Earthaven Ecovillage

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Main Page > Places > Earthaven Ecovillage 

 http://www.earthaven.org
 info@earthaven.org
 (828)669-3937
 1025 Camp Elliott Rd
 Black Mountain, NC 28711
 USA

Size:
Accomodations: room
Cost: $45/wk for 2-3 weeks
Availability:
Dates:

press: washington post article 2006 nov 11

nomadicscribe coverage

Other possibilities:

  • We're seeking hardworking, visionary people of all kinds to join us in creating our ecovillage dream--including organic growers, people with homesteading skills, and young families with children.
  • Work exchange/internships:

Individual Earthaven members can offer Work Exchange opportunities (and more rarely, Apprenticeship opportunities), for periods of from several weeks to several months. Work Exchangers and Apprentices work for and report to individual Earthaven members, not Earthaven itself. (See Earthaven Internship Program.) Room and board is provided to Work Exchangers in trade for approximately 24 hours a week labor and minimal monthly facilities and other fees. info@earthaven.org ; 828-669-3937.

[edit]

Contact Log

        • e-mailed:

Hello, I would like to get in touch with someone to discuss the possibility of visiting Earthaven Ecovillage sometime during 2006. My girlfriend April and I will be embarking in January on a trip around the country to visit sustainable communities. We are interested in working with you for a while (possibly a few weeks) to learn from your experience in the community and to share what we can. I saw from your website that you may have internships available through individual members. How can I get more information and start planning our visit?

Thanks, Benjamin --Benjamin 18:29, 19 Sep 2005 (PDT)

        • received reply 9/20/2005:

Dear Benjamin, thanks for your interest. If you will send some information about yourselves - skills, interests, what you'd like to learn, the time available, etc., I will send it around to the members, and hopefully you will hear from someone. You don't say where you live, but visiting is a way to make connections that can lead to positions. I'll paste the visiting info below. Sue Stone, Earthaven

reply included: Visiting Earthaven --Benjamin 08:26, 20 Sep 2005 (PDT)

        • e-mailed:

Sue, It's been a while - life and job have been taking up far too much time! I hope you are well. April and I each put together a "sustainability resume" which describes our talents and interests, philosophy, etc. They are attached. We would like to visit for a few weeks, probably in the late-summer/early-fall 2006 time period (maybe august/september 2006?). We live in Austin, TX right now, so we're a bit too far for a weekend visit. ;) Selwyn Polit mentioned that he visits Earthaven once a year. I took a fundamentals of Permaculture class with him and April and I are both taking a Re-evaluation Counseling class from his partner(?)/roommate, Collette. Also, Nancy Dennis, whom I know through an Ishmael group here, visited Earthaven last year some time (I think, might have been the year before), and had great things to say about the experience.

Hope to hear from ya'll soon.

Cheers, Benjamin

with attachments: April's resume and Benjamin's resume --Benjamin 09:27, 3 Dec 2005 (PST) 

Hi Brian,
I saw your internship posting on the Earthhaven website and wanted to inquire if it's still open.

I am traveling around the U.S. this year visiting several communities for various reasons. I've heard many good things about Earthhaven and would very much like to visit for a while to see what life is like at the Ecovillage. Earthhaven seems to only offer the "visitor weekend" to potential visitors and I would very much like to spend more than just a couple of days there (hopefully 2-4 weeks), so when I saw the internship posting, it sounded like a good fit.

The Gateway plan sounds very ambitious! The integration of so many diverse enterprises and systems is certainly a testament to permaculture. It sounds like a very interesting project and looks like you've definitely thought your way through a lot of it. I am a quick learner and a hard worker, and easy to get along with.

I've attached my "sustainability resume" which describes some of my philosophy, interests and experience. I can provide my professional resume and/or references upon request.

Anyway, I realize the internship position may be filled already, so I wanted to at least contact you to find out.

Cheers,
Benjamin Bradley

--Benjamin 22:12, 7 July 2006 (PDT)

received response 8 Jul 2006: 
The position is still open.  A resume would be helpful, as would a phone number where you can be reached for an interview.

Thanks,
Brian Love
replied with regular resume and cell phone number: 
Brian,
I have attached my professional resume (in plain text and Word formats). It is geared towards technical/computer related work, since that is what I have done in the past. I have some questions about the internship - should I send them via e-mail or wait for a call? You can reach me by phone at <cell#> (my personal cell). It will be easiest to reach me between 10am and 10pm Central time.

Thanks,
Benjamin

Questions for him:

  • "educational work" - does this mean I get educated?
  • other interns?
  • are the dates flexible?
  • how many acres is the gateway system?
  • with whom would I be working, and how closely?

--Benjamin 00:53, 9 July 2006 (PDT)

talked to Brian on the phone (I called him following up on the resume I sent) - he did not received my resume, but we had a nice phone conversation/interview:

talked to Brian Love-

  • gateway project will have 3 interns - currently have 1. probably 1 add'l. interviewing 3rd. ~6 people working all together.
  • excavating the pond with big landmovers. map the excavation in 3-d
  • 20-30 interns at Earthhaven - 70 full members at Earthhaven - 50-55 who live there.
  • start date - will probably start earlier... 8/28 - end date - may not last the full 6 weeks
  • farmer - 8-9 years @ earthaven, love - 3 years - 20 yrs old
  • field is only 4 acres
  • pond 1/3 acre - 1/4 acre minimum - pond sited in "least arable" area of land - artesian well that fills the pond with groundwater to above the creek level
  • working in a group w/ love or farmer, possibly another intern
  • multiple projects working on, moving around based on labor needs
  • work expectation is 20-25 - hours a week usually 3 full days or 4 3/4 days.
  • plus 4 hours per week to earthhaven

He recommended other internships/work-trade opportunities:

  • useful plants nursery - watering planting salse etc [Chuck Marsh]
  • arguna disilva ??
  • paul karen ??
  • village terraces - carpentry, farming, (possibly computer stuff?)
e-mailed Chuck Marsh about Useful Plants Nursery Apprenticeship: 
Hi Chuck,
I'm interested in visiting Earthhaven Ecovillage this fall for 2-4 weeks and saw the Useful Plants Nursery Apprenticeship posted on the internships page. I have some experience with herbal medicines, wildcrafting, botany and wild plant identification from a couple of classes I took last year (50 hours). Over the past few years I've grown more interested in sustainability and intentional community. I'm taking this year to travel around the U.S. visiting several ecological communities, to learn from their experiences and to experience community first hand.

I was wondering, first if the apprenticeship is still available, and what the nursery apprenticeship entails, and what the associated fees are (food costs, vehicle fees, etc.).


Thanks,
Benjamin
e-mailed Mary about A&A helper opportunity 25 Jul 2006: 
Hi Mary,
I'm interested in visiting Earthaven Ecovillage in the August - September time frame and saw your post on the internships page for a Guest House Helper for the A&A house. I have taken a 60-hour Fundamentals of Permaculture class which included some field work in cob construction, pond design, rainwater catchment, herb spiral construction, etc. and would love to put more of my permaculture knowledge to good use! Do you have any need for a work-trade helper in the period between Aug. 20 - Sep. 22 ?

Cheers,
Benjamin
e-mailed Brian again 8 Aug: 
Hey Brian,
Time is drawing close and I have not yet secured a stay at your lovely ecovillage! :)
I've contacted several people with internships posted on the website and haven't received a response yet. In our phone conversation, you mentioned that there are other ways to stay at Earthaven. The website shows that camping is available only on weekends. 
 
I've heard so much about Earthaven, I'd really like to visit. If the only thing I can manage is a weekend visit, then so be it, but if there's any way I could stay longer and experience more of life at Earthaven, I'd like to pursue it. Is there anyone else you can recommend that I contact? 
 
Thank you,
Benjamin
received a call from Patricia Alison of A&A house 9 aug 2006:

she said they'd love to have me. one work-exchanger is leaving on august 29. I could get out there earlier if I need to, but would be staying in a different building somewhere. She taught Dick & Selwyn!

  • work expectation at A&A house is 12 hr / week + 4 hr - earthaven
  • work includes routine guest-house stuff like cleaning, etc. but also some orchard, garden, cistern, gutters, etc.
  • they provide: room, shower, telephone, computer, etc.
  • I pay for food: $45/wk
  • Earthaven is in a temperate rainforest - mold and mildew are prevalent
  • population: 8-10 in the house. 80 @ earthaven

-- I confirmed that I will come out for 2-3 weeks beginning around the 29th of Aug. or before. need to figure out dates and let her know for sure.

e-mailed 15 aug to confirm dates: 
Patricia,
We spoke last week on the phone about me coming to Earthaven as an A&A house work-trader. You mentioned that the room will be opening up on the 29th, but it would be possible for me to come earlier and stay somewhere else for a few days? I was wondering if it would be okay if I came in on friday the 25th. I'll be at East Wind for the next few days, so I don't know what sort of "connectivity" I'll have, and I wanted to contact you earlier rather than later. Just let me know.

Thanks,
Benjamin
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