Ecovillage Ithaca

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About Ecovillage Ithaca

EcoVillage at Ithaca is part of a global movement of people creating positive solutions to the social, environmental and economic crises our planet faces. We are part of a local community that continually innovates and cooperates to create a socially just and sustainable local economy.

Who we are

EcoVillage Ithaca is a community of people living mainstream lives in a sustainable way. Caring for the land and connecting with nature. Greening our built environment. Consuming less and cooperating more. Growing food and eating hyper-local. Always learning, and leading by example. Our non-profit organization Learn@EcoVillage leads our education work, including tours, immersion experiences, visit coordination and publicity.

Global Movement

In 1991, EcoVillage at Ithaca was one of just a handful of cohousing communities in the US, and twenty or so intentional sustainable communities worldwide . With mutual support, we thrived, and garnered tremendous interest from media, researchers, and people seeking to create more ecological communities. By hosting over15,000 visitors during the past 22 years, EcoVillage Ithaca has helped grow an interconnected global movement. Now the US is home to hundreds of cohousing communities and thousands of ecovillages around the globe.

The breadth and pace of the movement is growing, aided by technology and an awakening sense that we must evolve our humanity to cooperate with Earth and each other. The Global EcoVillage Network and the Fellowship of Intentional Communities are two of the several national and international organizations which build and support our network.

Located in Ithaca NY: Hotbed of Sustainability Innovation

At the same time, our hometown of Ithaca NY is bubbling over with creative approaches and practical solutions. Long-time organizations such as Greenstar and the Ithaca Farmers Market take new ground in social justice and zero-waste. New CSA farms and renewable energy businesses are launched and thriving. Local governments and schools are embracing and applying sustainability principles. We are fully engaged in this local movement.

Growth and Development

Over 22 years, EcoVillage at Ithaca has developed into a large and fully functioning community. Buildings and landscape, farms and gardens, roads and paths, governance structures and group process, and most importantly relationships, are created and cared for. We’re an integrated, vibrant organism with many dimensions and moving parts. Healthy and whole. Always learning, always evolving.

Sharing the Learning – Education & Outreach

We grow greatest when we share with others. Hospitality, knowledge, stories, skills, inspiration and affirmation. We have benefited and we pay it forward. A thousand visitors annually bring us their questions and hopes, expertise and encouragement. We educate each other. Tours, workshops, immersion experiences and home stays. Films, study groups, hands-on service projects.

Throughout two decades, these learning activities have been led and coordinated by Learn@EcoVillage (originally named EVI-CSE) and its visionary and tireless director Liz Walker. This small organization of villagers, volunteers and shoestring staff has operated behind the scenes to incubate a host of successful initiatives, including the formation of EcoVillage, Inc. and each of its three neighborhoods. We’ve also helped launch:

3 cohousing communities (name locations)
Gaia Education Network international
Groundswell Center for Local Food and Farming
New Roots Charter High School
Ithaca CarShare
Ithaca College Sustainability Partnership
Sustainable Tompkins (County)

Growing Our Capacity to Serve

As climate change accelerates and the yearning for cooperative community grows, EcoVillage at Ithaca is more relevant than ever. To meet the need, we must grow our capacity to serve. After years of successfully incubating other entities, we are now focused on building our capacity as a robust and financially sustainable educational organization. We welcome your participation in our programs, and the support of many generous volunteers, donors, and funding partners.

Source: http://ecovillageithaca.org/about-ecovillage/