2015 Backyard Collective: Ventura, CA

Last week we kicked off our 2015 Backyard Collective event series in Ventura, CA.  We’re excited to host five more events this year in the Bay Area, Boulder, Seattle, Portland and Bend.
130 volunteers joined us for our first Backyard Collective event of the year, from member companies including; Patagonia, Deckers Outdoor, Toad & Co, REI, and Elemental Herbs. The Conservation Alliance teamed up with local nonprofit Ventura Hillsides Conservancy to organize a day of invasive species removal and restoration as part of a pivotal transition into the second phase of a large restoration project along the Ventura River.
The group made a lot of progress,  removing at least 3 acres of Arundo Donax (Giant Reed) and the last 3 tons of trash in the Ventura River estuary.  The Ventura Hillsides Conservancy is now excited to be switching to traditional habitat restoration involving non-native, invasive vegetation removal and planting native plants thanks to the hard work of these volunteers.