SEEK THE CREEK

We worked with SALT landscape architects and Ojai Valley Land Conservancy to develop a comprehensive community engagement campaign centered around the dam removal and restoration of Matilija Creek in the Los Padres National Forest. This multi-platform campaign invited community members to envision the future of the restored creek and surrounding open space through both digital and in-person engagement opportunities. The campaign’s central question—”How would you seek the creek?”—encouraged residents to share their hopes and ideas for recreational, educational, and environmental opportunities at the future site. By gathering community input on everything from hiking trails and wildlife viewing to educational programming and habitat restoration priorities, the campaign ensured that this significant environmental restoration project would reflect the community’s vision for how they want to connect with and experience this restored natural landscape.

For the community workshops, we created an interactive mapping exercise using a system of colorful stickers representing different amenities and activities—hiking trails, picnic areas, wildlife viewing platforms, educational signage, fishing spots, and more—that community members could place directly onto large-scale maps of the restoration site. This hands-on approach allowed participants to spatially organize their priorities while sparking conversations about how different uses might complement each other. The workshop generated detailed community input about desired amenities while creating a collaborative atmosphere where families, hikers, environmental educators, and other community members could see and build upon each other’s ideas for the restored creek.