On August 22, 2026, Ventura Land Trust is re-imagining their annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival On Tour Event. They’re bringing the event downtown, screening at the Majestic Ventura Theater, and closing down Chestnut St for festivities. Join then for a VIP Happy Hour before the show at Leashless Brewing. The films are curated to inspire curiosity in the outdoors, the natural world, and their mission as a land trust.
Ventura Land Trust (VLT), a community-based nonprofit organization, believes that preserving open space and providing responsible public access enhances the economy, quality of life, and public well-being of Ventura and surrounding communities. With local partners, VLT works to protect the natural beauty and ecological integrity of our area.
VLT restores and enhances native plant communities and wildlife habitat, reduces pollution in their rivers, and works to connect the public with the vital ecological communities they steward. They envision strategically increasing the amount of protected open space across the county along with sustainable and well-managed public access.
Ventura Land Trust envisions a Ventura with more trails, more hiking, more biking, and more opportunities to enjoy natural areas. VLT envisions more preserved open space that balances the protection of wildlife and the environment. Working with willing landowners, the land is either protected via acquisition or through a land conservation agreement.
From stewardship to public access, all of VLT’s programs require a science-driven baseline to understanding how natural systems work. They are committed to monitoring the ecological resources in their preserves to evaluate and adapt the impact of their management practices on biological diversity and ecological function.
Their stewardship program endeavors to support their conservation goals while balancing responsible public access. Restoring sensitive species and degraded ecological communities, managing invasive species, removing trash from river corridors, and maintaining low impact infrastructure on their preserves are key priorities to enhance natural systems while facilitating sustainable public access.
VLT’s nature exploration program, Ventura Wild, reaches the next generation of environmental champions, offering hands-on environmental education, restoration, and stewardship experiences in local wild places. Ventura Wild programs are designed to connect children to nature and instill a deep sense of belonging by nurturing awareness, knowledge, skills, and stewardship in the natural world.
Community outreach and engagement are cornerstones of Ventura Land Trust’s mission to protect and preserve open space throughout Ventura County. VLT hosts or participates in over 175 community outreach events annually. These include tabling at local events, offering guided hikes through their preserves, and hosting environmental educational sessions. By engaging with the community, they can raise awareness of the issues impacting the environment upon which we all depend.
Jeff Young, Ventura Land Trust’s Outreach Coordinator, says, “VLT’s primary goal with WSFF is to raise funding for our mission, but the community engagement is priceless.”
When asked what his favorite thing about putting on a Wild & Scenic Film Festival On Tour Event is, Jeff succinctly replied, “Watching some amazing films with our close-knit Ventura community.”
