Greetings from Ojai.
It is mid-February. The Land Sanctuary is carpeted with green, and the promise of spring has already been fulfilled. We are grateful for the rains that have come, to see and feel the Ventura River flowing again after more than a year of being completely dry. The water nourishes us deeply in this arid land, and especially now as we feel the moisture return to soften the dry, thirsty earth.
Moments such as this, when we remember the seasons, the turn from one phase to another, are rich with possibility and memory. The Ridge, as we affectionately call the Land Sanctuary, has been host to countless moments of learning and growth over the years. Here we have learned, and done our best to model, what it means to be stewards of place, of this place, of the places where we live, travel, leave and love. This spring, we would like to hear Your Story from The Ridge, to re-member, with you, gifts given and gifts received.
Read on to learn how to share Your Story, and for some important news and program announcements.
May the abundance of the season continue to spring forth, for all of us.
— Executive Stewardship Council
News
Council & Social Equity
Thank you to everyone who contributed to the Council & Social Equity survey. We received 185 responses—over 150 pages of rich, helpful feedback and insights. Our working group is beavering away, sense-making and synthesizing what came in. We aim to share a report this spring.
Blk Crcl
Donate to support Blk Crcl
We have received a $1,500 match grant for Blk Crcl. Donations will be doubled, dollar for dollar, up to $1,500. Please donate to support their essential efforts and help us match the grant.
Re-Calling Our Ancestors
Our inaugural course launched this month with a full cohort, and we are deep into our ancestral healing journey. Thank you to everyone who has inquired about future Re-Calling Our Ancestors courses. We will announce dates as soon as we have them. For now, we want to introduce our personal and organizational Accountability Partners who are supporting ROA behind the scenes. They are an essential part of the ecology of white, anti-racist engagement in ancestral healing work. Meet: brontë velez, Dorcus Odera, mx. j. nyla “ink” mcneill, Sobey Wing. Also, a special shout out to J. Nyla, who recently co-authored an important published work entitled The trans youth justice project: a political education and leadership development program. In their own words: “The curriculum is a result of a wealth of energetic investment in transformative justice in the social sciences toward liberation and providing affirming space for trans youth.” J. Nyla is a graduate of the FIRE Fellowship program and an emerging thought leader. Check out their patreon for more.
This spring, we would like to hear Your Story from The Ridge. Truly, every person who has come to the Land Sanctuary has a story (or stories) of lessons learned, relationships built. We would like to hear your stories: What have you learned? What do you celebrate? What gifts have you given; what have you received?
Join us for an online community council or submit your story online.
The online community council will be held on Wednesday, March 9, 2022, 11am – 1:30pm PST, and hosted by Yamin Chehin.
Honoring heart centered engagement around release, rebirth, growth, ideas, and dreaming. With Dr. Elena Esparza, DC (Barrio Healer, Earth Mother Medicine, Manual Medicine) and Elena Ríos (Certified Nature & Forest Therapy Guide, Interdisciplinary Artist, Ceremonial Practitioner).
Bring your own picnic lunch to enjoy together in the beautiful outdoors after the closing circle.
$150 per person. 15 person limit. Limited scholarships available. Please inquire.
Sunday, March 20, 8am-1pm PST.
The Trainers’ Mentoring Circle shepherds Council-Trainers-to-be through their learning journey. New Council Trainers will be confirmed under the Teaching Tree at the Land Sanctuary.
Join us in celebration of the newly graduated Council Trainers.
Save the Date: May 21 & 22, 2022
The Ojai Foundation Land Sanctuary, Upper Ojai, CA
This June, The Ojai Foundation will complete our time as stewards of the Land Sanctuary. You are invited to mark the moment with us, in ceremony. For those unable to come in person, we will have a remote/Zoom portion of the weekend. Please save the date.
*Clopening is a merging of two words: closing and opening. With this, we honor that when one chapter closes, another opens. For us, we are closing a chapter of stewardship and honoring the continuity of the stewardship that will follow.
(For more information about the changes for TOF and the Land, see this FAQs page.)
Save the Date: June 25 & 26, 2022
The Ojai Foundation Land Sanctuary, Upper Ojai, CA
Visiting Hours
Wednesday – Sunday 9am-2pm.
*During March 2022, The Ojai Foundation will be CLOSED for public visiting. We will resume normal hours on April 1, 2022.