Bigfork forum reveals advantages of 'ecovillages'

A Montana group is planning to start a similar ecovillage near Missoula.

By LAURA BEHENNA

Bigfork Eagle

It’s a well-kept secret, but more than 10,000 “ecovillages” exist around the world, according to Missoula-based ecovillage expert Jason Gutzmer.

He spoke to about 45 people at the monthly Olduvai Forum meeting in Bigfork on May 16.

American culture has taught us to be “me-centric” rather than community-minded, Gutzmer said. Automobiles and televisions foster personal isolation that prevents people from being involved in their communities.

“We can’t figure a way out of the way we’re living,” he said. “Ecovillages are one solution to the major problems of our time.”

For thousands of years, people lived in communities that were close to the natural world. “What happened to our small villages?” he asked. “We kind of stopped knowing each other. We have TV and cars and all these things that keep us disconnected. We don’t know how to live in community anymore.”

Ecovillages reclaim the small community tradition and provide an alternative to a fast-paced, competitive culture that many find lonely and unsatisfying, he added.

An ecovillage is a human settlement in which the residents integrate their daily life activities — work, play, food production, transportation and so on — into their natural environment, Gutzmer said. In practical terms, this means ecovillage-dwellers live near one another on land where they grow their own food, in homes they build using local materials such as straw bales, adobe or wood, depending on where they are. Some members work on-site. Everyone volunteers time and labor to keep the community running smoothly.

Every ecovillage is different, but most have some elements in common. Members choose to live in a close-knit community with shared values and responsibilities. They put their heads together to generate ideas, make and carry out plans, and learn from each other. They conserve energy and recycle as much as possible. They use motor-free transportation options whenever they can. Members contribute their time and talents to create art, provide health care, repair equipment, teach children and resolve conflicts.

Some ecovillages are situated in rural areas and run their own sustainable farms. Others are in cities where residents have renovated existing buildings into energy-efficient living and working spaces, with food gardens growing on the roofs. Los Angeles, Calif. and St. Petersburg, Russia have urban ecovillages. FIndhorn in rural Scotland, founded in 1962, is one of the best-known ecovillages in the world.

Gutzmer has traveled throughout North and South America, visiting ecovillages in countries from Canada to Chile. He has also visited ecovillages in Italy, Germany, Denmark, India and Australia.

All ecovillages have three dimensions in common: ecological, social/community and cultural/spiritual, he said.

“Ecology has become a pejorative in our society, but what does it mean?” he asked. “It means ‘a study of home.’”

Creating a community with ecological values in mind includes preserving soil, finding ways to use wastewater safely, raising food that grows well locally and protecting nature, Gutzmer said. It’s easier to achieve these goals when people work together, combining their talents, energy, space and resources, he said.

“As individuals we only have so many ideas,” he said. “Together we have more strengths than anyone alone.”

In the social realm, most eco-communities use the consensus process to make decisions, he continued. Consensus means the whole group works together to make decisions that all members can live with. Democratic decisions are easy to make, but implementing those decisions can be hard because of resistance from those who disagree, he pointed out.

Gutzmer and Bigfork resident Jeffrey Funk are members of a group that seeks to create a new ecovillage near Missoula. The group has met for several years, but obstacles such as the high price of land and finding start-up financing continually challenge them.

“You have to have a sense of humor about this; you can’t get bogged down in things that are hard,” Gutzmer said.

Starting an ecovillage is a complex undertaking with many different facets that have to be planned well in advance, Funk said.

“It’s basically like starting a large, unconventional business,” he said.

Gutzmer recommended a book titled “Creating a Life Together,” by Diana Leafe Christian, for people interested in learning more about ecovillages and what makes them succeed or fail.