It’s OAEC’s 30th Anniversary!

This year, the Occidental Arts & Ecology Center (OAEC) is celebrating our 30th anniversary! As we take a moment to pause and reflect, we want to share our deep gratitude … Read more

Check out our new Beaver web portal!

As we celebrate OAEC’s 30 years, we think back to 2009 when the WATER Institute was scoffed at for having the audacity to suggest that beaver, then considered a ‘nuisance,’ … Read more

End the Siege on Gaza: Permanent Ceasefire Now!

OAEC (The Occidental Arts and Ecology Center), in its 30th year, continues to be dedicated to fostering self-determination in communities and participating in social justice and environmental movements that challenge … Read more

People Over Plastic Now Counterstream Media

People Over Plastic, a fiscally sponsored project of OAEC, is now Counterstream Media! From the Counterstream team: “Our new name reflects our mission to center the stories and perspectives that … Read more

Brock Dolman Featured on Two Podcasts

WATER Institute Co-Director and OAEC Co-Founder Brock Dolman has been busy! He recently participated in two podcasts which we recommend listening to! In the first, Permaculture Perspectives, Brock speaks with … Read more

Nursery Featured in Made Local Magazine

Happy Birthday and congratulations to the Mother Garden turning 50 years old this summer! The Mother Garden, and its offspring, the Nursery were featured in the May/June 2024 issue of … Read more

Beaver and Process-Based Restoration Trainings in France

In April 2024, WATER Institute Co-Director Kate Lundquist and our close collaborator, Kevin Swift of Swift Water Design, headed to France. French artist Suzanne Husky and French author and professor … Read more

2023 Update – Strategies for Change

Unveiling OAEC’s 2023 Update: Strategies for Change! We are proud of this new publication that reports on our accomplishments for this year through the lens of the four strategies that … Read more

Cal PBR Workshops

We’re reporting back from two highly successful Cal PBR Network workshops that took place in October, empowering folks to further advance their skills in process-based restoration and all of its … Read more

Big day for beaver in the news

Two big beaver hits today! First up is an interview with Kate and Brock in The Los Angeles Times about beaver benefits to landscapes. The story is titled, “Restoring California … Read more

Are you a beaver believer? Webinar

Watch WATER institute Co-Director Kate Lundquist in this Secretary Speaker Series webinar, hosted by California’s Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot, on Wednesday, July 12th from 12 noon – 1 pm. … Read more

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

YES Magazine Highlights Climate Justice In Sonoma County

April 24, 2023 – YES Magazine published an excellent article by our friend and photojournalist Brooke Anderson that features OAEC’s collaboration with North Bay Jobs with Justice (NBJwJ) and workers from their Farmworker … Read more