OAEC conducts winter prescribed burn

photo by Brock Dolman In late January, with the help of Fire Forward, the OAEC and Sowing Circle community conducted a prescribed burn in a 4-acre woodland unit of our … Read more

Kent Whealy Memorial Seed Collection

Pictured above: Doug Gosling, Mother Garden Biodiversity Program Director, in the OAEC seed vault with the new Kent Whealy dedication plaque.Ā  It is our great pleasure to announce the dedication … Read more

Take a virtual or in-person garden tour!

  After a long Covid hiatus,Ā on-siteĀ tours of the gardens led by real live humans will resume this April!Ā Join usĀ 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month at 1pm, starting at the … Read more

Fall Nursery Sale: Nov 7-8 & 14-15

Fall Nursery Sale November 7-8 & 14-15 Everything 20% Off! Wow, what a season! Ā From Covid to wildfires, the Mother Garden Nursery has hit more than a few bumps along … Read more

Story of Plastic Wins an Emmy!

OAEC’s fiscally sponsored project Peak PlasticĀ creates integrated storytellingĀ campaigns to fightĀ plastic production and pollution and toĀ empowerĀ global collaborative action. LastĀ month, Peak Plastic foundersĀ Stiv Wilson and Megan Ponder and their team won an … Read more

Read the 2021 Update

In these times, OAEC continues to embody David Orr’s assertion that ā€œhope is a verb with its sleeves rolled up,ā€ advancing practical solutions at the personal and community scale that … Read more

Peak Plastic Foundation joins OAEC!

OAEC has brought on the Peak Plastic Foundation (PPF) as a new fiscally-sponsored project, continuing OAEC’s involvement in the movement to end the plastic crisis. We are excited to support … Read more

Celebrating Women’s Leadership in Food

OAEC is excited to announce a new partnership with Celebrating Women’s Leadership in FoodĀ led by local farmer, author and activist Caitlin Hatchmyer. We are thrilled to support this project as … Read more

Forest Thinning and Gully Repair

‘Slash Ain’t Trash, It’s Beneficial Biomass!’ Ā – Brock Dolman For the past few months, OAEC’s Wildlands team has been working hard applying for permits to restore a number of eroding … Read more

Winter Veggie Starts Available

Winter Gardening Starts Now! This week, the Mother Garden Nursery will begin offering your favorite winter vegetable varieties including chicories, lettuces, brassicas, and herbs, in addition to our fabulous perennials. … Read more

A Message from Wysteria McBrylcream

Wysteria

Last year, after seventeen consecutive years of producing the Chautauqua Revue, OAEC decided that we would take a year off in 2020 to freshen things up and take a long … Read more

Covid Update

OAEC’s Response to Covid-19 updated August 2020 We at the Occidental Arts & Ecology Center are working to make a safe, proactive, and appropriately-scaled response andĀ are committed to following state … Read more

Juneteenth Call to Action

OAEC aligns with the following demands and principles that come directly from the Movement for Black Lives (M4BL) around the upcoming Juneteenth weekend. We urge you to read and get … Read more

Nursery to Reopen 6/13

The Mother Garden Nursery will re-open for physically distanced shopping June 13 & 14 returning to our normal weekend business hours for the season Sat & Sun 10am – 5pm … Read more

Fire destroys OAEC’s historic barn

Dears, We are so sad to report that our beloved and historic barn at OAEC burned to the ground last night. Everyone, including the animals, is safe albeit devastated. The … Read more

Nursery Open for Take Out!

YES, we are selling plants – take out style! Ā  The Mother Garden Nursery is open for pick up of online pre-orders.Ā  Now more than ever, spending time in the … Read more

Nursery Updates

YES, we are selling plants – take out style! Ā  The Mother Garden Nursery is open for pick up of online pre-orders.Ā  Now more than ever, spending time in the … Read more

OAEC’s Response to COVID-19

OAEC’s Response to COVID-19 updated March 16, 2020 We at the Occidental Arts & Ecology Center are working to make a safe, proactive, and appropriately-scaled response to the spread of … Read more

Sonoma County Seed Swap – Feb 23rd

Did you know that OAEC hosts three of the biggest seed exchanges in California every year? Ā Learn more about our seed saving program here.