Last week, the Conservation Alliance and member companies Deckers Outdoor Corp., Horny Toad, Patagonia, REI and Vapur partnered with the Ventura Hillsides Conservancy to remove arundo and plant arroyo willow cuttings to help make the Ventura River habitat publicly accessible.

The event marked the first of eight nationwide Backyard Collective events in 2013, providing Conservation Alliance member companies’ employees with the opportunity to take action in support of the organization and to get their hands dirty for the sake of conservation.

“We’re excited to kick off our Backyard Collective season in Ventura,” said John Sterling, executive director for the Conservation Alliance. “We’ve got a great concentration of members in the area, and look forward to getting everyone out for a great day of work.”

The Backyard Collective took place Thursday. An after-party followed the volunteer effort. The event also featured a volunteer fair at which Conservation Alliance grantees and local environmental organizations shared information about their conservation initiatives.

“The Conservancy has been working with local partners including conservation groups, our city government and social service agencies for over a year to reconnect our community to its river,” said Lee Sherman, development manager for the Ventura Hillsides Conservancy. “The work done by volunteers participating in the Backyard Collective to restore this property will help provide our community with access to some great scenic areas for bird-watching, picnicking and trail running, all within a five minute walk of downtown Ventura.”

— Julie Evans is a publicist representing the Conservation Alliance.