Welcome to Earthaven Ecovillage
Ranked #2,534 in Healthy Living, #47,823 overall | Donates to Grameen Foundation
Earthaven EcoVillage--Caring for people and the Earth
The folks at Earthaven say it best: Earthaven is an aspiring ecovillage in a mountain forest setting near Asheville, North Carolina. We are dedicated to caring for people and the Earth by learning, living and demonstrating a holistic, sustainable culture.
Seventeen years, fourteen neighborhoods and growing
Earthaven was founded in 1994, near Asheville, NC. With sixty members and space to grow to one hundred fifty, the community plans fourteen neighborhoods, each with a slightly different flavor. Throughout, Earthaven members consciously develop sustainable lifestyles, utilizing permaculture principles in design as well as in agricultural practices. Some own and operate green businesses.
Celebratring commonality and difference
Individuals thrive in community
Like most ecovillages, Earthaven is an eclectic group of people of diverse backgrounds, faiths, cultures and ages. Vegetarians and meat eaters eat side-by-side at village gatherings. Members initiate, engage, and participate in spiritual and holiday celebrations according to their individual beliefs.
Image: Patricia cooking
What they share in common is a desire to live peaceably with each other and in harmony with the earth. Like ecovillagers the world over, they build with local materials wherever possible, eat foods they grow without harsh pesticides and herbicides, and work together to create a lifestyle that encourages individuals and the community to thrive.
Learn more about their cultural and spiritual practices.
Finding Community
How to Join an Ecovillage or Intentional Community
Finding Community: How to Join an Ecovillage or Intentional Community
Amazon Price: $15.03 (as of 05/31/2012)
Jonathan Dawson, president, Global Ecovillage Network, says of this book, "There could be no better guide on the path of exploring this lifestyle." He describes Finding Community as "open-hearted and hard-headed in equal measure-and with a delicious sense of humor."
As quoted on Leafe's web site
EcoVillage family life
Bringing up children wholistically - Aging in community
Family life is as important here as anywhere in the world--and as diverse. Two-parent families, multi-generational families, and single-parent families thrive at Earthhaven.Some children attend nearby public or private schools. Others are homeschooled in the Forest Children Program, to which families who live nearby also send their children.
Some of the fourteen neighborhoods within Earthaven have common play areas and are developing child care cooperatives.
Image: Forest Children Program
Ecovillage Living: Restoring the Earth and Her People
Loaded with first-person accounts
Ecovillage Living: Restoring the Earth and Her People
Amazon Price: $15.79 (as of 05/31/2012)
The book is superb, but don't just take my word for it. The reviews for this book are excellent too. Here's just one example. Russ Purvis, who characterizes himself as the "former President of Silicon Valley Habitat for Humanity,Inc., a 'Green' builder and developer, and an aspiring Ecovillage occupant" gives it his highest recommendation.
Cozy, passive-solar homes are built with natural, local materials
Earthaven homes range from small cabins to large, multi-family structures.Wherever possible builders use recycled materials, such as reclaimed hardwood flooring. Some folks employ living roofs to keep their homes cool in summer and warm in winter. They have also built with trees culled from the land, rubber tires, cranberry pallets, and mud and straw.
Image Chuck's Office
The Hobbit House
Off the grid
In addition to more traditional wood frame structures, homes and community buildings employ numerous sustainable construction techniques. Among them straw bale construction, adobe, and cob.The Hobbit House, shown here, uses a combination of rubber tires, adobe, cob and straw-bale construction. What do you think of its living roof?
Built as a model farmstead, The Hobbit House is completely off the grid. Builder Rod Rylander shows how he built the home and its companion green house here.
Image Hobbit House
Generating their own power
All of Earthaven's homes and businesses are off the grid. They generate power through solar energy collection and a micro-hydro system on one of their creeks.Working with Nature, they reduce their need for power by building passive solar homes on south-facing slopes to take advantage of winter's sun. Member and author Diana Leafe Christian says that when they built their structures, they were careful to preserve existing shade trees and orient their homes to take advantage of the cooling shade in summer.
The one exception to off-grid supply is that some folks bring in propane for refrigeration, but the village plans to build two more micro-hydro stations, which should alleviate that need.
Image Off-grid solar collector
Making conscious choices to preserve habitat and the natural environment
Guided by the principles of permaculture, the village makes decisions by consensus. Yes, it takes more time that way, but the idea is that when every opinion and every voice is heard and respected, better decisions result. Villagers examine each problem and solution in terms of its impact on human beings, wildlife, vegetation and streams.Image Circle
What does permaculture mean?
Earthcare, peoplecare, fairshare
Permaculture design focuses on three core values: Earthcare, peoplecare, and fairshare.This means that humans live upon and with the Earth in a way that gives back at least as much as they take. It also means that everyone gets a fair share.
This is how we will leave a beautiful Earth, with a bounty of fresh air, freshwater streams, and fruit-laden orchards, fields and gardens for our children and theirs for generations to come.
Image Kids picking cherries
Interested in learning more about permaculture?
Bill Mollison wrote the book
Introduction to Permaculture
Amazon Price: $37.75 (as of 05/31/2012)
This man wrote the book--that is, he is counted among the inventors of the concept of permaculture. Reviews on this books are hot! So go get it!
Right livelihood
Many Earthaven residents earn their living within the community. A few of the thriving businesses are highlighted below.(If you're an Earthaven business owner and would like your business featured here, contact me It's free! I'll gladly add a short blurb and link to your web page.)
Image Bridge building
Brian Love and Chris Farmer design and build homes and businesses with sustainability in mind. Passive solar energy, recycled materials, local materials all play a part in their hand-crafted exteriors and interiors.
Image Village Terraces home
Communities MagazineVillager Diana Leafe Christian edits Communities Magazine for people interested in learning more about living in community--finding the right one, making it work when the going gets tough, and tons of tips and stories on solving problems and working together in community.
White Owl LodgeA gathering place for locals and their guests, the lodge regularly hosts a gamut of entertaining events.
Image White Owl Lodge
Consensus TrainingWhat better place to learn how to manage by consensus than an ecovillage? Arjuna da Silva is a well-known consensus trainer and both facilitates consensus meetings and teaches the rest of us to be wise participants.
Image Arjuna da Silva
Consensus Through Conversation: How to Achieve High-Commitment Decisions
by Larry Dressler
Consensus Through Conversation: How to Achieve High-Commitment Decisions
Consensus Through Conversation: How to Achieve High-Commitment Decisions
Amazon Price: $9.28 (as of 05/31/2012)
From the easy-to-read layout with helpful tips along the way to its simple yet powerful prose, this book is a quick read and a good study. It's got everything you need to understand consensus decision-making.
You might also like another perspective
from Harmony Cohousing in Golden, Colorado, with author David Wann
Simple Prosperity: Finding Real Wealth in a Sustainable Lifestyle
Amazon Price: $4.94 (as of 05/31/2012)
Author David Wann lives in the Harmony Cohousing community in Golden, Colorado, where living and doing with less has taught him the true nature of wealth. What does wealth mean to you? If it's something besides shiny cars bigger than your neighbor's, this book is for you.
Natural Building Internships
Natural building internships are available each year through the Natural Building School. This year, July through December, interns are working with the school and the owner-builder of Leela House.
Leela House is built of earth and straw, has a heated earthen floor, and is going to be simply gorgeous. Take a look.
Want to visit the village?
The village offers a variety of tours and workshops
As a working permaculture ecovillage, Earthaven offers a wide variety of classes, workshops and tours. Take your pick and create some lively, entertaining and joyful moments for yourself, your partner and your family.Check it out for yourself!
Book your travel through Orbitz right here
Historic Asheville is a natural for an ecovillage like Earthaven. Explore area geology in hands-on, interactive exhibits at the Colburn Earth Science Museum. Get the scoop on forestry, logging, and forest conservation at the Cradle of Forestry. Soak up a little southern culture at the Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site and other historic treasures. You'll have a great time!
Building on a dream - The Village of Ordinary
BECOMING PART OF THE SOLUTION
A Natural Builder Creates an Ecovillage - Eugene, OR
Here's a slightly different take on sustainable building
Communication matters
Tell me what you think ...
... about Earthaven
... about this lens
... about living sustainably
What about the concept of living sustainably in a community where neighbor helps neighbor appeals most to you?
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veryirie
May 29, 2012 @ 5:56 pm | delete
- The whole idea is the way community living should be.
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Terrie_Schultz
May 13, 2012 @ 4:51 pm | delete
- This looks like an awesome place. I wish I lived there. Beautiful lens, too.
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ernestoserna
May 9, 2012 @ 5:43 am | delete
- A story so fashionable...to mention.
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Cari_Kay
Apr 26, 2012 @ 12:26 pm | delete
- We had a type of ecovillage near us in Oregon (not the Eugene one). Always fascinated when I had to drive through. Interesting page!
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Ninche
Apr 24, 2012 @ 5:18 pm | delete
- There are few Eco villages in my country and they are amazing, like Earthaven! I love your lens
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Copyright notice
Important
All text and images on this lens, with the exception of advertisements, product images and Squidoo-generated images and text, unless otherwise noted, are copyright L Kathryn Grace, all rights reserved. To request permission to use any of my images or text, contact me. Would you like to build a lens on your ecovillage or cohousing project?
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Image: A few Earthaven residents
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It is my dream to live in an eco-village much like the fictional Village of Ordinary. Earthaven EcoVillage is a living example, and this page is part of... more »
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