How to Join or Start an Ecovillage
Many types of intentional communities help with ecological preservation based on the lower carbon footprint that results from shared resources. In addition, many add energy-saving features and avoid fossil fuels. As a step beyond those laudable efforts, the ecovillages we feature differentiate themselves even further, by recycling greywater and/or human waste in a safe but non-standard manner on site. Many ecovillagers attempt to increase their self-sufficiency thru on-site food production. If you yearn to live in the most eco-conscious way, you could join or start an ecovillage. Check out our Team Up page and the Examples section below to see which are looking for a founders’ team or members.
Steps to join or start an ecovillage, an ecological sustainability-focused community
- Live in one to learn first hand! See the Examples section below to find one that seems the closest to the type you intend to create.
- Add to your leadership team or advisory board someone who has familiarity with permaculture and someone who has lived in intentional community.
- Use ICmatch.org and Wwoof.org to build up your core leadership team. These sites can also help you find values-aligned volunteers who might work on site in exchange for room and board, while assessing your IC as a possible long-term fit. Create local events. Partner with similar groups on the meetup website to invite others to learn and volunteer with you.
- If you are planning for a large development, team up with local policymakers to get your site zoned for multiple uses, whether urban, rural, or remote.
- There are an endless variety of projects your group could support. Your biggest challenge might be narrowing it down to a manageable number of projects. Ecovillages focus on such diverse projects as community supported agriculture, partners of local government for disaster preparedness and food security, event hosting, lodging and tours, green burial space, and community education. These can help provide a livelihood for your members.
- Create your business plan and grant proposals. To be eligible for more grants, you might team up with a university or non-profits such as land trusts. Team up with local community gardens or farms to share tools and learn tips about local growing.
Examples
Ecovillages, regenerative farms, permaculture sites, and bioregional restoration are similar projects with overlapping intentions that can blur definitions.
Terre de la Reunion ecovillage: A founder details their story of starting with limited funds and persisting thru challenges. They were buoyed by serendipitous help to complete land purchase and achieve full functionality.
Sowing Circle community: Originally seven friends bought and renewed the depleted soil at Restoration Ecovillage, which is still functioning after 50 years. Their site uses composting toilets, greywater recycling, food forests with mostly native drought resistant plants, a pond with tree frogs that is their natural insect control, grazing to keep down brush and create a fire barrier. In addition to a self-sustainable food production, they provide wildlife habitat and education programs.
Long-standing notable examples of urban sites include Kailash Ecovillage in Oregon and LA Ecovillage. Long-standing rural ecovillages that host tours and workshops include Arcosanti in Arizona, Dancing Rabbit in Missouri, and earthships in Taos, New Mexico.
The Dervaes family’s urban farm in the Los Angeles area is growing 6000 lbs of food annually on 1/10th of an acre.
The Urban Farmer shows you how to turn urban and suburban yards into food production. You might use the resilience circles format, as many of them turn backyard gardening into a social event. These neighbors stay in their existing homes. Sometimes each becomes expert at a different type of food. One might have backyard chickens under fruit trees. Another might maintain a small greenhouse or cold frames.
Swan Lake, a new development in rural Ontario is getting started “a la brava” as an ecovillage. This description highlights the types of challenges these developments face, including how such groups often have little cohesion aside from their shared desire for a sense of self-sufficiency and affordable housing that they are willing to sacrifice comforts for.
Foundation for Intentional Community: See their listings of ecovillages you could visit to learn from or that may have openings to rent or buy into.
Solarpunk could be considered a particular aesthetic or flavor of ecovillage.
