The Ecology Center

As the premier nonprofit for hands-on green living in Orange County, The Ecology Center educates, inspires and empowers people to be good stewards of the Southern California environment. We are founded on the idea that each individual can make a difference to transform our communities and elevate the global health of our ecosystems. We achieve this through sharing skills, building community, and creating relevant educational content in the five core areas of Food, Water, Waste, Energy, and Shelter.

Founded in 2008 by permaculturist Evan Marks, The Ecology Center is housed in the historic Congdon farmhouse (San Juan Capistrano's oldest wooden structure), adjacent to South Coast Farms on Alipaz Street. South Coast Farms operates 28 acres of Kinoshita farm in San Juan Capistrano, and they are a great neighbor to complement our work (however, we are two separate organizations). The Ecology Center's learning landscape is organized into a series of demonstration gardens and Eco-Labs that educate visitors in our five core focus areas. All are welcome to join us and grow together!