Our newest Basins of Relations publication expands upon its 20-year legacy as a guide to “hydrological literacy.” Within the course of 25-pages, readers will uncover the systemic conditions that lead to degraded hydrologies while learning practical steps we can all take to effect change at varied scales: at home, in our local communities, and through policy.
~ By Rachel Hellman, 2026 OAEC Garden Intern Here at the Occidental Arts and Ecology Center, we’re reveling in the abundance of fall. The grounds are teeming with produce, and … Read more
Over the past year, OAEC teamed up with North Bay Jobs with Justice (NBJwJ) and their worker-owned land care cooperative—Semillas en Manos Unidas (la SEMU)—to offer two week-long workforce development trainings that introduced workers to our Fuels to Flows toolkit, the Beneficial Biomass framework, and low-tech process-based restoration techniques for the uplands.
Our educational field tour called Beaver Coexistence in Action, introduced 55 policymakers and state leaders to our highly effective coexistence pilot projects at the Cosumnes River Preserve and a neighborhood in the Sierra foothills.
Our cohort of Beaver Coexistence Professionals was featured alongside the Beaver Institute in a new TV short called: “The BeaverCorps,” which recently aired on This American Land (PBS) and NBC broadcasts nationwide.
2027 Internships 24 hours/week, residential/living on site. Application Deadline: October 16th 5pm PST. Start Date: Late January or Early February, 2027.
This summer, we welcomed a wonderful group of participants to our second annual Food Forests course. Together, we explored the art and science of designing, implementing, and stewarding perennial edible … Read more
Our latest feature in Bay Nature chronicles the successes and challenges faced by the emerging workforce of Beaver Coexistence Professionals in California and how our coexistence installation at the Cosumnes River Preserve is saving refuge managers from an exhausting maintenance regime some refer to as “beaver CrossFit.”
The WATER Institute team collaborated with Conservation Science Partners to publish California’s first beaver habitat suitability analysis and interactive web mapping model.
Tickets for the 23rd Annual Chautauqua Revue are on sale now! The show runs each night September 10th, 11th, 12th, and September 17th, 18th, 19th, with a matinee on September … Read more
The California Beaver Coexistence Training and Support Program recently presented our 2nd annual webinar featuring coexistence experts and practitioners. Watch the webinar to learn how human-beaver coexistence can deliver benefits across California.
This spring, Brock Dolman, Wildlands Program Director, presented our new Found Gully Model at an event celebrating five years of community-centered collaborations between the University of Chicago’s Data Science Institute (DSI) and 11th Hour Project grantees, including OAEC.
~ By Rachel Hellman, 2026 OAEC Garden Intern As the frantic pace of late spring gives way to the steady thrum of early summer, we enter a distinct moment in … Read more
Food forests are biodiverse, regenerative ecosystems designed to mimic the structure and intelligence of natural forests while producing food, medicine, fiber, and habitat for humans and wildlife. Rooted in ecological … Read more
This season, our team has strengthened partnerships, laid the groundwork for new training initiatives, consulted on beneficial biomass projects across Northern California, and garnered community support for holistic updates to the California Vegetation Treatment Program.
Are you ready to learn more about how beaver coexistence can build capacity for land managers and owners in California? Join the California Beaver Coexistence Training and Support Program on … Read more
~ By Lynn Hoffman, OAEC’s Fiscal Sponsor Program Director and a life-long resident of Minneapolis The whole world watched as Minnesotans stood up to the extreme violence, racism, and terror … Read more
In March 2026, Kate, Brock, and Grey joined the Watershed Solutions Network team for a virtual conversation exploring how beavers can help us restore healthier, more resilient watersheds. All gathered … Read more
Our beaver coexistence work was highlighted in Alta Journal’s recent article “Leave it to Beavers.”The article tells the story of beaver benefits, coexistence in California, and the 2025 BeaverCorps training … Read more
The California Beaver Help Desk is featured in a recent Maven’s Notebook article called “New program helps California land owners and managers coexist with beavers.”The article tells the story of our … Read more
The WATER Institute is featured in a new Knee Deep Times article called “Tools Tweak Beaver Dams.” The article features examples of coexistence installations, beaver-based climate solutions, and new resources like … Read more
This March, the WATER Institute’s own Brock Dolman and Kate Lundquist were presented with the 6th Annual Eco Hero Award, granted by the Santa Barbara Permaculture Network to those who have made positive change in the world for more than 30 years.
WATER Institute Co-Director and Wildlands Director, Brock Dolman, expanded on our Fuels to Flows Campaign for a national network of landscape stewardship professionals. The talk advanced climate-smart, nature-based restoration solutions … Read more
WATER Institute Co-Director, Kate Lundquist, was interviewed and quoted significantly in a new Modesto Bee article by Kathleen Quinn called Beavers building dams on Dry Creek in Modesto. Why that’s a … Read more
The California Beaver Help Desk launched this fall. Since then, we’ve been fielding new inquiries each week and responding with free site assessments. Last month, we delivered our first landowner stipend to a rancher along the Tuolumne River!
This fall, the WATER Institute reunited with our partners at Robinson Rancheria of Pomo Indians and Tribal EcoRestoration Alliance (TERA) to lead a training featuring low-tech process-based restoration methods from our Fuels to Flows toolkit.
In November, WATER Institute Co-Director Kate Lundquist attended the State of the Beaver Conference in Canyonville, Oregon, to connect with an activated community of beaver believers. Kate’s talk, entitled “Beaver … Read more
We’re excited to announce that the OAEC Nursery is open! After taking the 2025 season off to reimagine our vision for the program and do some much-needed tending of our infrastructure, we … Read more
In March of 2022, environmental organizations and frontline communities from all over the world fought hard to win a United Nations Environment Assembly resolution…
OAEC has an important and particular job to do in addressing the challenges of these times: to show what is possible. At our site and through many deep collaborations, we … Read more
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Site photography by Jim Coleman, Tali Aiona, Doug Gosling, Brock Dolman and Sashwa Burrous.
