Los Padres ForestWatch

06/05/2026

Protecting public lands takes all of us. 🌿In 2025, communities across California’s Central Coast came together to protect wildlife habitat, oppose expanded oil development, advance wildfire resilience, and connect more youth and families with nature.

Today, we’re proud to share ForestWatch’s first-ever Impact Report—a look back at the people, places, and collective action that shaped a year of conservation across our region.

Inside, you’ll:
🌲 Meet Board President Sam Thomas and the experiences that shaped his connection to public lands
📝 See the impact of community advocacy efforts
💚 Hear from a young participant whose time in Outdoor Connections sparked a deeper love of nature
✨ Explore how immersive experiences and community gatherings strengthened connections to the landscapes we all depend on

More than a recap, this report is a reminder that even in a changing landscape, hope lives in people showing up—for forests, wildlife, and the wild places we all love.

📖 Read the Report: https://ow.ly/X0P750Z7phO

06/03/2026

Santa Barbara, let’s talk about what’s happening in Los Padres. 📣 Join us at Toad&Co on June 10 for a community town hall on proposed changes to the Roadless Rule—and what they could mean for Los Padres National Forest and the public lands we love.

For 25 years, these protections have helped safeguard more than 635,000 acres in and around Los Padres from roadbuilding and large-scale logging.

Now, those protections could be rolled back.

This is a chance to learn what’s at stake, ask questions, and stand with others who care about protecting our forests.

👉🏽 RSVP: https://ow.ly/IFpU50Z7iZf

06/01/2026

The Trump Administration is pushing to roll back environmental protections that have safeguarded public lands for decades, including in Los Padres National Forest.

We recently joined PBS SoCal to talk about what rescinding the Roadless Rule could mean for our region and to unpack some of the biggest misconceptions.

👀 Spoiler: this is about opening more public lands to resource extraction, not improving access or reducing wildfire risk.

The Trump Administration wants to roll-back environmental regulations that have long protected such public lands as California’s Los Padres National Forest. ...

05/29/2026

We're back with Part 2 of our Rethinking Chaparral series!

Next up: prescribed fire! 🔥 While prescribed burning may be effective in some landscapes, science tells us that it's not ecologically-appropriate in chaparral where fire is already occurring too frequently. Who knew?!

🌿 Read more about prescribed fire in chaparral: https://ow.ly/QU2n50Z4XtQ

05/28/2026

The Wilderness Table is nearly set…and there’s still room for you. 🍷 Join us for an unforgettable evening in Santa Barbara Wine Country celebrating local flavors, sustainable farming, and the wild landscapes of California’s Central Coast.

Your evening includes:
🍹 Farm-to-glass welcome cocktail from Rock 12 Distillery
🍇 Vineyard tour at Larner Vineyard & Winery
🍽️ Multi-course dinner by High On The Hog Catering, Inc. + Chef Brett Stephen
🍷 Thoughtfully paired wines
🌿 Meaningful conversation with a community that cares about protecting public lands

👉 Reserve your seat: forestwatch.org/wildernesstable

💚 Thank You to Our Event Partners
Larner Winery & Vineyard
Rock 12 Distillery
Chumash Foundation
Island Packers
Carol Gravelle Graphic Design
Anchor Point IT Solutions

💚 Thank You to Our Santa Ynez River Sponsors
Adele and Loi Nguyen

💚 Thank You to Our Hurricane Deck Sponsors
Ann and Evan Wride
Anonymous

05/27/2026

Forest Academy continues on July 11 with a guided Animal Tracking Walk at the Santa Clara River Preserve in Santa Paula! 🐾

Join certified trackers Martyn LeNoble and Wyatt Harris as we explore the stories wildlife leave behind on the landscape. Together, we’ll search for tracks and signs of species native to Los Padres National Forest while learning how to identify prints, interpret movement and behavior, and better understand the ecosystems of the river basin.

During a recent scouting visit, Martyn and Wyatt found tracks from deer, coyote, bobcat, gray fox, raccoon, striped skunk, kangaroo rat, roadrunner, California quail, great blue heron, and more. With lower water levels expected next month, conditions may be even better. 👀 We’ll have our fingers crossed for bear and mountain lion tracks!

🐾 Register at https://forestwatch.org/event/animal-tracking-adventure/

This walk is part of our four-part Flora & Fauna learning series. Join us for one outing or all four!

🙏🏽 Thank you to our event partners:
Chumash Foundation
Island Packers
Montecito Bank & Trust
Anchor Point IT Solutions
Carol Gravelle Graphic Design
Sespe Creek Collective
Oniracom
PIP signs and marketing
Sespe Group
Tonya Peralta realtor

05/26/2026

Ventura, Stand Up! 📣 Join us at T**a T**a Brewing Company on C**t this Thursday, May 28 for a town hall to learn what proposed changes to the Roadless Rule could mean for Los Padres and our public lands.

For 25 years, the Roadless Rule has protected millions of acres of intact national forest from new roads, large-scale logging, and mining, including more than 635,000 acres in and around Los Padres National Forest.

Now, the U.S. Forest Service is proposing to roll back these protections while limiting public input in the process.

Together, we can show that our communities are paying attention—and that we will fight to protect our forests.

👉🏽 RSVP: https://ow.ly/Iozy50Z1SWb

05/22/2026

Wildfire has always shaped our landscape—learn how we can live with it. 🔥 Join us on Sunday, May 31 for a FREE screening of Elemental at Ojai Playhouse!

Elemental explores recent catastrophic fires and examines how fire functions in western forests and what it means to build fire-adapted communities.

Stick around for a post-film discussion with local wildfire experts from Los Padres ForestWatch and Ojai Valley Fire Safe Council who’ll share practical steps you can take to protect your home and community.

👉🏽 Reserve a ticket: https://forestwatch.org/event/elemental-reimagine-wildfire-film-screening/

05/21/2026

No one leaves a day with raptors quite the same. 🦅 Guests joined Denise Disharoon of Talon and Flight Falconry for an up-close look at the world of falconry and birds of prey with her two Harris’s Hawks, Steam and Kwa Koi. A few lucky guests even got to “glove up” and experience Steam up close.

Set against the beautiful backdrop of T**a Institute in Upper Ojai, the day was filled with learning, connection, and a deeper appreciation for the wildlife and landscapes that make this region so special.

Thank you to everyone who joined us and helped support public lands and raptor habitat along California’s Central Coast! 💚

📷 Photos by Marc Alt and Ron Williams

05/20/2026

Ojai, Stand Up! 📣 Join us at Sane Living next Wednesday, May 27 for a town hall to learn what proposed changes to the Roadless Rule could mean for Los Padres and our public lands.

For 25 years, the Roadless Rule has protected millions of acres of intact national forest from new roads, large-scale logging, and mining, including more than 635,000 acres in and around Los Padres National Forest.

Now, the U.S. Forest Service is proposing to roll back these protections while limiting public input in the process.

Together, we can show that our communities are paying attention—and that we will fight to protect our forests.

👉🏽 RSVP: https://ow.ly/UuVE50Z1SlG