Ventura Land Trust welcomed 100 volunteers to Harmon Canyon on January 20, 2020 for a work day to help build a new hiking trail and remove invasive plant species.
The event marked the 25th anniversary of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service that celebrates King’s legacy and encourages volunteerism to improve communities.
Ventura Land Trust is in the process of purchasing Harmon Canyon, a 2,100-acre Ventura property, to establish a nature preserve.
“This day of service is an opportunity for people to help us clear brush, restore native habitat, and build trails for the public to enjoy once the preserve is open,” says Ventura Land Trust Stewardship Manager Dan Hulst. ” It’s a sneak peak, because Harmon Canyon is not yet open to the public.”
“The amount of work that volunteers accomplished in three hours would have taken staff a couple of weeks to complete,” says Hulst.
Ventura Land Trust permanently protects land, water, wildlife, and scenic beauty in the Ventura region, including nearly 100 acres along the Ventura River and coastal estuary. Ventura Land Trust preserves are open to the public daily from dawn to dusk, with no cost for admission.
Earlier that morning, Ventura Land Trust partnered with Runners for Public Lands to host a run/walk through Harmon Canyon. Runners for Public Lands builds relationships between runners and land conservation organizations to deepen runners’ connections to, and encourage stewardship of, the open spaces through which they run.
Harmon Canyon is currently closed to the public except for volunteer restoration events. Visit www.venturalandtrust.org to learn more and register for upcoming events.
