So, what is an EcoVillage?

Hi again!
This week’s topic is: “So, what is an ecovillage?”

When I first started attending some of Altair’s meetings, I had no idea! I started to look into the concept and do some research. I quickly learned there are many types.

Broadly speaking, the goal of an EcoVillage is to live more sustainably. The term "sustainability" is used to indicate programs, initiatives, and actions aimed at the preservation of a particular resource. However, it actually refers to four distinct areas: social, ecological, cultural, and economic – known as the four pillars of sustainability. All four are present in an ecovillage.

Beyond that: Some ecovillages are spiritual, some focus on farming, some seek to improve the quality of life in an urban neighborhood. Many have a population of around 50-250 individuals, but there are no definite population guidelines; some are smaller and some are larger. You can learn more about ecovillages here.

An aerial view of the Dancing Rabbit EcoVillage in Missouri (they grow most of their food here on 280 acres!)

Altair plans to have around 30 homes with 60-70 individuals. To achieve living more sustainably, Altair has an extensive list of ideas, including following the Passive House model (which you can read about here), resource sharing (including electric cars), energy conservation, solar hot water, solar photovoltaic arrays for electricity, using recycled materials for construction, and more! Its vision and values are detailed here.

An example of Ecovillage housing in Ithaca.

One of the ways Altair will be living more sustainably is by following the Cohousing model. Next week’s blog post will be discussing the Cohousing concept. Stay tuned!

Resilience Reports by Phoenixville Area Transition

Featuring the latest from PAT: Click HERE. Imagine Phoenixville as a Connected Community.

Introducing our new blog: Altair EcoVillage in Kimberton!

Hello all! In this first blog post, I would like to introduce myself and the intention for this new series. Let me start by telling you all a little about me. My name is Madison Chambers and I am a junior at West Chester University of Pennsylvania. I am an English writing major with a German minor. I hope to get my teaching certification to teach English and German and eventually switch to full-time nonprofit work. I love traveling, swimming in the ocean, and dogs (I have three!) I live about an hour from the Altair EcoVillage site, all the way down near the Pennsylvania-Maryland line. I first learned about Altair when researching other organizations in Kimberton, and am super excited to work with Altair and write for them!

An example of an Ecovillage and Cohousing community.

Altair is one example of an EcoVillage. EcoVillagers strive to live sustainably, both economically and ecologically. I will go into detail explaining the concept of an EcoVillage in next week’s blog post.

In addition to following the EcoVillage model, Altair uses Cohousing as their model for housing. The Cohousing model is designed to create a sense of community, like a neighborhood or village. I will also be explaining the Cohousing model in depth in another blog post!

Through this blog, I hope to share the benefits of living in an EcoVillage and the Cohousing model, what makes Altair special, and address some of the concerns that come up during the process of creating the community. I hope to write a new post each week. I want to welcome comments and would love to hear any recommendations. There is a comment section at the bottom of the blog! With the help of some of Altair’s members, I hope to publish the entries at the end of the semester in print. Finally, I would like to thank Altair for giving me this platform to write, and thank the team for their endless help throughout this process. I can’t wait to start this adventure!