the Green Coalition must be a large scale, well-financed organization to be doing so much! This "perception gap" can be misleading. The fact is, our actual capacity is nowhere near commensurate with the profile we have in the community.

In truth, we do all this work with less than one full-time equivalent staff person, a small board, a faithful core of volunteers, and an annual budget of less than $75,000! This income barely keeps the Green Coalition afloat at a time when there is so much more to do. Our staff and board work countless extra hours, but in the long run, operating on a shoestring is as unsustainable as gas-guzzling cars or water-hungry lawns! Indeed, it is time to move to the next level of organizational evolution by doubling our capacity in order to broaden and deepen our efforts to realize a sustainable and resilient Ojai Valley and Ventura River watershed.

to read more click here.

Keeping Our 'Stuff'
Out of the Landfill

As we celebrate, decorate, give gifts and travel this holiday season, we also generate a lot of waste and increase our energy use. The volume of household waste in the United States generally increases 25% between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day - about 1 million extra tons. Yet, there are many simple ways to "green" your holiday season by reducing, reusing and recycling.

Deborah, our E.D., retrieves a printer found in a dumpster by OVGC member, Vickie Peters

As we upgrade and get new gadgets, it's tempting to put 'electronic waste' and 'universal waste' in the trash barrel (which is actually illegal) instead of taking the time to drive it somewhere, but the Coalition makes it easy!

Each year on the 2nd Saturday of January, we team up with the Ojai Community Bank and the Ojai Valley Directory to recycle electronics and other hard to recycle items.

So, save your 'old stuff' through the holidays and bring it to the Ojai Community Bank parking lot on Saturday, January 10 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. This is a free event (donations always welcome) and we'll be recycling:

• all electronics (from handheld to big screen TVs)
• small appliances (if it has cord and fits on the counter,
  we'll take it)
• household batteries, ink & toner cartridges, old holiday lights,
  all types of media storage

Note: No light bulbs, please!

A Great Idea:

Consider Giving a Holiday
Gift Membership to OVGC

For a $30 donation per giftee, we'll send family members, friends, and colleagues an environmentally thoughtful holiday card made of 100% recycled, post-consumer card. Each year-long Coalition membership card is delivered in your name.

The gift that is a win-win - all the way around! You can order gift memberships here.