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
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 and Q&A discussion. Watch The 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! The Mother Garden Nursery is open for pick up of online pre-orders. Now more than ever, spending time in the … Read more
YES, we are selling plants – take out style! The Mother Garden Nursery is open for pick up of online pre-orders. 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? Learn more about our seed saving program here.
January 14, 2020 This week we celebrated a huge milestone in the progression of OAEC’s 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 the Women’s Earth Alliance US Grassroots Accelerator for Women Environmental Leaders in helping to develop the first ever accelerator program here in the USA. … Read more
Our non-profit nursery is far more than a business – it is a mission-driven project promoting biodiversity as nature’s failsafe strategy for resilience both in our gardens and in the greater world. 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 the Bring Back the Beaver Campaign, specifically on their … Read more
The Cultural Conservancy’s Vision for a Biocultural Renewal Project in Graton There is a one-of-a-kind indigenous land project happening right here in Southern Pomo Coast Miwok territory and it happens … Read more
As the days are becoming noticeably shorter, the afternoon shadows have become longer and deeper and the quality of light has changed to that gentle golden autumn glow. We … Read more
Shifting the Narrative from Straws to Pipelines All images courtesy of #breakfreefromplastic. Since its launch in September 2016, nearly 1,500 organizations from across the world have joined the Break … Read more
Artifishal is a film about wild rivers and wild fish that explores the high cost—ecological, financial and cultural—of our mistaken belief that engineered solutions can make up for habitat destruction. … Read more
Since 2014, a colony of beaver have been observed near the suburban South Bay town of Campbell, and with them, an uptick in blue heron, western tanager, ducks and other varieties … Read more
Enhancing and securing habitats for biodiversity is one of the core goals of the OAEC Wildlands Program, using traditional knowledge and modern science to tend the 70 acres. The diverse plant … Read more
Farallones barn raising 1978. Photo courtesy of Alison Dykestra As we look back on 25 years of OAEC’s history, we owe a great debt of gratitude to the people who … Read more
Resilience is a concept that we at OAEC think about a lot, even now as this “viral”, often co-opted term has taken on so many different interpretations. Nature’s resiliency mechanisms inspire … Read more
Sometime in the late ’80s, the gardeners here affectionately started referring to the “Mother Garden” because of her abundant fertility and the fact that she was providing a wealth of … Read more
This event is completely SOLD OUT! Tickets will not be available at the door. Performances
A powerhouse group of some of the leading thinkers on land access came together at OAEC for the Bay Area Land Justice Convening in April co-organized by staff at Sogorea … Read more
Listen to this interview with WATER Institute Director Kate Lundquist on using beaver to restore endangered salmon in California. Beaver dams slow down the flow of water off landscapes, … Read more
Happy Spring! We are so thankful for the generous rains that have invigorated our gardens and promise an explosive Spring of extravagant growth and abundance! Our nursery tables are packed … Read more
For over 2 decades, OAEC has had a deep collaboration with Food For Thought (FFT), a food bank in Forestville that serves over 700 clients living with HIV/AIDS and other … Read more
Join OAEC, Community Seed Exchange, Daily Acts and the California Rare Fruit Growers at the Mother Garden Biodiversity Program’s FAVORITE event of the year! We love sharing seeds, scions and … Read more
Given the potential benefit of beaver to mountain meadow restoration and related focal species, OAEC WATER Institute conducted a beaver restoration feasibility assessment to aid in the Prioritizing Meadows for … Read more