Sustainability
Aspiring to the Working Class
Posted on September 7, 2012 by2 Comments
By learning necessary physical skills, these ecovillagers transcend the limitations of their middle-class educations.
Ecovillage Infrastructure
Posted on September 7, 2012 by1 Comment
Water supply, human waste treatment, zoning regulations, legal structure, homeownership models, and other core technical issues are essential in ecovillage planning.
An Ecovillage Future
Posted on September 7, 2012 by1 Comment
For the health of our species and the planet, we need ecovillages.
Real Diversity Is Internal
Posted on June 7, 2012 by3 Comments
What happens if, despite all outer appearances, one finds one’s worldview radically different from the mainstream?
The Church of Fermentation
Posted on March 7, 2012 byIn a world in which food choices
and dietary preferences can
become quasi-religions,
lactic-acid fermentation wins
a new convert.
Creating Spiritual Community at the Hermitage
Posted on March 7, 2012 by2 Comments
To these communitarians, all work was holy—but overwhelmed by “the
accumulating weight of such holiness” and other disappointments, they
eventually adjust their aspirations.
How Permaculture Stole My Community!
Posted on December 7, 2011 by1 Comment
After a painful period stranded in “permaculture heaven,” an Earthaven founder finds her community finally moving back towards balance with its eco-spiritual roots.
Doing It, or Are We?
Posted on December 7, 2011 byOn Hawaii’s Big Island, La’akea Community explores sustainability through myriad experiments—from keeping wild pet pigs in the garden to eating 100 percent locally to mowing with sheep.
The Sharing Gardens
Posted on December 7, 2011 by2 Comments
An innovative approach to collective community gardens nurtures a culture of giving while allowing participants to feed both themselves and those in need.
Growing a Culture of Gratitude in Argentine Patagonia
Posted on December 7, 2011 byAn organic farming volunteer learns surprising new lessons from his Argentinian hosts—such as how to relax, how to enjoy practical labor, and how to contribute more sustainably by putting personal work first.
Hugelkultur on the Prairie, or Learning from Our Mistakes
Posted on December 7, 2011 byDegraded slopes, crumbling logs, plenty of trench-digging, seven blueberry plants, and an unanticipated drought combine to teach some important lessons.
Permaculture at The Farm
Posted on December 7, 2011 byDrawing on its long association with permaculture, The Farm in Tennessee institutes on-the-ground projects designed to provide resilience in times of climate change.
Sociocracy
Posted on December 7, 2011 byLost Valley Educational Center avoids collapse and reinvigorates itself by applying a new approach to governance combining the best of diverse models.
Social Permaculture
Posted on December 7, 2011 by1 Comment
While expert at understanding ecological connections, permaculturalists often founder in relating with one another. Applying permaculture principles to group dynamics can help us work together more effectively.
Permaculture 101 and Attending to Zone Zero
Posted on December 7, 2011 by1 Comment
The editor provides a refresher on our theme and suggests some new Zone Zero guidelines to help keep permaculturalists in the game for the long haul.
The Gift of Compost
Posted on September 7, 2011 byTo the Compostmeister at a collective house, the cycles of compost embody a new economics that focuses upon human needs and relationships.
Work Less, Simplify More
Posted on September 7, 2011 by1 Comment
By reducing our economic impact, we can shrink our ecological footprint, while freeing up time and energy to contribute to community and a more sustainable world.
Right Lively ‘Hood
Posted on September 7, 2011 by1 Comment
Finding meaningful, socially and ecologically responsible work cannot be done in a vacuum. Right livelihood depends on networks of relationship.
A Communitarian Conundrum
Posted on June 7, 2011 by1 Comment
Despite widespread desire for community, structural and cultural obstacles to intentional community in the modern world loom large.
Intimacy in the Village Setting
Posted on June 7, 2011 byAfter a journey from nuclear family life through student coops, an ecovillager finds rich opportunities for intimacy, in many diverse forms—not just with lovers and family.
Hopeful New Stories from the Old World
Posted on March 7, 2011 by1 Comment
Ten European ecovillages show the way to a brighter future.
And I Listen
Posted on December 7, 2010 by2 Comments
Howling, shouting, cries of despair, and The Pierced One greet a parent on her first visit to her daughter’s adopted community. Luckily, through lots of talking and listening, things improve.
Power and Disempowerment on the Ecobus
Posted on September 7, 2010 by7 Comments
Some saw this radical environmental education program as a “cult,” others as an intensely focused experience of challenge and growth. Had participants lost their individuality, or gained a new sense of self?
Being “Overthrown”—A Celebration
Posted on September 7, 2010 byThe founder of Enright Ridge Urban Ecovillage describes what it’s like to be criticized, marginalized, stripped of leadership responsibilities, and given the opportunity to explore a new role.
Education for Sustainability
Posted on June 7, 2010 byAuthor: Chris Roth Published in Communities Magazine Issue #147 I’m listening to the rain fall on the roof of Karma, the passive solar residence at Sandhill Farm where I’m staying… Read More
How to Add Zest to Your Sustainability Education Program
Posted on June 7, 2010 by2 Comments
A permaculture teachers hits upon a gold mine of effective methods for enlivening her teaching—by drawing from the principles of permaculture itself.
Seeing the Good in the World
Posted on June 7, 2010 byAfter several years teaching about community in the abstract, an anthropologist and environmental studies teacher finds that direct student engagement with intentional communities provides the spark needed for personal inspiration, connection, and the potential for social transformation.
To Learn Sustainability Is To Learn Community
Posted on June 7, 2010 by1 Comment
Strained by difficult economic and ecological conditions, farmers Claudio and Fernando discover new avenues toward prosperity and land restoration through alliances with a peace community dedicated to regional renewal.
Live and Learn
Posted on June 7, 2010 by1 Comment
The residents of an eco-oriented, education-focused intentional community and demonstration site wear many hats, both public and private.
Growing a Culture of Community Health and Well-Being at Earthaven Ecovillage
Posted on December 7, 2009 byAt a permaculture-based ecovillage in North Carolina, care for the earth, care for people, and care for inner health all benefit from a dynamic culture based on local self-reliance, holism, and community.
