THE ECOLOGY CENTER
The Ecology Center, in San Juan Capistrano, is an exciting new educational center, whose purpose is to engage the entire family in fun, hands-on activities that teach practical, environmental solutions at the household and community level.
The Ecology Center seeks to bring all members of the community together in a solutions-based educational setting to create a healthy and abundant future for all of Orange County. The Center highlights empowering and cutting-edge environmental perspectives that can be applied to the way we live our lives, making it possible for us to coexist with a thriving environment.
We are an organization that believes in "learning by doing" and we try to run our operations in ways that help address some big questions. Questions like: How do we ensure the future health of our oceans? How do we inspire a community to make change? How do we manage food supply and waste? Or how do we support all the children of all species for all time
OUR VALUES
Overall we believe the world we live in is facing radical change – and our aim is to help find positive futures in the face of that change. To get in shape for the challenges of the future we need a culture that knows how to sustain the things that sustain us and at the same time nurtures creativity, imagination and adaptability.
The Ecology Center is founded on the principle that people can make a difference. Individual actions can transform the community, elevating the health of our environment for future generations. We can create a diverse, safe, and healthy world with clean air, water, and power that is economically, equitably, ecologically, elegantly enjoyed.
OUR FOUNDER
Ever since the native Californian joined the Surfrider Foundation back in high school, Evan Marks' life-long career as an environmentalist was already underway. Through this participation, Marks was convinced that people had the ability to directly impact the environment by taking matters into their own hands.
He continued his advocacy while attending the University of California, Santa Cruz where he studied Agroecology - the study of sustainable agriculture - with the goal of transforming modern agriculture through integrated organic systems management. Having worked extensively in California and Hawaii and internationally in Costa Rica, Peru, Mexico, Ghana and Nigeria, Marks acquired personal hands-on experience in the fields of ecological design and sustainable agriculture.
In 2008, Marks was given the opportunity to bring environmental education and awareness to Southern California with the development of The Ecology Center. Working to transform the facility as the regional hub for sustainability and green living, Marks and volunteers of The Ecology Center are actively recruiting members in hopes of promoting eco-consciousness across San Juan Capistrano and its neighboring communities. The effects of the programs of this center have the potential to mold the future of Orange County.
OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS
With the unyielding support of the City of San Juan Capistrano and a highly qualified board of directors including:
Harry Helling- Chairman. President, CEO- Cyrstal Cove Alliance
Christopher Keys- Treasurer. CEO- Keys + McBride, CFO- Surfrider Foundation
Jorden Segraves- Secretary. Principal- Segraves Architects
Roian Atwood- Sustainability Manager- Sole Technologies
Laura Freese- City Council- City of San Juan Capistrano
Ken Friess- President- Friess Construction Co.
Azmin Ghahreman- Chef/Owner- Sapphire Restaurant
Samantha Hoffman- Attorney - Jackson Lewis LLP
Max Isles- Independent Contractor - President Transition Laguna Beach
Bruce Matsui- Professor- Clairmont College
Vicki Marks- Principal- Pistoia Graphic Design
Ziad Mazboudi- Environmental Affairs- City of San Juan Capistrano
Rebecca Noble- Manager- South Coast Farms
Kate Roberts- Principal- The Wired Woman
Jamie Walsh- CEO- 10% Solution
OUR HOME
Perched in the middle of farm fields even today, the Congdon House on Alipaz Street has seen a lot of firsts in its 130-year history. Built in 1878, it is the oldest wooden structure in San Juan Capistrano.
When Pony Express Rider Joel Congdon built his family home in 1878, it was one of the first wooden houses in town. The two-story Victorian sat on square blocks taken from the rubble of the Great Stone Church at the Mission, with walls of redwood from Northern California, held together by square iron nails, shipped from San Francisco.
In 1887, Congdon planted Orange County's first walnut grove around the house, beginning an agricultural tradition that would continue with the succession of families that have lived there since. In 1991, the city bought the Congdon House as part of the open-space bond purchase, preserving an essential piece of San Juan Capistrano's heritage.
Now, through The Ecology Center, the Congdon House continues to tell its story. Having witnessed more than 130 years of social, agricultural, and environmental change, it presents the perfect venue for an exploration of the links between past, present, and future. At the same time, as one of the oldest standing embodiments of the past, it serves to remind us that we must act today to rejuvenate the environment for the generations to follow.
The Ecology Center will draw from its rich history as a motivating factor to further secure a healthy and sustainable environment for generations to come.
The Ecology Center Programs