| In our search for ecovillage living we traveled north and | | | | Communities Magazine and author of the book |
| west through Vancouver Island's forested mountains | | | | Creating a Life Together, on starting Intentional |
| towards Shawnigan Lake, and stopped at O.U.R. | | | | Communities that showed up several times on our |
| Ecovillage (O.U.R. = One United Resource) in a rural | | | | journey. More and more people are drawn to this idea. |
| suburban region. Co-founder Brandy Gallagher | | | | Diana's aqua-blue eyes danced as she passed along |
| MacPherson told us that O.U.R. Eco-Village deliberately | | | | what she learned from the 10% of intentional |
| used the acronym O.U.R. so that everybody naming it | | | | communities that succeed--be they co-housing, |
| was implicitly a partner, an owner, a member of it. One | | | | eco-village, cooperative, or other forms. It all boiled |
| of their goals is to be and educational and | | | | down to shared values, clear agreements in writing, |
| demonstration center for sustainable building and living | | | | and communication, communication, communication. |
| practices. What did we see here? | | | | The same things that make things work among people |
| On several acres of land we toured the \"original\" | | | | in the \"outside\" world. Having written about starting |
| stick-built house where Brandy lives, a small office | | | | intentional communities, Diana's next book will be about |
| building behind which lay an outside covered kitchen | | | | living in them and making community work. |
| and long tables where some people were cleaning up | | | | Green Building |
| after lunch. Nearby several plastic-covered | | | | In a search for the future of building, we were referred |
| greenhouses sported healthy big vegetables. A group | | | | to Joe Van Bellegham, a partner in Dockside Green, |
| of folks were building a cob artisan's studio. Others | | | | with whom we had a wonderful Peak Moment |
| were taking a class on using clay as an art form. | | | | conversation. Joe had grown tired of ordinary |
| We peeked in at the \"Ch'illage\", the children's village, | | | | development, but was inspired by the book Natural |
| a curving cob space decorated with playful colors and | | | | Capitalism. He and partners are transforming a |
| flower forms. Beyond the barns and chicken yard and | | | | brownfield site near the harbor. Dockside Green is |
| salvage yard with re-usable building materials lay a | | | | mixed-use combination of retail, commercial and |
| large pasture and ponds. Some of the forested land | | | | residential high-rise buildings which employ sustainable |
| has been protected with the local land trust. Beyond | | | | and efficient materials and processes. |
| the kitchens were the solar showers, and downhill was | | | | It was also suggested that we meet Ann and Gord |
| the roundish cob building with a playful curving roof--a | | | | Baird, whose ecologically-sensible home is in the early |
| space with a teaching room, healing rooms, and | | | | stages. This enthusiastic young couple are building their |
| bathroom. A workparty was happening beside the | | | | cob tool shed right now. We learned from them that |
| building. | | | | cob isn't about corn cobs, but is short for cobble as in |
| We set up our video gear in the shade of this | | | | street cobblestones--hardened small material that still |
| building. Brandy had worked with local government | | | | lets some of the rainwater permeate the soil. Their |
| before, and one of her claims to fame was getting the | | | | planned cob home--made of clay and straw--will |
| Ecovillage recognized in local land use policy--and thus | | | | house three generations and has lovely curving forms. |
| paving the way for other such communities. It only | | | | Thick walls provide thermal mass--keeping the house |
| makes sense for us to come together to use fewer | | | | cooler in summer, warmer in winter. |
| resources--including automobile trips--in the times | | | | They're planning a \"humanure\" system for using |
| ahead. Brandy's emphasis was on partnering, on | | | | human wastes in the garden (it's composted very hot |
| listening to one another, on cooperating together with | | | | to kill pathogens). Photovoltaics for electricity. |
| all the players--be they governmental agencies, lending | | | | Graywater systems to irrigate the permaculture |
| institutions, neighbors. | | | | orchard and gardens. A low-energy, ecological, |
| My Peak Moment conversation with Diana Leafe | | | | small-footprint homestead. We'll want to visit them in a |
| Christian was full of wit and wisdom and experience. | | | | few years to see how it has progressed. |
| A compelling speaker, Diane is the editor of | | | | |