“This truck replaces a field truck that was 20 years old.”
Ventura Land Trust purchased a 2019 Toyota Tacoma to replace a field truck lost last year in a traffic collision, bringing the number in the organization’s fleet of field trucks to two. The truck was purchased with support from community donations, corporate support, and a lead gift from Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas).
The four-wheel drive field truck is used daily to transport Ventura Land Trust staff, tools, water tanks, and other gear necessary for conservation work and preserve management. The truck is also used to haul thousands of pounds of trash from the Ventura River.
“This truck replaces a field truck that was 20 years old,” says Ventura Land Trust Executive Director Melissa Baffa. “It feels good to have a vehicle that can safely carry our staff and partners, and that is capable of meeting the demands of land stewardship.”
“We know that people will see this truck driving around town with the water tank we use to care for young plants, or piled high with trash bags from a clean-up. It’s really a moving symbol of the work we do every day to protect and preserve local open spaces. We’re pleased to have the support of the community and partners like SoCalGas, who understood the urgent need to add to our field truck fleet and came through with the support we needed to do so.”
The field truck is used in land management in Harmon Canyon Preserve, Big Rock Preserve, and Willoughby Preserve, which are open daily to public for free, as well as other properties that Ventura Land Trust owns and manages. It will be instrumental in preparing Ventura Land Trust’s newest conserved property, Mariano Rancho Preserve, to open to the public in the next two to three years.
The exterior of the truck is outfitted with an acknowledgement to SoCalGas, as well as a QR code to information about Ventura Land Trust membership. Learn more about Ventura Land Trust at www.venturalandtrust.org.
