The Facilities Internship tackles the usual array of facilities related work that maintains and improves the infrastructure at OAEC. The facilities intern works in areas such as carpentry, plumbing, electrical, … Read more
Explore the world of organic gardening through OAEC’s annual Garden Internship in our 50-year-old biointensive gardens—a rich setting for experiential learning. Work closely with our Garden Manager, engaging in all … Read more
OAEC works to inspire communities to build and imagine the ecologically regenerative and socially just world that we know is possible. At OAEC’s 80-acre landbase in Sonoma County, we demonstrate … Read more
20% off everything! We’re staying open two more weekends: November 5&6, 12&13 10am – 5pm 15290 Coleman Valley Rd (upper driveway), Occidental CA Don’t miss your last chance to bring … Read more
What is your relationship with water? Do you know where your water comes from or how it gets to you? For the most part, modern developed societies have taken water … Read more
Dan Hoyle dazzled us with his opening monologue at Chautauqua this year and we’ve decided to bring him back for his full solo show this November! Dan garnered critical acclaim … Read more
As the number of guests in our retreat program has increased in recent years, so has the volume of food scraps that our kitchen produces. For decades, our chickens, goats, … Read more
Since our announcement in July about the State’s monumental decision to fund the creation of a new Beaver Restoration Program to be led by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, … Read more
This past spring, OAEC and the Sowing Circle community were thrilled to graze a flock of 54 sheep and 12 goats across nearly 10 acres of coastal prairie and meadow … Read more
OAEC Wildlands and our partners are hosting a Zoom webinar on July 27th from 6-8pm PST to wrap up our “Beyond Defensible Space” workshop series, an exploration of wildfire mitigation strategies that … Read more
SACRAMENTO (June 30, 2022) – Today, Governor Gavin Newsom’s proposal to launch a new Beaver Restoration Program at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife will be enacted at the … Read more
photo by Brock Dolman Salmon are a keystone species, inextricably linked to the health of our coastal ecosystems, yet over the past century their populations have experienced devastating declines. In … Read more
The old saying “Don’t miss the water ‘till the well runs dry” couldn’t be more apt in this year’s unprecedented drought. Wells and reservoirs are drying up around the county, … Read more
*We at the Occidental Arts & Ecology Center WATER Institute have tremendous news! On May 13th, Governor Gavin Newsom announced a Revision of the Fiscal Year 2022-23 state budget that … Read more
Come live, learn, work and play with us! Each year, OAEC hires 6 enthusiastic interns to live and learn at OAEC for 10 months. Interns work 25 hours per week … Read more
We’ve heard about Defensible Space, the 100ft perimeter around buildings that should be free from burnable materials to prevent damage from wildfire, but what about the wildlands beyond those 100ft? … Read more
People Over Plastic, a fiscally sponsored project of OAEC, is a BIPOC storytelling collective working towards an anti-racist, plastic-free future. POP’s wildly successful Season 1 podcast brought us stories of … Read more
After a year and a half of pandemic closure, we are happy to announce that the OAEC site will be reopening to welcome Permaculture Design students again this fall! Last … Read more
WATER Institute Co-Directors Kate Lundquist and Brock Dolman are excited to announce the initiation of the California Process-based Restoration (Cal PBR) Network and invite you to participate and spread the … Read more
OAEC’s WATER Institute was featured this month in SF Estuary Magazine (including Brock Dolman’s cover shot!) for beaver restoration work on Yellow Creek in the Tásmam Koyóm Maidu Cultural Park, Plumas … Read more
Español abajo. Navigating the threat of wildfire is an ongoing reality of life in Sonoma County. From 2017 to 2020, fires burned more than 300,000 acres across the county, resulting … Read more
Climate change is making California hotter, drier, and harder for people and wildlife. Beaver can help. Watch the video recording of the California Beaver Summit! click here to watch During … Read more
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
The following video is a recording of the informational webinar Brock Dolman and Kate Lundquist (Occidental Arts & Ecology Center WATER Institute Directors) gave on March 4, 2021 to those … Read more
The Foundation for Intentional Communities has launched a new podcast called “Inside Community” and invited OAEC Executive Director and Sowing Circle Co-Founder Dave Henson to be the guest on one … Read more
Pictured above: Doug Gosling, Mother Garden Biodiversity Program Director, in the OAEC seed vault with the new Kent Whealy dedication plaque. It is our great pleasure to announce the dedication … Read more
After a long Covid hiatus, on-site tours of the gardens led by real live humans will resume this April! Join us 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month at 1pm, starting at the … Read more
In September, OAEC, along with the Center for Biological Diversity and The Rewilding Institute, convened a virtual Rewilding California meeting that, for the first time ever, brought together many of … Read more
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Site photography by Jim Coleman, Tali Aiona, Doug Gosling, Brock Dolman and Sashwa Burrous.
