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
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
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
Wildfire preparedness at the county and state level often focus onĀ defensible space and home hardeningā¦ and for good reason! Both are critical strategies when it comes to saving lives, … Read more
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
Beaver in California: Creating a Culture of Stewardship Online Presentation The following video is a recording of a presentation WATER Institute Co-Director Kate Lundquist gave on October 15, 2020.Ā Learn how … Read more
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
In these times, OAEC continues to embody David Orrās assertion that āhope is a verb with its sleeves rolled up,ā advancing practical solutions at the personal and community scale that … Read more
OAEC has brought on the Peak Plastic Foundation (PPF) as a new fiscally-sponsored project, continuing OAECās involvement in the movement to end the plastic crisis. We are excited to support … Read more
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
‘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 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
October 2021 Though the air has been clean at OAEC the past few weeks, we havenāt forgotten that California is still on the heels of a devastating wildfire season (amidst … Read more
We are thrilled to announce that OAEC partner Lottie Cunningham Wren, Miskito women and human rights lawyer for indigenous Nicaraguans, has won the 2020 Right Livelihood Award, often referred to … Read more
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
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
Now that the Occidental Farmers Market is up and running for the season, we invite you to come check out the newly updated watershed literacy display case near the picnic … Read more
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
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
Pre-Covid-19, we had planned to hold a screening of this new film at OAEC, but we hope you’ll join us instead for a free on-line screening andĀ Q&A discussion. Watch TheĀ Story … Read more
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
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
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 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
In this Roots of Change Flipping the Table podcast episode, OAEC co-founder Dave Henson talks about the problems of economy and governance that prevent our social movements, including the food … Read more
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.
January 14, 2020 This week we celebrated a huge milestone in the progression of OAECās Compost Toilet Research Project. It has been three and a half years since we … Read more
Dear Friends and Supporters, We are proud of the work we have done this year, advancing bold and successful initiatives and providing a place of refuge and reflection to … Read more
OAEC is proud to partner with theĀ Women’s Earth Alliance US Grassroots Accelerator for Women Environmental LeadersĀ in helping to develop the first ever accelerator program here in the USA. … Read more
Our non-profitĀ nursery is far more than a business – it is aĀ mission-driven project promoting biodiversity as nature’s failsafe strategy for resilience both in our gardens and in the greater world.Ā As … Read more
In September 2019, WATER Institute Co-Directors Brock Dolman and Kate Lundquist attended the International Conference on Ecology and Transportation to present on theĀ Bring Back the Beaver Campaign, specifically on their … Read more