Chumash Indian Museum Wildfire Fund

The grounds of the Chumash Indian Museum in Thousand Oaks, CA were hit hard by the Woolsey fire in the early morning hours of November 9th, 2018. Staff were on site and able to evacuate some artifacts before the flames grew near. The fire rushed through the back of our grounds burning everything in its path. Fortunately, the museum building survived as it is constructed out of concrete. Unfortunately, we have lost our replica village, some aspects of our ethnobotany garden, stairs and bridge for nature hike tour, and outdoor public restrooms. The replica Village has been a staple of the museum, as we use it to describe village life during the many school tours that visit us throughout the year as well as a friendly site to the many hikers who frequent our grounds every day. The time, money, and effort needed to rebuild this village will be great.

The costs for village repair includes:
-Transportation (rental trucks, gas) needed to drive out to remote areas to harvest the tule (reed plant that village aps are constructed out of)
-Staff time to organize the rebuilding efforts
-Materials needed to reconstruct the many village structures lost
-New utility vehicle (current museum vehicle needs repair and is inoperable)

The cost for museum grounds repair include:
-Purchase of new outdoor restrooms 
-Purchase of new plants for ethnobotany gardens
-Purchase of material needed to rebuild staircase and bridge for nature hike tours
-Purchase of outdoor equipment lost due to fire (garden hoses, drip irrigation systems, privacy structure for bathroom area)
-Staff time 

We as a 501(c)(3) non-profit need your help to cover these costs.