Ventura’s newest nature preserve to open in 2025
The green hillsides that rise behind the City of Ventura, privately held and off-limits for so long, will finally allow legal public access in 2025. The work needed to open Mariano preserve to the public has kept Ventura Land Trust (VLT) very busy the past few months.
VLT has conducted property boundary surveys along the preserve’s southern border and is currently developing the parking and service area for the new preserve on Hall Canyon Road, east of Ventura High School. At the same time, it is monitoring natural resources across the property and developing plans to enhance its biological diversity and ecological function.
An evaluation of biological resources, including sensitive species and communities, will help guide the decisions VLT makes about the future use of the preserve, including where trails will be located.
Some “social” trails -- unofficial trails cut by hikers and cyclists -- may be eliminated if they are deemed a problem. Decisions about the construction of new trails will be influenced by the steepness and soil composition of the preserve. As we have seen over the course of a few very wet winters at Harmon Canyon Preserve, trails and roads over our sandy, erosive soils are prone to landslides, sinkholes, ruts, and other public safety concerns.
As a nonprofit organization, VLT must employ best practices in determining the placement of new trails to ensure their long-term sustainability. A well-situated, well-built trail is likely to require less maintenance over time.
VLT has conducted five community meetings as part of the planning process. Recordings of community meetings and a list of Frequently Asked Questions about the project are available at:
www.venturalandtrust.org/marianoranchopreserve
It’s not often we get to think about or meaningfully participate in the work of “forever,” and we’d like to invite readers to join us in this endeavor. Thanks to the enthusiastic support of some of VLT’s most dedicated donors, every dollar you contribute to Ventura Land Trust this season, up to $55,000, will be matched. That is a total of $110,000 that could be raised toward conservation, but only with your help!