March 2025

New Agriculture Environment Systems Specialist

The VCRCD is pleased to announce a new team member, Ikuko Nakano. Ikuko (Coco) Nakano is our Agriculture Environment Systems Specialist. She holds a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering with a focus in Hydrology & Environmental Engineering and a Certificate in Food Studies from UCLA. Before joining VCRCD, Coco was supporting farmers through the operational management of a farmers’ market collective, an experience that sparked her interest in resource access for small-scale producers and sustainable agricultural systems. Her 5 years of diverse nonprofit & engineering project management and hands-on experience on a regenerative, educational farm in Southern Vermont has equipped her with a holistic approach to addressing environmental and agricultural challenges. She is passionate about creating scalable opportunities and creatively engaging the public to ultimately foster agricultural resilience and robust local economies. During her free time, Coco enjoys bread baking, exploring the outdoors, and finding second-hand treasures.

Application for Extreme Weather Relief Now Open!

Eligible small and medium-scale California agricultural producers can apply for up to $20,000 in reimbursement-style relief funds for eligible expenses incurred due to extreme weather events since 2017.

For more information about the funds and eligibility, visit vcrcd.org/cusp-extreme-weather.

Fill out our CUSP Extreme Weather Relief Grant Intake Form / Formulario de Admisión to get the application process started & please consider sharing!

Questions? Contact our grant manager, Coco Nakano, at Ikuko.Nakano@vcrcd.org. Assistance in Spanish is also available. (Se ofrece asistencia en español. Póngase en contacto con Johnagustin Zecua en johnagustin.zecua@vcrcd.org.)

This project was supported by the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s California Underserved and Small Producers (CUSP) Grant Program.

Earth Day 2025 Celebration

April 19th

The VCRCD is joining City of Ventura and MERITO Foundation's Earth Day 2025 Celebration! Join us on April 19th at Plaza Park between 11 am and 4 pm to learn about environmentally friendly actions you can take to help the earth.

Wildfire Webinar Recording

Last week the VCRCD hosted a special Wildfire Webinar focused on Home Hardening and Firewise Communities. Max Young with the Ventura Regional Fire Safe Council provided participants with a wealth of information. This webinar was funded by a recently awarded CalFire grant and is available on our YouTube channel.

Watch Recording

Staff Tour Overwintering Sites

Last month VCRCD staff toured several overwintering habitat sites to identify future restoration work. This work is extremely critical. The monarch butterfly is proposed for adoption under the Endangered Species Act and last winter saw near record population lows. Overwintering habitat has dramatically declined in the past 100 years which is devasting to a population that relies on suitable winter habitat to survive. Providing adequate habitat near the coast for these butterflies is an important step in their conservation.

Santa Clara River Watershed Committee

Last month the VCRCD hosted the February General Meeting for the Santa Clara River Watershed Committee. The February meeting had several presentations on local water infrastructure and their ability to respond to red flag warning and wildfire risks. To stay informed about future meetings consider subscribing to the Santa Clara River Watershed Committee's distribution list.

Watch Recording

Join the Watershed Committee

Fire Adaptation Hike

Our Fire Preparedness Coordinator, Kevin Mason, recently led a special fire focused hike. The hike featured discussions on plant adaptations to wildfire. The tour took participants through an area of the Matilija Nursery that burned in the 2024 Mountain Fire. In additional to discussing plant adaptations to fire, Kevin also discussed differences in fire behavior across different SoCal habitats such as coastal sage scrub and mixed native grassland. Future hikes will be announced at a later date so stay tuned!

Pollinator Alert

Our most recent Monarch Alert is out! Learn more about the near record overwintering count lows, gardening concerns after a wildfire, and recent concerns with monarchs and pesticide use.

Read Pollinator Alert

Thank You to Our Intern

The fire education garden at the VCRCD office in Somis got some TLC with the help of our intern, Aiden Bak. He will need to focus on college applications soon and we will miss his helpfulness and good attitude. The public is always invited to visit our gardens that include many helpful infographic signs about fire-wise tips for garden design, home hardening, water, soil, pollinators, and plant care. Plus you can pop in and say "hi" to our staff as well.

VCRCD Hosts Fire Training

Building skills and knowledge with hands on training and experience is one way the VCRCD team develops professionally to aid in conservation efforts. With the diligent coordination from our fire team and funding from CAL Fire, VCRCD was able to host two field training courses related to fire preparedness and restoration.

Read Full Story

April 3 - Ventura River Watershed Council General Meeting

9am - 11am

Virtual meeting, email Heidi.Ortloff@vcrcd.org for more information

April 24 - Santa Clara River Watershed Committee General Meeting

9am - 11am

1701 Lombard St. Oxnard CA 93030

For more information email Heidi.Ortloff@vcrcd.org

Tracking Monarchs is a Tricky Techy Business

The Xerces Society recently featured the topic of monarch migration and tracking on their Bug Banter podcast. If you've ever wondered how scientists can study the migration of small animals such as monarchs, this episode is a fascinating listen.

Listen to the Podcast

VCRCD offers several planting and weeding events throughout the year. To receive emails when these events arise please sign up at the link below.

Become a Volunteer

If you can't volunteer your time consider making a donation to the VCRCD. Donations can help pay for resources that may not be covered by grant funds.

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