We will feature the following items in our Ojai Wild! live auction, taking place on Saturday, April 13, 2013. Thank you to our generous donors for contributing these exciting items to our event! All proceeds will help support our local efforts to protect wildlife habitat, wilderness landscapes, and the great outdoors in the Los Padres National Forest. Check back often for additions and updates, and don’t forget to place your bids today on other exciting items in our online auction. Thank you for visiting!
Guided Backpack Trip into the Los Padres Wilderness
Explore your favorite corner of the Los Padres National Forest with Craig R. Carey, renowned author of our region’s authoritative hiking guide, Hiking & Backpacking Santa Barbara & Ventura. Craig will guide you and five of your hiking companions into the backcountry area of your choice on this fully customizable two-day excursion. Select a short hike to a nearby campsite, or an epic journey including fording streams, bagging peaks, and taking in the wild landscape that surrounds you. Along the way, Craig will share legends and lore about our local backcountry. Dinner included. Generously donated by Craig R. Carey and Los Padres ForestWatch.
All Hands on Deck! A Private Sailboat Cruise in the Santa Barbara Channel
Enjoy a relaxing sail along Santa Barbara’s spectacular coastline on this voyage for four on a private sailboat. Leaving out of the Santa Barbara Harbor, this daytime cruise includes lunch and wine to toast your ocean adventure. When you return to the mainland, your hearty seafarer’s appetite will be satisfied with dinner at Eladio’s Restaurant. With its unparalleled view of Stearns Wharf and the Pacific Ocean, Eladio’s is a Santa Barbara tradition where al fresco dining on the fountain patio captures the essence of the oceanfront. Their local seafood dishes, delicious pastas and prime steaks are a delicious way to end a great day! Also includes four Patagonia Torrentshell jackets. Generously donated by Peter Schuyler, Eladio’s Restaurant & Bar, and Patagonia’s Great Pacific IronWorks.
Birdwatching & Wine Tasting Tour in Condor Country
Journey into the heart of Condor Country with 10-20 of your friends and a local condor biologist on a chartered mini-coach! Learn first-hand about the ongoing efforts to recover one of the world’s most endangered species, and learn how the Los Padres National Forest plays a pivotal role in bringing this magnificent bird back from the brink of extinction. You guide will take you deep into the Los Padres backcountry to an undisclosed location, where you will have an excellent chance to see California condors soaring overhead with their nine-foot wingspan. Tour includes a barbecue lunch and wine tasting at Condor’s Hope Vineyard, hosted by owners Robbie Jaffe and Stephen Gliessman. Among the blue oaks and chaparral, Condor’s Hope Ranch is nestled at the foot of the Sierra Madre Mountains in the Cuyama Valley. Condor’s Hope produces big red zinfandel and shiraz wines using dry farm and sustainable practices. Generously donated by Santa Barbara Airbus, Condor’s Hope Wines, and Los Padres ForestWatch.
Horse Pack Trip & Cowboy BBQ Lunch in the Sespe Wilderness
Follow the Sunset trail on an equine exploratory into one of the most natural scenic areas in Old California. Imagine you and your family and friends riding down the tranquil and unspoiled Sespe Trail, crossing rivers and creeks, riding the trail of the purple sage, and enjoying a comfortable version of “roughing it” while having excellent food prepared for you in the outback. This horseback ride for six will take you deep into the Sespe Wilderness of the Los Padres National Forest, where you will enjoy a hearty barbecue lunch prepared in paradise and an opportunity to see the beauty of our wilderness by horseback. Generously donated by Los Padres Outfitters.
Home on the Range – A Two-Night Stay for 8 on the Carrizo Plain
An Ojai Wild! tradition certain to generate renewed excitement, we’re offering a two-night stay for eight people at a historic ranch house in the Carrizo Plain National Monument. This package includes a home-cooked barbeque dinner by ForestWatch Board & Staff and a guided hike. Immerse yourself in the solitude of the Carrizo Plain with views of Soda Lake, seek out the elusive pronghorn antelope, and marvel at the area’s wildflowers and wildlife from the back porch or on foot. Generously donated by Pat Veesart and Los Padres ForestWatch.
Lunch With Julia
A unique opportunity to sit down for lunch with Ojai’s newly-elected U.S. Congresswoman, Julia Brownley. Learn about life on Capitol Hill, hear about the inner workings of our government, and have the Congresswoman’s attention to talk about the issues that matter most to you. Julia Brownley was elected to Congress in 2012 to serve as the representative for California’s 26th District, which encompasses most of Ventura County and a portion of Los Angeles County. She has been awarded numerous honors for her leadership in education and the environment. Generously donated by Congresswoman Julia Brownley.
New Belgium Brewing Company Cruiser
Here’s your chance to own and ride a unique cruiser bike that was custom-made for the New Belgium Brewing Company. This limited edition cruiser will get you where you need to go in style! Manufactured by Felt Bicycles, makers of cutting-edge world-class bikes, and designed and engineered right here in California. This package also includes a case of New Belgium’s Fat Tire Pale Ale. (Bike and beer not be used together!) Generously donated by New Belgium Brewing Company.
A Taste of Adventure in the Santa Ynez Valley Wine Country
The beautiful Santa Ynez Valley, just 30 minutes from Santa Barbara, awaits you with a wide range of opportunities to relax, explore, and enjoy the heart of Santa Barbara wine country. Begin your wine country adventure with natural history experts Marjorie Popper and John Evarts (co-founders of the Santa Ynez Valley Natural History Society) for a guided hike at the base of Figueroa Mountain on the Lover’s Loop Trail. After your hike, quench your thirst with a growler at Figueroa Mountain Brewing Company, followed by an unforgettable dinner at the renowned Root 246 restaurant in Solvang. Your day ends in the warmth and comfort of the historic Ballard Inn, surrounded by the picturesque vineyards and orchards of the Santa Ynez Valley. Next morning, head over to Solvang for a visit to the Wildling Art Museum and then up to the Demetria Estate Winery for some wine tasting, travelling through some of the most beautiful rolling hills of the Santa Barbara wine country.
Generously donated by Ballard Inn, the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, Figueroa Mountain Brewing Company, Demetria Estate, Wildling Art Museum, and Marjorie Popper and John Everts – Cachuma Press
Vacation “Ventura Style” for Two
This package includes a day-trip to the Channel Islands National Park (either Anacapa or Santa Cruz islands), and an opportunity to see the island up close and personal as you kayak along its coves and sea caves. Back on the mainland enjoy a two night stay at the Ventura Beach Marriott (just 200 steps from Ventura’s spacious beaches). Get a behind the scenes look at the workings of Patagonia with an exclusive tour of their headquarters, and enjoy your 50% discount card at the company’s flagship store Great Pacific Iron Works (or use for later shopping). Then grab some fresh seafood at the Jolly Oyster, right on the beach. Generously donated by Channel Islands Outfitters, Island Packers, Jolly Oyster, Patagonia, Patagonia’s Great Pacific Iron Works, and Ventura Beach Marriott.