Organizers
Above/Below is an ocean literacy campaign bringing together art, science and storytelling to raise awareness about kelp forests across the Northeast Pacific. Above/Below recently published The Mysterious World of Bull Kelp, a webstory exploring the kelp forests of the North Pacific Coast, and is currently working with The Nature Conservancy on the Big River Kelp Recovery Project as science communicators in connection with the North Coast KelpFest!
From its beautiful location in Mendocino Village, the Mendocino Art Center inspires artists and art enthusiasts to embrace the creative process through classes, exhibitions and gatherings. MAC is the inclusive community gathering place for those seeking engagement with the arts and artists through activities both actual and virtual.
The Mendocino Film Festival seeks to be a premier sustainable film festival of national reputation showcasing a compelling selection of thought-provoking films in a beautiful and intimate setting. The Mendocino Film Festival emphasizes original storytelling, the art of cinema, personal engagement with filmmakers, and extraordinary hospitality.
The Noyo Center for Marine Science advances ocean conservation through education, exploration and experience. In order to make our dramatic (and previously inaccessible) coastline available for innovative scientific research, hands-on education and natural resource stewardship.
Launched in 2016, Word of Mouth magazine is a free quarterly publication that shares stories that highlight all things fun and fabulous about local food and farming in Mendocino County and beyond! Providing behind-the-scenes access to visionary wineries, farms, and food artisans, Word of Mouth provides insights and opportunities for locals and visitors alike.
The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in California is a team of scientists, technologists and conservation practitioners testing new, collaborative ways to protect ocean resources and coastal communities. We are demonstrating what innovative ocean management can look like—not only in California, but around the world. Climate-driven changes like those on the North Coast are leading to a massive die-off of kelp forests not only in California, but in places like Australia, Norway and Chile. TNC is committed to leading the way to address this global conservation threat by advancing solutions for protecting kelp forests in California and around the world.
MendoParks enhances the great work of California State Parks in Mendocino County. We contribute financial support, additional hands, and innovative ideas to the projects we undertake in order to inspire and ensure stewardship of the state parks in Mendocino County. MendoParks currently supports 10 state parks in Mendocino County with educational activities and park improvements, and the operations of four visitor centers.
Xa Kako Dile: is an Indigenous women-led and directed non-profit organization on ancestral Northern Pomo land in Northern California. Our focus is on uplifting and empowering Indigenous communities through farming using traditional ecological knowledge (TEK); offering healing retreats for Indigenous women to conserve cultural traditions and language; providing education for the community on food sovereignty, herbal medicine, acorn and seaweed harvesting and other TEK practices; and providing gathering spaces for trainings, ceremonies and a living laboratory to support local tribes.
The City of Fort Bragg is home to nearly 7,000 residents and serves as the commercial center for surrounding communities along the Mendocino coast. Historically, logging and fishing have sustained the local economy, with nearly a third of city land serving as an industrial timber mill. However, the decline of these industries in the last decade has led to a reliance on tourism as the City’s primary economic activity. The City is actively participating in a regional strategy to balance environmental stewardship and economic vitality through blue economy investments. Please visit the Noyo Harbor Blue Economy project website, www.NoyoOceanCollective.org, for more details.
The Bewildered Pig is the creation of Chef Janelle Weaver and Daniel Townsend. Janelle excels at a unique style of hyper-local, rustic refined cuisine. After operating their beloved restaurant in Philo for eight years, the pair are currently between ventures, taking advantage of a fallow time to recharge and reimagine what’s to come.