What inspired you to found EcoVillage at Ithaca?
All my adult life I have worked for positive social change. Creating EcoVillage Ithaca was a culmination of my strong environmental values, interest in community, and taking bold leadership to create a visionary, yet practical, example of living more lightly on the planet.
Cutting sunflowers on West Haven Farm
Why do you do what you do?
I care passionately about people and the planet. We have all the technology and knowledge we need to live very well without destroying our natural heritage, yet as a species we seem to lack the moral compass, imagination, and political will to live in balance. My role is to show people that there is a better way to live that honors all life systems, and that creates joyful community as well.
Describe a typical day at work.
After meditation and a workout, I walk to the balcony office in my home. A typical day includes communicating with staff and volunteers, giving a tour to faculty and students, taking time for a media interview, and writing a short article. It involves more time in front of the computer than I'd like! However, I also aim for breaks to take a walk on our beautiful land, eat dinner with 50 of my friends and neighbors, and attend an educational event in the evening.
With my husband Jared, and new friends at a street fair in Barcelona
What is your favorite part of your job?
I enjoy showing people around the ecovillage. That may mean teaching architects about the latest green building design, or working with young people in one of the many organic gardens, or working with a TV crew to find compelling footage for a documentary. It's all fun!
How do you use your education and international background in your current role?
Some of my favorite learning experiences have been immersion experiences in different cultural settings. For instance, I lived in Peru for two years as a child, lived in England for my senior year of high school, and worked with Chicano farmworkers in California as a 16-year-old. When I was 19 I spent the summer on a farm in Norway. I've traveled to Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas, both for fun, and as part of my work as an ecovillage educator. Wherever I go, I find inspiring people, and new models of resourceful community living. When I visit other ecovillages or cohousing communities around the world, I feel right at home.
What challenges do you often face and how do you overcome them?
It's not easy starting new programs. It's like starting a business from scratch: You have to have a very clear vision, a wonderful team, and some start-up funding. For me, putting together the funding has been the biggest challenge. It helps to work with others to identify possible grant sources, and cheer each other on with major donor fundraising.
Meeting with people from Japan, U.S., and Argentina who want to start their own ecovillage in the Seattle area
What are some current projects you are working on?
I'm developing the Eco-Gap Immersion Program, an eight-week fall program that takes place at EcoVillage Ithaca. We had a small beginning pilot program last fall that was very successful. Now we just need to fill out our cohort of 8 diverse young people for this September and October.
What advice would you tell your pre-travel self?
People are basically the same, the world over. Reach out from your heart, and don't be afraid to be authentic. You will make wonderful new friendships!
What makes your organization special?
The world needs vibrant, living models of how to live well without destroying the earth and its complex, living systems. At EcoVillage Ithaca, there are 220 people who are exploring how to do this. We have 100 very energy-efficient green homes, use extensive solar power, have four organic farms, and create a strong sense of community through our shared mission. We also have fun, play together, and co-create wonderful celebrations! Our latest program, Eco-Gap, welcomes a small cohort of high school graduates to learn about each of these aspects of living in a sustainable community. It's a life-changing experience!
What is your organization's mission and how do you continue to work toward it?
Our mission is to provide transformative learning experiences for growing healthy, just, and sustainable communities both locally and globally. we support and draw from a variety of practical and visionary resources, especially the living, learning community of EcoVillage Ithaca.
Most recently our Eco-Gap Program provides excellent learning opportunities for young people who want to contribute to a better world. We are teaching participants the basics of wood-working, organic farming, cooking with local foods, communication and conflict resolution skills, personal wellness, yoga and meditation. In addition, students learn a framework of social justice and meet inspiring change-makers from different fields. All of these contribute to developing skills that will last a lifetime and lead to meaningful contributions to a more sustainable world.
A group of wonderful environmental studies students!
What do participants take away from your programs?
Probably the biggest thing participants take away is a sense of hope and inspiration. After the eight-week immersion experience, they know that there are caring, responsible adults who are working on solutions to some of the world's deepest problems. They know there is a place for their own special gifts, and that they can make a difference.
In addition to this shift in big-picture thinking, the participants learn some very practical, hands-on skills in farming, cooking, building, communicating, meditating, and taking leadership.
How do you help support participants?
Participants live in EcoVillage residents' homes, so they have a warm, friendly home base. We provide supportive, small group learning experiences that are safe and responsive to students' needs. We are even open to switching around the weekly schedule to better serve the participants’ learning goals.
If you could participate on one of your organization's programs, where would you go and what would you do?
I would attend the eight-week Fall 2019 Eco-Gap Immersion Program at EcoVillage Ithaca. Not only are there fascinating classes and hands-on skill building, but there will be trips to amazing waterfalls, and a chance to get to know dozens of fascinating people.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
When I travel someplace new, I look for making meaningful connections with people and places. I want to meet new people, and engage with them in their culture. I want to be open to sharing myself and my background, too. But I also want to experience time in the natural world in that country, even if it is a park in the middle of a city. Place matters. Connection to nature matters.
