Upcoming WATER Institute Events
Upcoming events in watershed, beaver, and process-based restoration.
Brock Dolman
WATER Institute Quoted in the LA Times
On March 26, 2024, The Los Angeles Times published a fantastic article titled, Yes, beavers can help stop wildfires. And more places in California are embracing them. In it, writer … Read more
CDFW Awards OAEC Grant to Create Beaver Coexistence Program
The Occidental Arts & Ecology Center WATER Institute is humbled and excited to announce that we have been awarded a $2 million block grant to develop a program to build … Read more
The origin—and fandom—of Slow it, Spread it, Sink it
Like Carlo Petrini’s Slow Food movement, we have our own “slow water movement” at OAEC. You might know it as the permaculture mantra, or perhaps you’ve seen it as part … Read more
WATER institute in the Associated Press and NBC Bay Area
On July 24, the Associated Press published an article celebrating the new CDFW policy changes as they pertain to beaver restoration and management and quoted WATER Institute’s Kate Lundquist: “There … Read more
OAEC Recognized as New CDFW Beaver Depredation Policy is Announced!
At the June 14, 2023 CA Fish and Game Commission meeting, the CA Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) reported to the commissioners that they have enacted a new beaver … Read more
Upcoming WATER Institute Events
Upcoming events in watershed, beaver, and process-based restoration.
Field Trip to Doty Ravine
On May 24, we partnered with the California Beaver Policy Working Group and wrangled 50 state leaders from Sacramento to Doty Ravine to see beaver restoration in action. Protected since … Read more
Watch Brock’s Firesafe Sonoma Talk: Fuels to Flows
Brock Dolman, Ecologist and Director of the OAEC Wildlands program, gave an online presentation for FireSafe Sonoma on May 23rd, 2023 introducing the concept of “Fuels to Flows” – turning … Read more
Bioneers Radio interviews our Beaver Believers
Neil Harvey, host of Bioneers Radio, interviews Kate Lundquist and Brock Dolman to learn all about beaver: their history in North America, how they slow and spread water, create critical … Read more
Dr Rajendra Singh at OAEC
This spring, OAEC and the WATER Institute were honored to welcome world renowned water conservationist Dr. Rajendra Singh to OAEC for a weekend of skill sharing and inspiration. Dr Rajendra … Read more
OAEC Makes a Splash in Restoration Journal
Ecesis, the quarterly news journal of SerCal (California Society for Ecological Restoration) features an article written by our own WATER Institute Co-Directors, Kate Lundquist and Brock Dolman, and Development and … Read more
State Leaders Enact Historic Beaver Restoration Program!
SACRAMENTO (June 30, 2022) – Today, Governor Gavin Newsom’s proposal to launch a new Beaver Restoration Program at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife will be enacted at the … Read more
Big Wins in Sacramento for the Bring Back the Beaver Campaign!
*We at the Occidental Arts & Ecology Center WATER Institute have tremendous news! On May 13th, Governor Gavin Newsom announced a Revision of the Fiscal Year 2022-23 state budget that … Read more
Article on “Beaver Dam Analogs” in Yellow Creek
OAEC’s WATER Institute was featured this month in SF Estuary Magazine (including Brock Dolman’s cover shot!) for beaver restoration work on Yellow Creek in the Tásmam KoyĂłm Maidu Cultural Park, Plumas … Read more
Forest Thinning and Gully Repair
‘Slash Ain’t Trash, It’s Beneficial Biomass!’ Â – 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
Wildlands Program Builds Local Wildfire Resiliency
October 2021 Though the air has been clean at OAEC the past few weeks, we haven’t forgotten that California is still on the heels of a devastating wildfire season (amidst … Read more
Listening to the Land with The Cultural Conservancy
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
ARTIFISHAL movie – Sept 30, 6pm – SOLD OUT!
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
Localizing CA Waters Conference Report Back
On November 7-9, 2018 a diverse group of water professionals and activists including water agency staff, government regulators, engineers and designers, plumbers and landscapers, indigenous water protectors, community action groups, … 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! Â The past few weeks … 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
In Memory of OAEC’s Friend Doug Tompkins
Above: Kris & Doug Tompkins. Photo by Dave Henson, Dec. 2014. The staff and extended family of the Occidental Arts &Â Ecology Center would like to honor our friend, mentor … 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
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
Carbon Farming Benefits Soil, Water and Climate
Ranching and farming practices can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by capturing atmospheric carbon into soil. Last week, 50 soil scientists, ranchers, farmers and carbon farming advocates from around the United … Read more
Highlights from EcoFarm
Last week’s 35th annual EcoFarm Conference gathered nearly 2000 sustainable agriculture experts and allies for education, rejuvenation and celebration with a new twist: the Permaculture Track! Thanks to EFA’s Executive … Read more
Brock Dolman & Eve Ensler at Bioneers 2014
At the 2014 Bioneers Conference, OAEC’s Brock Dolman joined forces with renowned author and V-Day founder Eve Ensler to present about the City of Joy, a recovery center and permaculture farm … Read more
Beaver Campaign Recognized by Paula Lane Action Network
The Bring Back the Beaver campaign, run by Brock Dolman and Kate Lundquist of the Occidental Arts & Ecology Center’s WATER Institute, was recently honored with the Paula Lane Action … Read more
The SOIL Permaculture Design Process
The SOIL Permaculture Design Process After touring the SOIL collection and processing sites around Cap-Haitien, we arrived at the SOIL office, farm, and associated KOMOP farm properties. (KOMOP is a … Read more
