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Contents 1 Questionnaire 2 Benjamin's response 3 April's response

Questionnaire

Dear potential visitor,

Thanks for your interest in visiting Dancing Rabbit! We're excited that you might come spend some time with us. Visiting Dancing Rabbit will give you the chance to experience ecovillage life, help us build our dream of a sustainable community--and even give you a chance to see if this is a place you might want to eventually live yourself.

We'd like to know a bit more about you before we finalize your visit, in order to make it as successful as possible for everyone. We've created a questionnaire to provide information that will help us do that, so please fill it out and return it to us. If you are visiting with others, we will need this information for all members of your party. Don't feel that you must answer every question, but know that whatever you tell us is useful, even if you've already provided the information in previous communications.

Your questionnaire responses will be posted for all Rabbits to read before your arrival, and may be all they know about you if they are not part of the visitor team. You can read bios on the DR website (<http://www.dancingrabbit.org/people/>) for similar info on many of us.

And, so that you know more about what to expect, here's some general information for you about visiting DR.

Housing: All visitors are expected to provide their own accommodation during their stay. Usually this means bringing a tent and camping out on one of the tent platforms DR provides, or bringing an RV or camper. Some members also rent rooms to visitors, so let us know if you are interested in pursuing that option and we'll send you more information about who to contact.

Food: You can expect to make and eat your breakfast in our community building kitchen, and eat lunch and dinner with a number of different individuals and eating co-ops. Most meals are vegan (no animal products), with the occasional vegetarian or omnivore option. If you have any special dietary needs, please let us know. If we can't meet your food needs, you may need to bring your own food.

Money: Hosting visitors is an important part of our mission here at Dancing Rabbit, and it's fun to show folks what we're doing and meet new people. However, it also costs money. Our visitor program needs to work within our limited nonprofit budget, and so we've instituted a sliding scale suggested donation of $25-150 (depending on your ability to pay), as well as a small nonrefundable reservation fee of $25. We'll ask you to send the fee before you arrive, once we finalize plans, and your donation can be put in the donation box while you're here. If the reservation fee or suggested donation is a financial hardship for you, please let us know and we'll work something out. We ask those who can afford to give more to do so, as this money helps cover the costs of setting up and coordinating visits, providing meals and basic facilities, as well as making it possible for us to continue to offer this experience to as many people as possible. Thanks for your understanding and support!

Other info: We do not allow visitors to bring pets, and there is no smoking inside common buildings.

We will send more specific information regarding food, what to bring, and other details once a visit is confirmed.

We're happy to discuss all this with you more if you like, and feel free to ask questions in any of this is confusing or unclear.

We hope to hear from you soon!

Sincerely, Dancing Rabbit Visitor Team

Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage Visitor questionnaire (to be posted)

Name: Postal address: Phone number: Email address (if applicable):

Are you hoping to visit DR with other people (i.e. your partner, friend, or family)? If so, what are their names? (We'll need the info from this questionnaire for all members of your visiting party.)

1. How did you hear about DR?

2. How would you rate your interest in DR?

_____Seriously interested in membership very soon (i.e., I'm planning to relocate in the next 3-12 months and DR is my first choice) _____Very interested in membership (i.e., I can definitely imagine myself living there if I like what I see during my visit) _____Possibly interested in membership (i.e., I'm looking for a life change, but am not sure DR is it) _____I might be recruitable (i.e., if I love my visit I might want to find a way to return for a longer stay) _____Really interested in seeing all the amazing things you're doing there, but not interested in membership _____Other (please explain):

3. What most interests you about what we're doing here?

4. What do you hope to get out of your visit to DR?

5. What do you believe you have to offer DR, for whatever amount of time you are here?

6. Have you visited and/or lived in other communities? If so, please tell us more about your experiences.

7. Do you have any physical or dietary restrictions? (examples: food or bee sting allergies, bad back, asthma, hay fever, use of mobility aid, etc.)

8. Your gender and age:

9. Educational/employment history:

10. Hobbies, interests, other stuff you do when you're not visiting ecovillages:

11. Is there anything else you'd like to share with us before your visit?

Logistics (for scheduling purposes only)

1. Are there any particular dates that you prefer for your visit? How flexible are they?

2. How long are you hoping to stay? (Please note that we usually ask first-time visitors to stay for one week.)

3. Are you willing and able to camp while at DR? Would you like us to send you rental accommodation info?

4. How are you planning on traveling here (train, bus, bicycle, etc.)? Will you need to be picked up from a station, or will you need directions? If you're driving, are you open to ridesharing with DR members or other visitors?

5. Would you like to be added to our print newsletter mailing list? We do ask for a donation of $8-30 sliding scale for the print version to cover our costs. (If you would prefer the email version of our newsletter, or our weekly local newspaper column, please go to our website to sign up: <http://dancingrabbit.org/join/mailinglist.php> )

Thanks! We hope to see you soon! Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage

Benjamin's response

Status: finished, sent on 9/19/05

Name: Benjamin Bradley Postal address: fill in before sending Phone number: ditto Email address (if applicable): same

NOTE: I am writing this about 6 months to a year before we will probably be visiting.

Are you hoping to visit DR with other people (i.e. your partner, friend, or family)? If so, what are their names? (We'll need the info from this questionnaire for all members of your visiting party.) Partner of 2-2.5 years: April Rains

1. How did you hear about DR? Activist community (Director of TexPIRG in Austin)

2. How would you rate your interest in DR?

__X__I might be recruitable (i.e., if I love my visit I might want to find a way to return for a longer stay)

3. What most interests you about what we're doing here? The idea of several independent communities coming together to create a village-like environment. I like that people can contribute in several ways to the community - both to their local housing community and to the village as a whole.

4. What do you hope to get out of your visit to DR? Fresh air, great people, experience in a community environment, life away from the city, working together with people toward a common goal, low-energy life and entertainment, a feeling of living closer to the earth and closer with other people.

5. What do you believe you have to offer DR, for whatever amount of time you are here? I have done some basic coursework with Permaculture (including practical applications-cob oven, pond, etc.), I have also had some basic education (50 hours) in herbal medicines, although I do not currently practice. I look forward to working with you all in the community environment to provide for the group's needs. I am cheerful, enthusiastic and a very quick learner.

6. Have you visited and/or lived in other communities? If so, please tell us more about your experiences. Not at time of writing, but depending on when we visit DR, we may have visited several other communities already!

7. Do you have any physical or dietary restrictions? (examples: food or bee sting allergies, bad back, asthma, hay fever, use of mobility aid, etc.) Not that I know of.

8. Your gender and age: male - 24-25

9. Educational/employment history: Graduated high school (math and science academy), BA degree in computer science. Mostly computer-related jobs (tech support, programming) until I paid off my debt.

10. Hobbies, interests, other stuff you do when you're not visiting ecovillages: I'm a big fan of worldchanging.com and the Bright Green Future they describe. I'm interested in sustainable technology/green/natural building, emergent social patterns, the enabling aspects of technology, creating a new world and a new way to live, rediscovering my "wild" side (i.e. from the wilderness), re-learning how to listen to the trees and animals.

11. Is there anything else you'd like to share with us before your visit? I very much look forward to meeting everyone and working with you!

Logistics (for scheduling purposes only)

1. Are there any particular dates that you prefer for your visit? How flexible are they? We will be visiting sometime during 2006 and are just beginning to put our schedule together. We hope to visit several communities and friends & family along the way. We would like to visit April's father in Arkansas during the summer, but nothing is fixed yet.

2. How long are you hoping to stay? (Please note that we usually ask first-time visitors to stay for one week.) We are interested in staying for several weeks (again, flexible).

3. Are you willing and able to camp while at DR? Would you like us to send you rental accommodation info? We are trying to be as low-cost as possible. If there are any opportunities for a work trade, we are interested, but can always stay in our tent if necessary.

4. How are you planning on traveling here (train, bus, bicycle, etc.)? Will you need to be picked up from a station, or will you need directions? If you're driving, are you open to ridesharing with DR members or other visitors? We will probably be driving, if my old car can stay together. We are open to ridesharing.

5. Would you like to be added to our print newsletter mailing list? No, thank you.

Hope to hear from you soon!

April's response

Status: finished, sent 11/9/05 >Name: April Rains > >Postal address: >1016 Camino La Costa #1006 >Austin, TX. 78752 > >Phone number: 512-775-5807 >Email address (if applicable): dematair@msn.com > > > >Are you hoping to visit DR with other people ( i.e. your partner, friend, >or family)? If so, what are their names? (We'll need the info from this >questionnaire for all members of your visiting party.) > >*I will be travelling with my boyfriend, Benjamin. > > > >1. How did you hear about DR? > >both Benjamin and I have heard about you from friends and members of the >envirnmental and arts community. > > > >2. How would you rate your interest in DR? > > > >_____Seriously interested in membership very soon (i.e., I'm planning to > >relocate in the next 3-12 months and DR is my first choice) > >_____Very interested in membership ( i.e., I can definitely imagine myself > >living there if I like what I see during my visit) > >_____Possibly interested in membership (i.e., I'm looking for a life > >change, but am not sure DR is it) > >_____I might be recruitable (i.e., if I love my visit I might want to > >find a way to return for a longer stay) > >_____Really interested in seeing all the amazing things you're doing > >there, but not interested in membership > >___X__Other (please explain): > >We are interested in membership but not until we've finished our trip. we >have many places to go and many things to learn before we settle down >anywhere. > > > > > >3. What most interests you about what we're doing here? > >To be honest, the thing about your community that intrigues me the most is a >kind of living that is in touch with your envirnment. Living a life that >actively participates with the moving of the seasons is a dream of mine. >Having lived in the city most of my life, I feel like I've missed that >harmony that comes from working WITH nature. > > > >Food, for example, when seasonal teaches one to cherish what is there when >it's there. If you can eat strawberries all year round, it loses it's >symbolic presense when summer begins to ripen. Pumpkins and squash are more >of a hallmark card in the winter instead of the warm sustanance that is >celebrated with friends. > > > >I apologize for rambling, but I do look forward to experience life how you >live it; embracing the dynamics of the changing land that surrounds you. > > > > > >4. What do you hope to get out of your visit to DR? > >I hope to gain insight into the inner workings and complexities of how a >cummunity like this runs, greater connection with nature and it's silence, a >better understanding of myself and what skills are worth focusing on, and >friendship with people a little more in tuned with their lives. > > > > > >5. What do you believe you have to offer DR, for whatever amount of >time you are here? > >For starters, I am a hard worker and a diligent learner. I've always been >flexible and willing to do whatever needed to 'get it done'. I've always >been very organized and have used this skill in many ways (domesticly, >professionally, and personally). I worked for a grassroots non-profit >(focused on envirnmental and social justice issues) organizing, managing and >canvass directing for 2 years. My experience at The Fund has laft me with >alot of experience motivating and organizing people and events. > >I also am an avid cook. I find joy preparing, inventing, and presenting >meals. I cook for friends and family, here, whenever I can. I also push >myself to make dishes that are as healthy and fresh as I can, and often >alter or invent recipes that suit a vegan friendly menu. > > > >The last bit I'll say that I have to offer (that I would expect to be >overlooked by most people, but perhaps not folks like you) is storytelling. >I am a poet, and a writer. But I love to tell stories. needless to say, >living in cities most of my life, storytelling is rarely appreciated, and my >craft has lost all prectice. But this is one art I intend on reviving and >sharing with those I encounter on our trip. > > > > > >6. Have you visited and/or lived in other communities? If so, please >tell us more about your experiences. >this will be our first. > > > > > >7. Do you have any physical or dietary restrictions? (examples: food or >bee sting allergies, bad back, asthma, hay fever, use of mobility aid, etc.) > >I do have tendenitis in my right bicep, and an injured left trapezious that >never healed right. Because of them I can't lift very heavy things, or heavy >things for a long time. > >I also have Pilanidal disease (genetic, not contagious at all) that basicly >means that I have an absess in my lower back. when dorment it does nothing >more than maybe make me sit kinda funny (it's dorment almost all the time), >but if it gets infected I'm bed ridden for about a week. The last span >between infections was over 2 years, I just wanted to be completely honest >about everything. > > > > > >8. Your gender and age: > >I am a 23 year old female. > > > > > >9. Educational/employment history: > >High school diploma from Canyon Del Oro High School, Tucson AZ (note: >included in my education was 6 years of french) > >Febuary 2005-current Customer Service Representative, Green >Cheetah Mortgage Co. > >June 2003-January 2005 Director, The Fund for Public Interest >Research, Austin, TX > >March 2003-May 2003 Server, Pastiche Modern Eatery, Tucson, AZ > >July 2002-Febuary 2003 Co-Owner, Private Internet Sales Business, >Tucson, AZ > >May 2002-March 2003 Customer Service Representative, >Bookman's Used Books & Entertainment, Mesa, AZ > >May 1996-July 1996 Volunteer Counselor, Udall Park, >Tucson, AZ > > > > >10. Hobbies, interests, other stuff you do when you're not visiting > >ecovillages: >other than cooking, my hobbies are: >reading and writing >chalking (muraling with sidewalk chalk) >handmaking envelopes, CD inserts and written letters with mixed media >(paint, sketch, collage, ect) >dancing (especially to hand drums) > > >interests: >surrealism & the study of dreams >mythology (Joseph Campbell) >herbalism & psychopharmacology >art & surrealistic animation > > >11. Is there anything else you'd like to share with us before your visit? > > > > >Logistics (for scheduling purposes only) > > > >1. Are there any particular dates that you prefer for your visit? How >flexible are they? > > We will be visiting sometime during 2006 and are just beginning to put our >schedule together. We hope to visit several communities and friends & family >along the way. We would like to visit my father in Arkansas during the >summer, but nothing is fixed yet. > > > >2. How long are you hoping to stay? (Please note that we usually ask >first-time visitors to stay for one week.) > >We are interested in staying for several weeks (again, flexible). > > > > >3. Are you willing and able to camp while at DR? Would you like us to >send you rental accommodation info? > >We are trying to be as low-cost as possible. If there are any opportunities >for a work trade, we are interested, but can always stay in our tent if >necessary. > > > > > >4. How are you planning on traveling here (train, bus, bicycle, etc.)? > >Will you need to be picked up from a station, or will you need directions? > >If you're driving, are you open to ridesharing with DR members or other >visitors? > >We'll be driving, as long as the car can go-go-go. we're open to >ride-sharing. > > > >5. Would you like to be added to our print newsletter mailing list? > >no, but thank you. we'll save you paper and keep ourselves updated online >(and hopefully soon) in person. > > > >Sincerely, >April Rains