Green Valley Project

Youth Council

The Youth Council is a group of youth ages 13 to 20 who have come together to plan and implement a restoration project that will grow more habitat for local plants and animals, remove invasive species that can threaten an ecosystem, and educate the public on environmental restoration. This restoration project will create a more beautiful, healthy and climate-resilient Ojai Valley watershed where all can thrive!

Apply for Our Summer Program

This is a free, two-week journey in environmental leadership, with engaging activities every weekday at the Ojai Library, including project planning, personal pitch sessions, and exploring environmental careers, which culminates in a field trip at Hurricane Harbor!

Apply Now!

Our Spring Project: Nordhoff Pollinator Garden

This session, our Youth Council team have been working to design their vision for a pollinator garden at Nordhoff Junior High and High School. This space is meant to be an educational tool for students and teachers, as well as safe haven for pollinators including hummingbirds, butterflies, bees, moths, and of course people! We would like to create native plant habitat while also designing a beautiful peaceful space that our community can enjoy!

We are youth leaders who care about the environment. We are committed to educating others and impacting the environment positively. This year we are designing a pollinator garden for our community at Nordhoff. Help us decide which design to chose by voting here or on our community poll!

Submit Your Vote

Team Rain Masters

Hi, we’re Maple and Lucas. We’re from Green Valley Project. We’re former Nordhoff students, so we know how this campus works, and we’re noticing some issues with the water drainage, specifically in the corner of the baseball field. In that region, the water piles up, causing a muddy mess. We want to create a rain garden that helps the water drain out of the field into ground, which will not only help keep the meadow a beautiful place by recharging the aquifers but will also make the

campus nicer to walk around. According to Ventura County Land Resilience Partnership, “Rain gardens can be critical at the bottom of slopes, where they can collect fast-moving runoff, to slow, spread, and sink the water.”

We’d also like to put in place a garden to enhance the natural beauty of the area and provide a sanctuary for those who need a break from the monotony of the school day. Our garden will provide shade and beauty for those who need it, through towering trees and delicate poppies, roses, and wildflowers. If you choose our plan, you’re certain to find an oasis of natural beauty for all to enjoy. So pick the Rain Masters garden, to master the rain and make the campus and community a bit more beautiful!

“Its cute :)” -team corner oasis

Team Corner Oasis

Hi we are Megan, Andrew, Zooey, Melissa and Celeste. We are youth leaders part of the Green Valley Project. We are passionate about taking care of the environment in the Ojai Valley, and here is our garden plan to help design the best possible garden for our local Nordhoff High School and Jr. High. The Corner Oasis is a sustainably resourceful garden, designed to be a “getaway refuge”. In our garden we have water retaining features such as a bioswale to help the area conserve and responsibly use the provided water to help support the soil, and nearby plants. We are committed to designing the best garden for the community so that the public and students of Nordhoff can be educated and more connected with nature.

“Love the before & after” - Team Rain Master

“Great design!” - Megan

“I love it” - Arianna

“Innovative!” - Andrew

“I'd love to sit and read there!” - Zooey

“So cool” - Melissa

“Five Stars” - Celeste

Team Rose Way

Hi we are Arianna and Memphis! We are high school students in Ojai Valley who care about the environment and the community. We are Team Roseway and we are working to design a garden that focuses on drought tolerance and it still brings an array of bright colors. We have chosen some plants that make the biggest environmental impact. This vast array of plants promote a rich and healthy biodiversity at the Nordoff campus. We hope to place some educational signs that will educate students and give them a great opportunity to learn and embrace the beauty of nature and its positive impact to our community. The California Wild Rose spreads throughout the plant corridor and its impact is greatly effective in many ways. It encourages many different pollinators which include butterflies, caterpillars, birds, bees and even moths! The Wild Rose flowers smell amazing as you walk by, which can encourage the community to take a closer look at the vast array of beautiful plants.

“Super cool” -team corner oasis

Meet the Team

Maple Williams

Youth Council President
I’m really passionate about wanting to protect the environment and educating people on why they should too. I’m really worried about the intense change in the weather aka climate change. The fact that In less then ten years we’ve gone from droughts and wildfires to hurricanes and floods really concerns and really scare me. I’m also worried about California Wetlands because the Wetlands are shrinking which can lead to bird populations declining and the spread of disease. Our wetlands are shrinking due to urban development, pollution, and invasive species and a lot of people in Ojai don’t know about it and we are literally surrounded by wetlands. I love Youth Council and every time I have been apart of it I have had a lot of fun. I also really believe in what the group and the projects we do stand for and it’s really important for the local community to have groups like this and I really like to be a part of it.
Benjamin Scordamaglia

Youth Council Vice President
As Vice President of the Green Valley Project, I bring a passion for sustainability and a commitment to fostering positive change within our community. With my background in environmental science and leadership, I hope to aid in initiatives such as our current project of creating a pollinator garden to enhance the well-being of both people and plant.
Megan Robles

Youth Council Historian (Instagram)
Hi! I am the historian and I am currently a sophomore at Fillmore High School. I joined GVP Youth Council because I have a passion for learning about the environment and I believe it is important to be aware and educated about topics such as the environment to not only help do my part in helping better the community around me but in order to be a good leader in the future. I was born and raised on a ranch around a lot of agriculture always outside with animals and surrounded by nature. Through this I learned to love, appreciate, and take care of Mother Nature which is why I am so passionate about the environment. Some fun facts about me are that I love collecting CDs and records as well as thrifting, reading, and making my own jewelry. I am beyond ecstatic to not only be apart of GVP youth council but also be granted the privilege to be the historian. I hope to do a great job!
Oliver Ayala

Youth Council Historian (Tiktok)
I am a compassionate leader who is easy to talk to. My superpower is strength and I can use this to help others find their passions. I am committed to getting in touch with my community so I can help free us from the shackles of monotony.
Arianna Macias

Youth Council Secretary
I am passionate about the environment and I love to learn about all the different ways we can help preserve its beauty. I love and appreciate everything about Ojai, everything from its beautiful hiking trails to all the animals that live in the valley. I am excited to be a part of this wonderful community of individuals that love and appreciate nature and are looking forward to educating others on the importance of preserving the environment.
Andrew Little

Youth Council Events Chair
I'm interested in learning a bit more about the environment around me and being able to give back to the environment.
Memphis Snyder

Youth Council Member
My superpower is innovation and I can use this to help others to make the world a better place!
Melissa Martinez

Youth Council Member
I am an innovative leader who tries to find the best, most efficient solution. My goal is to help make the system we rely on more reliable and benefit the most people so that communities, including my own, can live better lives.
Lucas Halbrook

Youth Council Member
I am a creative leader who sees the world for how it could be. My superpower is curiosity and I can use this to help others to discover new things that will change the world for the better. I am committed to creating and discovering new things, as well as inspiring others so that the future can be a better place than the present or past ever were.
Zooey Halbrook

Youth Council Member
I am an intuitive leader who tires to be kind. My superpower is kindness and I can use this to help others to show kindness unconditionally to those who deserve it. I am committed to help the earth support every living thing so that we can all coexist together in a somewhat balanced way.
Celeste Nelson

Youth Council Member
I am a creative leader who welcomes and accepts all. My superpower is being outgoing and I can use this to help others to feel welcome in the spaces I’m in. I am committed to making meaningful, diverse art so that people can feel represented in my work.
Niall Bense

Youth Council Member
I have lived in Ojai for a long time and grew up with a lot of time spent outdoors. I am interested in preserving and maintaining the wildlife in the Ojai Valley. I am adamant about making sure there is land for them to thrive on and educating others on the importance of these issues.