Author: Saul Of-Hearts
This Biologist Wants To Set Aside Half of The Earth To Protect Biodiversity
Posted on June 13, 2016 byEdward O. Wilson’s new book, Half-Earth, offers a timely proposal for the conservation movement: dedicate half of the planet’s surface to nature, and we’ll be able to hold off the worst losses of biodiversity. If half or more wild spaces can be protected from destruction, “more than 80 percent of the species would be stabilized”… Read More
Do You Know Your Watershed?
Posted on June 10, 2016 byLast month, I took part in Oregon State University’s online permaculture class, taught by Andrew Millison. While permaculture design certificates can cost upwards of $750, this class was free, open to the public, and available to access from anywhere. It was pretty inspiring to see people from all over the world engaging in the discussions – some of… Read More
The “Moved to Act” Climate Leadership Intensive Comes to Dancing Rabbit
Posted on June 7, 2016 byThis August, the Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage in Rutledge, MO, will host “Moved to Act,” a climate leadership intensive offered by Aaron Murphy and other instructors. The event takes place from August 12-18, 2016, and is open to a limited number of participants. According to the organizers, “Moved to Act is an immersive training for supporting… Read More
Switzerland to Vote on Basic Income Referendum June 5
Posted on June 2, 2016 by2 Comments
This Sunday, June 5, Switzerland will be the first country to vote on whether or not its citizens should receive a universal basic income (UBI) of $2,600 per month. The proposal would guarantee a payment to every citizen (and $650 per child), without any pre-conditions or work requirements. Liberal advocates argue that a UBI will… Read More
How These Co-op Bars Are Reinventing the Idea of a “Public House”
Posted on May 30, 2016 by“Have a pint – change the world,” is the motto of the Oregon Public House, a co-operatively owned, non-profit bar in Portland, OR. According to co-founder Ryan Saari, the city has no shortage of non-profit charities, but these organizations expend a large part of their energy on fundraising. The Oregon Public House was created as… Read More
Here’s How You Can Participate in Global Sharing Week June 5-11
Posted on May 26, 2016 byShareable.net and The People Who Share are collaborating on this year’s Global Sharing Week, which will take place from June 5-11, 2016. Originally launched as Global Sharing Day, the event has grown to the point where over 100 activities take place each year. This year’s listings include dozens of potlucks, neighborhood festivals, and other gatherings,… Read More
Moving Through Times of Transition
Posted on May 23, 2016 byWhat is it that keeps a community’s identity consistent over time? Is it the people? The place? The culture? Here at Foster Village in Portland, OR, we’ve had around a 50% turnover rate over the past year. Some long-term residents have moved on to live in rural communities. Some recent arrivals decided that the level… Read More
SimpleREV Brings Minimalism and Intentional Living to the Twin Cities
Posted on May 19, 2016 byIn October 2014, I attended the first annual SimpleREV conference in Minneapolis, MN. For two days, around 50 or so attendees shared stories about downsizing, living life with less “stuff,” building tiny houses, and more. For some, it was the first time they’d been around other people pursuing a less consumer-driven lifestyle, and the experience… Read More
How These Collaborative Networks Foster Inter-Community Connection
Posted on May 16, 2016 byAs interest in community living grows, it’s important that we make it easy and accessible for people to get involved with their local co-ops and coliving spaces. For many people, community dinners, art and music nights, and overnight stays are the ideal way to explore whether coliving is right for them. Sometimes, it can be… Read More
Midwest Sustainable Communities Conference July 2-4 at Dancing Rabbit
Posted on May 12, 2016 by2 Comments
UPDATE from the organizers: “This year’s conference has unfortunately been cancelled. We are postponing until 2017 to have more prep time and invite even more speakers and guests. Stay tuned!” **** Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage has announced the dates and workshop lineup for the Midwest Sustainable Communities Conference, which will take place in Rutledge, MO, from July… Read More
Can Platform Cooperatives Empower Everyday Workers?
Posted on May 9, 2016 byLast week, I wrote about OuiShare, a European organization that’s spearheading the push for a more equitable sharing economy. One of the concepts on the agenda at this year’s OuiShare Fest is “platform cooperativism” — the idea that worker-owned cooperatives could replace corporate-owned networks and apps. Last November, Trebor Scholz and Nathan Schneider hosted the… Read More
OuiShare Pushes for A Fairer Sharing Economy
Posted on May 5, 2016 byFor years, OuiShare has been one of the leading voices on the sharing economy in Europe, and has helped put the concept of collaborative consumption and peer-to-peer economies on the map. This year, it’s hosting a series of events, including the annual OuiShare Fest in Paris, and additional gatherings in Lille, Barcelona, Rio de Janeiro,… Read More
European Projects Explore Cohousing for LGBT Elders
Posted on May 2, 2016 byOver the past year, a U.K. group called Tonic Housing has been exploring ways to offer safe, affordable housing to older members of the LGBT community. Supported by several charitable foundations, Tonic hopes to build a housing complex called Tonic Centre in or near London: “There is currently no LGBT-specific housing for older people in the… Read More
NextGEN Hosts The Youth Ecovillage Summit in Quebec June 9-12
Posted on April 28, 2016 byNextGEN North America has opened registration for the third annual Youth Ecovillage Summit, which will take place in Quebec, Canada from June 9-12, 2016. The event will be hosted at La Cite Ecologique, an ecovillage two hours away from Montreal and Quebec City. According to NextGEN: “Over 30 years ago, La Cité Ecologique began as a… Read More
Job Openings at the New Economy Coalition (Plus Event Registration for Common Bound)
Posted on April 21, 2016 byOne of the great things about the growing interest in intentional living is how easily groups like FIC can connect and collaborate with related organizations. From neurodiverse cohousing networks to online permaculture classes, there are hundreds of groups out there with values that overlap with our own. This week, we bring you updates from the… Read More
Portland’s Village Building Convergence Returns June 3-12
Posted on April 21, 2016 byFor 16 years, the City Repair Project has been gathering annually for the Village Building Convergence, a 10-day event focusing on permaculture and placemaking in Portland, OR. Even residents who haven’t heard of the event have experienced its impact: its projects include “intersection repairs” that have created some of Portland’s most colorful and liveliest crossroads;… Read More
Three Tucson Communities Open Their Doors For National Cohousing Day
Posted on April 18, 2016 byNational Cohousing Open House Day is coming up in just over a week, and dozens of communities will be welcoming guests for tours and other free activities. You can check out the map at Cohousing.org to find a community near you. Please RSVP to the Facebook event and invite your friends so we can get… Read More
Millennials Are Embracing Cohousing – Of A Different Kind
Posted on April 14, 2016 byIt may have been only a matter of time before the millennial generation turned its attention to cohousing. As car and home ownership among young people has declined, and as the nuclear family is no longer the go-to living arrangement, it makes sense that college grads would look for ways share resources and living spaces… Read More
The Write A House Program Builds Artistic Community in Detroit
Posted on April 7, 2016 byLaunched in 2012, the Write a House program in Detroit has been creating a writers’ residency like no other. After buying up vacant homes, the organization renovates them – with the help of youths in vocational training – and invites a writer to move in. After two years of residency, the writer is given the… Read More
Lightning in A Bottle Shares 2016 Theme and Activities
Posted on April 4, 2016 byLightning in a Bottle, the annual arts, music, and yoga festival in Southern California, announced its 2016 theme and workshop leaders. According to Grateful Web, “The Village’s 2016 theme, Tree of Life, will focus on re-integrating humanity into right relationship with our ecosystem…. The Village will give attendees a unique opportunity to learn by doing,… Read More
Former Residents Call on Black Bear Ranch to Unsettle The Klamath River
Posted on March 30, 2016 byEight years ago, when I moved out to the West Coast for the first time, I wasn’t yet aware of the intentional community movement. I’d always imagined living collectively, but it wasn’t until I learned about Black Bear Ranch – through a documentary called “Commune” – that I realized communities like it actually existed. In… Read More
A Permaculture Card Game Is Raising Funds on Kickstarter
Posted on March 28, 2016 byFood Forest, a card game designed to teach kids about permaculture, is raising funds on Kickstarter. As of this writing, it’s two-thirds of the way toward its $10,000 goal and has around 10 days left to go. The game is developed and designed by Karl Treen, who came up with the idea while teaching gardening… Read More
Free Online Permaculture Class Starts May 2!
Posted on March 25, 2016 byInterested in learning more about permaculture but don’t have any hands-on experience? Have friends or family who want to know what it is you do on your eco-village or urban farm? Oregon State University is offering a free MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) called Intro to Permaculture, running from May 2 through May 27. It’s… Read More
Life in an urban eco-village
Posted on March 23, 2016 byHi, I’m Saul, the new Social Media Manager here at FIC. I’m excited to join the team from my home at Foster Village, an urban eco-community in Southeast Portland, OR! If you have any feedback or suggestions for a future blog post, you can reach me via e-mail or on Twitter. Living in an urban… Read More
