[...]... ten finalists for the World Habitat Awards, and we have received 4 E C O V I L L A G E AT I T H A C A delegations of visitors from China, Japan, Europe, Australia, and Canada We have been featured on national television programs and in popular magazines in the US, Spain, and Japan and included in numerous books about sustainable communities People are clearly eager to hear our message So what is it... planetary responsibility As one of the largest and best-known ecovillages in the US, EcoVillage at Ithaca is committed to reaching mainstream, middleclass Americans and others who are open to positive change EVI is a living laboratory that draws from the best alternative practices in land use, organic agriculture, community living, green building, and energy conservation We integrate proven social and... in cooperation and work collaboratively to create a sustainable future I am heartened by research that indicates public attitudes and behaviors seem to be shifting in favor of more sustainable ways of living A “World Values Survey” was conducted at the turn of the 21st century, which represented a majority of the world’s population and covered the full range of economic and political variation Strikingly,... Species are vanishing at a rate a thousand times faster than natural extinction rates Worldwide one in eight plant species is endangered, and worse, one in four mammals is threatened Global warming is finally being hailed as scientific fact, and its disastrous consequences are just beginning to be felt as glaciers melt and whole islands disappear under the ocean We face similar breakdowns on a social level:... social and cultural/spiritual dimensions of our lives Taking a lesson from humanity’s past, it is important to look at the inbetween scale of living — that of a small village of a few hundred people Great opportunity exists for organizing into clusters of small ecovillages that are nested within a larger urban area Looking more broadly at this inspiring vision of a sustainable future, I can imagine that... for tsunami disaster relief), to arranging classes (such as yoga and Cajun dancing), planting the community landscape and garden, and creating community celebrations and events, we have participated in several dozen gatherings that have emerged with ease from the combined strengths and diverse talents of the community A new architecture of life is needed: one that integrates the physical as well as the... stewards and healers of the Earth As we farm, parent, work, build, or educate, our efforts model important aspects of environmental sustainability It is this profound integration of social cooperation and ecological practices, mixed with a healthy dose of wisdom, practicality, and deep caring that fosters a sustainable culture EcoVillage at Ithaca tells the human story behind EVI It is not a comprehensive... ecological features of the project and our participatory education and outreach programs I believe that there is a lot in our particular experience that illustrates the human journey of living on the planet at this point in history As we struggle through resolving conflicts or celebrate life passages, we are learning lessons that are universal You don’t have to live in an ecovillage to create a strong... student Jason, my intrepid seven-year-old, learned how to skateboard from Daveed A young Californian with surfer-boy looks, Daveed would often skateboard to the head of the Walk, set up a tripod, and videotape our colorful procession as we walked by carrying the Earth flag Jason also learned to stand on his head and walk on stilts, and had decided to become a vegan He refused to eat any animal products... little attention to such a grand scheme MOVING ON After the Global Walk, I went back to San Francisco, and Joan returned to her hometown of Ithaca, New York When she gave an EcoVillage vision” speech at the Unitarian church in May 1991, she was amazed to find an excited audience of about 100 people She quickly laid plans for a five-day retreat near the end of June to build on that enthusiasm I was asked .