Our Mission
Our mission is simple: We want to help the community of Ojai learn how to co-exist with the wildlife here. And we want to do it in a way that’s in the best interest of the animals and the people.
Who we are
We’re a small group who came together after becoming aware of the issues, and sometimes the controversy, around how to deal with the close encounters of our wild neighbors - including mountain lions, bears and coyotes.
While it’s natural that our fear encourages us to intervene when wild animals encroach on what we consider to be our space, we feel that it’s important to realize it’s not just “our” space, it’s theirs too. When we can shift to a wider perspective that makes room for the other, we begin to seek out new ways of responding to these encounters.
We believe that co-existence with wildlife requires education, information, and access to field specialists. We’ve created this site to serve as a resource to our community. It includes the advice of experts on specific animal behaviors and encounters, videos from past events, and announcements for upcoming events and future projects.
Get Involved!
We hope you’ll take advantage of this site, share it, and contact us with your thoughts and concerns.
Come back often and help us grow into a community that has discovered how to co-exist with the wildlife
in the Ojai Valley.