The Land
The Occidental Arts & Ecology Center is located on an 80-acre site in the current and historical territory of the Coast Miwok and Southern Pomo peoples. The land features mixed hardwood and conifer forests, coastal prairie meadows, organic gardens and orchards, and a beautiful swimming pond. OAEC tends the land through process-based ecological restoration, and ‘mending the wild’ stewardship. Visitors are immersed in a living landscape that actively models regenerative approaches to ecology and community.
The Land
Welcome! The land that OAEC inhabits is the territory of the Coast Miwok and Southern Pomo peoples. When you visit OAEC, we invite you to join us in honoring and continuing their legacy of land stewardship.
The gardens on-site have been a source of inspiration and training for thousands of gardeners, farmers, and landscapers for over 40 years, first as the Farallones Institute (1974-1990), then as the Center for Seven Generations (1990-1993), and now as OAEC (1994-present). These 80 acres of organic gardens, wildlands, an onsite intentional community, and an education center have served as a living laboratory for research, collaboration, and forging the transition towards ecological and socially just human settlement. In developing and collectively caring for our home, we hope to reveal a place of beauty that is deeply connected with nature and full of examples to inspire you to bring regenerative practices back to your own community.
In addition to the beautiful natural surroundings and learning opportunities that the site offers, participants in our courses and retreats can also enjoy other features and fruits of the land, including delicious homegrown organic food, a swimming pond, a sauna, a hot tub, a campfire, and comfortable eco-dwellings.
