Farallones Institute Rural Center Reunion
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
OAEC
OAEC Board Members on Resilience – watch videos
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
Who’s at OAEC? Bay Area Land Justice Convening
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
KMUD Interview with Kate Lundquist on the Benefits of Beavers
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, recharge … Read more
Congratulations Doug for 30 years at the Food Bank Garden!
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
2018 End of Year Update
When you close your eyes and imagine a more just and sustainable future, what does it look like to you? We bring this question to life every day, at OAEC … Read more
Tending the Oaks
What’s wrong with this picture? The beautiful view of the OAEC backcountry from our new Meeting Hall deck is a lovely place to enjoy the sunset, but seen through a … Read more
The New Meeting Center is Complete – Now Booking 2019 Retreats
After an extensive master planning process, capital campaign, renovations, and new construction of several key buildings, including new Guest Houses, we are thrilled to announce the completion of our latest … Read more
Being Salmon, Being Human: The Performance
Join us in the North Garden Theater on Wednesday August 15th 7-9pm BEING SALMON, BEING HUMAN is a unique storytelling performance from Norway combining traditional tales, original music, and … Read more
Busy Beavers
WATER Institute co-directors Kate Lundquist and Brock Dolman have fully embodied their busy mascot this summer as they hit the Bring Back the Beaver Campaign trail! The past few weeks … Read more
Mending the Wild at OAEC
December 2017 In the context of the North Bay fires this fall and the ongoing regional discussion about the need for proactively and eco-literately managing our landscapes to be more ‘fire … Read more
Afterburn – Response to North Bay Fires
October 2017. In the middle of a tightly scheduled month of strategic planning retreats at OAEC, an unprecedented wildfire ripped through our region, consuming 300,000+ acres, 8,000+ buildings, and 41 … Read more
Brock coins the term “egosystem” in scientific literature!
OAEC WATER Institute Director, pun-tastic wordsmith and meme generator extraordinaire, Brock Dolman, has co-authored, with Dr. Matt Deitch, a new peer-reviewed scientific paper in the Journal WATER called Restoring Summer … Read more
AB1810 Non-commercial seed sharing protected
A victory for seed sovereignty: AB 1810 passes with help from OAEC OAEC’s Dave Henson and Cooper Freeman along with a group of partner organizations – Sustainable Economies Law Center, … Read more
Sonoma County Beaver Blitz – October 8th, 2016
The OAEC WATER Institute is hosting a Beaver Blitz to map current distribution of beaver (Castor canadensis) in Sonoma County. Beaver modify the landscape in ways that can be really … Read more
OAEC Releases New Beaver Stewardship Guidebook
Call our main office to purchase a booklet (707) 874-1557 x101 or Download for Free> Beavers are one of our favorite watershed restoration partners! They are the original champions of … Read more
WATER Institute Supports Borneo Watersheds Affected by Palm Oil Plantations
by Janel Healy. Photos by Brock Dolman. 35% of the palm oil produced in the world comes from Malaysia, and 12% of that comes from the Malaysian state of Sabah … Read more
Connecting to Place Through Art: Painting the OAEC Pond
Co-founder and resident artist Adam Wolpert is in his seventh month of a yearlong project to paint the southwest corner of the OAEC pond. He has created 45 oil paintings–all … Read more
Speak Out to Keep Glyphosate (Roundup) a Prop 65 Chemical
The use of glyphosate has surged dramatically since the 1990s, when genetically engineered (GE) “Roundup Ready” corn and soybean crops were introduced. According to the Pesticide Action Network of North America (PANNA), … Read more
Water Budgeting at OAEC and in Your Community
Above: Alana records weekly potable water use at OAEC outside the Main Office, which all staff members see throughout the day. You, too, could do this at your workplace, church, child’s … Read more
OAEC Publishes Wildlands Preserve Stewardship Plan
Pictured: Harold Appleton, registered professional forester, co-authored the plan with Lindsay Dailey and Jim Coleman (pictured) as well as Brock Dolman. Harold spent many hours onsite inventorying mixed conifer forests and guiding OAEC … Read more
OAEC Cookbook: Summer Recipe & Civil Eats Article
Pictured: Flower Petal Pestos. Edible flowers, such as sunflower and nastutium, volunteer in legions in OAEC’s temperate gardens. These brightly colored sauces in small quantities are most efficiently used as a … Read more
WATER Institute Reviews Beaver Restoration Guidebook
The WATER Institute was invited to review the 200-page comprehensive Beaver Restoration Guidebook written by NOAA Fisheries, US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Forest Service, and Portland State University to … Read more
Drought Action
These are extraordinary times in California–especially in the Dutch Bill Creek Watershed, where OAEC is located, and the watersheds surrounding it. The water in our creeks is so low that … Read more
WATER Institute Helps Caltrans Steward Beaver
A great example of beaver stewardship recently occurred in Caltrans District 5. A beaver had dammed a drainage, which was beginning to flood the adjacent roadbed of a new freeway … Read more
Using Beaver as a Restoration Agent for Meadows in the Sierra Nevada and Cascades Workshop
In October 2014, The WATER Institute co-convened with The Nature Conservancy a two-day workshop to discuss beaver as a restoration agent (click here to download meeting summary with photos, contacts … Read more
WATER Institute contributes to Canadian report on Beaver Restoration Across Boundaries
WATER Institute Director Kate Lundquist was one of seven American beaver advocates interviewed for this report put together by the Miistakis Institute in Alberta, Canada. The report shares the experiences and … Read more
Beaverpalooza 2015
The WATER Institute Beaver Campaign Hits The Road! In late February and early March, Kate Lundquist and Brock Dolman of the WATER Institute made great headway in forwarding their Bring … Read more
The Benefits of Prescribed Fires
In a time of climate change and drought, California’s forests are increasingly under the threat of catastrophic fires. While the state spends hundreds of millions of dollars each year on … Read more
Help Us Map Beaver Sightings in California!
Join our Citizen Science campaign to map current distribution of beaver in California. As part of our Bring Back the Beaver campaign, The WATER Institute is collaborating with Eli Asarian … Read more
