{"id":24174,"date":"2026-04-30T15:53:06","date_gmt":"2026-04-30T22:53:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vccf.org\/?p=24174"},"modified":"2026-04-30T16:06:52","modified_gmt":"2026-04-30T23:06:52","slug":"meet-the-environmental-workforce-collaborative","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vccf.org\/ja\/meet-the-environmental-workforce-collaborative\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet the Environmental Workforce Collaborative"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/vccf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/EWC-Logo.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-24181\" style=\"width:563px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vccf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/EWC-Logo.png 1000w, https:\/\/vccf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/EWC-Logo-300x90.png 300w, https:\/\/vccf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/EWC-Logo-768x230.png 768w, https:\/\/vccf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/EWC-Logo-18x5.png 18w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><em>by Finley West<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Environmental Workforce Collaborative is a Ventura County nonprofit collective dedicated to supporting and strengthening our region&#8217;s natural ecosystems and the people residing&nbsp;within them, demonstrating the transformative power of local partnerships and our community&#8217;s resilience after disaster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"636\" src=\"https:\/\/vccf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0232-1024x636.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-24180\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.610111114438887;width:594px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vccf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0232-1024x636.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/vccf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0232-300x186.jpg 300w, https:\/\/vccf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0232-768x477.jpg 768w, https:\/\/vccf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0232-1536x954.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/vccf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0232-2048x1272.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/vccf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0232-18x12.jpg 18w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The EWC is a partnership between the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.crewojai.org\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.crewojai.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Concerned Resource &amp; Environmental Workers (The C.R.E.W.)<\/strong><\/a>, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/safepassageyouth.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u30bb\u30fc\u30d5\u30fb\u30d1\u30c3\u30bb\u30fc\u30b8\u30fb\u30e6\u30fc\u30b9\u8ca1\u56e3<\/a><\/strong>\u305d\u306e <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/samofund.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u30b5\u30f3\u30bf\u30fb\u30e2\u30cb\u30ab\u30fb\u30de\u30a6\u30f3\u30c6\u30f3\u57fa\u91d1<\/a><\/strong>\u305d\u306e <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/venturafiresafe.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u30d9\u30f3\u30c1\u30e5\u30e9\u5730\u57df\u9632\u706b\u5354\u8b70\u4f1a<\/a><\/strong>, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/forestwatch.org\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/forestwatch.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u30ed\u30b9\u30fb\u30d1\u30c9\u30ec\u30b9\u30fb\u30d5\u30a9\u30ec\u30b9\u30c8\u30a6\u30a9\u30c3\u30c1<\/a><\/strong>, and the Ventura County Community Foundation, made possible with funding support from Edison International.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/vccf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/SPYF-Y1-Photo-2-24-25-1024x768.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-24183\" style=\"width:335px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vccf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/SPYF-Y1-Photo-2-24-25-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/vccf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/SPYF-Y1-Photo-2-24-25-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/vccf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/SPYF-Y1-Photo-2-24-25-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/vccf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/SPYF-Y1-Photo-2-24-25-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/vccf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/SPYF-Y1-Photo-2-24-25-16x12.jpeg 16w, https:\/\/vccf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/SPYF-Y1-Photo-2-24-25.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Convened in the wake of the 2017 Thomas Fire and the 2018 Hill and Woolsey Fires, the EWC has focused its work on areas&nbsp;impacted&nbsp;by these devastating events. As a result, the collaborative carries out boots-on-the-ground efforts concentrated on the recovery and preparation of fire-prone areas in our region. The scope of the EWC&#8217;s work involves habitat restoration, wildfire prevention, home hardening, workforce development, community education, and more.&nbsp;As shared at our recent <a href=\"https:\/\/vimeo.com\/1188161078\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/vimeo.com\/1188161078\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>In-Person Lunch &amp; Learn featuring talks and a panel of our EWC partners<\/strong><\/a>, transformational strides have been made towards a more fire resilient future for Ventura County. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"24176\" src=\"https:\/\/vccf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Safe-Passage-Youth-w.-Youth-Team-3-Q2-768x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-24176\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vccf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Safe-Passage-Youth-w.-Youth-Team-3-Q2-768x1025.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/vccf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Safe-Passage-Youth-w.-Youth-Team-3-Q2-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/vccf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Safe-Passage-Youth-w.-Youth-Team-3-Q2-9x12.jpeg 9w, https:\/\/vccf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Safe-Passage-Youth-w.-Youth-Team-3-Q2-300x400.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/vccf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Safe-Passage-Youth-w.-Youth-Team-3-Q2.jpeg 964w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"761\" data-id=\"24177\" src=\"https:\/\/vccf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/SAMO-Planting-Q2-1024x761.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-24177\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vccf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/SAMO-Planting-Q2-1024x761.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/vccf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/SAMO-Planting-Q2-300x223.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/vccf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/SAMO-Planting-Q2-768x571.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/vccf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/SAMO-Planting-Q2-16x12.jpeg 16w, https:\/\/vccf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/SAMO-Planting-Q2.jpeg 1193w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"24178\" src=\"https:\/\/vccf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/SAMO-Planting-2-Q2-768x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-24178\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vccf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/SAMO-Planting-2-Q2-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/vccf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/SAMO-Planting-2-Q2-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/vccf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/SAMO-Planting-2-Q2-9x12.jpeg 9w, https:\/\/vccf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/SAMO-Planting-2-Q2-300x400.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/vccf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/SAMO-Planting-2-Q2.jpeg 900w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>As we near the end of the collaborative\u2019s second year of work,&nbsp;the EWC has successfully restored or treated more than&nbsp;1,000 acres&nbsp;serving over 127,000 people; cleared over&nbsp;202 cubic yards&nbsp;of vegetation while transplanting 1,100+ native plant species; and&nbsp;operated&nbsp;19 forest cleanup events.&nbsp;Alongside this,&nbsp;nearly 800&nbsp;home hardening assessments have been completed, leading to 18 Firewise USA Certified Neighborhoods.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"453\" height=\"402\" src=\"https:\/\/vccf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Safe-Passage-Youth-w.-Youth-Team-2-Q2.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-24175\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.1268674413089874;width:353px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vccf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Safe-Passage-Youth-w.-Youth-Team-2-Q2.jpeg 453w, https:\/\/vccf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Safe-Passage-Youth-w.-Youth-Team-2-Q2-300x266.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/vccf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Safe-Passage-Youth-w.-Youth-Team-2-Q2-14x12.jpeg 14w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 453px) 100vw, 453px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>We&#8217;ve also seen incredible growth in youth conservation corps, with over 400 students engaged through school pollinator gardens.&nbsp;As a result, over 61 jobs and career opportunities have been created across all partner organizations, which has helped empower The C.R.E.W. and programs like Safe Passage&#8217;s <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/safepassageyouth.org\/youth-corps-training-cycc\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/safepassageyouth.org\/youth-corps-training-cycc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Conejo Youth Conservation Corps<\/a><\/strong> to grow their teams and extend employment opportunities to eligible youth, offering career support to these future environmentalists.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These metrics&nbsp;represent&nbsp;an immense level of success with the program, changing lives within our community for the better beyond measure,&nbsp;with the closing of our second year expected to yield even further achievements.&nbsp;Through the efforts of all EWC partners, there has been incredible progress made on building a foundation for a better prepared and healthier environment for Ventura County, one that is more robust and better fit to withstand natural disasters.&nbsp;As part of a three-year grant opportunity, we&nbsp;anticipate&nbsp;the third year to continue these efforts towards a stronger, healthier environment in Ventura County.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/vccf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/SPYF-Y1-Tree-Planting-24-25-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-24179\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.777366350381856;width:641px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vccf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/SPYF-Y1-Tree-Planting-24-25-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/vccf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/SPYF-Y1-Tree-Planting-24-25-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/vccf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/SPYF-Y1-Tree-Planting-24-25-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/vccf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/SPYF-Y1-Tree-Planting-24-25-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/vccf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/SPYF-Y1-Tree-Planting-24-25-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/vccf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/SPYF-Y1-Tree-Planting-24-25-18x10.jpg 18w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>by Finley West The Environmental Workforce Collaborative is a Ventura County nonprofit collective dedicated to supporting and strengthening our region&#8217;s natural ecosystems and the people residing&nbsp;within them, demonstrating the transformative&hellip;<\/p>","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"give_campaign_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24174","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog-posts"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vccf.org\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24174","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vccf.org\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vccf.org\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vccf.org\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vccf.org\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24174"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vccf.org\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24174\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vccf.org\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24174"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vccf.org\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24174"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vccf.org\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24174"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}