Meet two inspiring, visionary leaders and learn how soil building, earthworks, water harvesting and landscape design are all critical components of water conservation. First, we’ll meet Erik Ohlsen of Permaculture Artisans, a member of the Daily Acts Homegrown Guild, who rapidly transformed what was once an asphalt and gravel lot into an eco-oasis complete with seasonal pools, ponds, fruit-tree-irrigating swales, slow-moving waterways, and much more. We’ll tour Erik’s water–harvesting systems in Sebastopol, and learn how he collects and infiltrates 400 thousand gallons of rainwater annually on his 1/3 of an acre property.
Next, we’ll visit the Occidental Arts & Ecology Center, an 80-acre nonprofit education center, organic farm & nursery, and water institute. Brock Dolman, one of the most well respected teachers of watershed health and hydro-literacy, will amaze us with a tour of gardens, roofwater catchment off the OAEC goat-shed, and water-literate landscapes that grow 3,000 varieties of heirloom annuals and 1,000 varieties of edible, medicinal, and ornamental perennials. At both these sites, permaculture techniques abound which build topsoil, stop erosion and catch sediment before it moves downstream.
