About Earthaven Membership

We’re seeking emotionally mature, cooperative people of all kinds to join us in creating our sustainable ecovillage dream — including (but not limited to) entrepreneurs, organic growers and raisers of livestock, people with mechanical and engineering skills, healers, artists, and families with children.

” . . . This may be the most propitious moment in history to join an intentional community.”

—Richard Heinberg, Peak Oil activist and author of The Party’s Over and PowerDown, in his Foreword to Diana Leafe Christian’s book, Finding Community: How to Join an Ecovillage or Intentional Community.

The Earthaven Membership Journey

This is our best representation of the journey of membership including the approximate time periods, helpful attitudes, and next steps.

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What are Earthaven’s membership categories?

Pods

A Pod is a legal entity that owns the land for one or more neighborhoods. Each type of Pod (such as Housing Cooperative or LLC) defines membership differently. For example, in a housing cooperative, a member is a shareholder with a residential site and unit.

Earthaven Community Association membership

A person interested in Earthaven may go through an educational and orientation membership process conducted by the Earthaven Community Association (ECA). There are several options for membership in the ECA for both Earthaven residents and nonresidents.

Patrons

While not a formal membership category, becoming an Earthaven patron is a good option if you are or want to be part of Earthaven’s extended community or are considering joining Earthaven. To become a patron, click here

Supporting Membership

Supporting Membership is for people who want to support and feel connected to Earthaven. Supporting Membership is a good option if you want to support Earthaven’s mission from afar or are considering joining Earthaven. To become a supporting member, click here

Contributing Membership

Contributing Membership is the formal channel for our local friends and neighbors to acknowledge the mutually supportive relationship that already exists with Earthaven. Contributing Members share Earthaven’s vision and commitment to re-learning how to live well in community and in close relationship with the land.

New Root Membership

New Root Membership is for Earthaven residents who are not Full or Provisional Members. New Roots include renters, work exchangers, interns, people exploring Full Membership, and other people who live at Earthaven. New Roots pay fees and contribute four hours a week of community service to approved projects; after the first year, the requirement is reduced to three hours a week.

Provisional Membership

Provisional Membership is the step between New Roots and Full Membership. It’s a six-month or longer period when they can better understand what Full Membership in Earthaven means, and community members can get to know and assess the Provisional Member better. Provisional Members participate in community governance and are preparing to join a Pod.

Full Membership

Full Members (“members”) have joined a Pod at Earthaven, where they can live and enjoy our beautiful mountain forest and our village social life. They take physical, cultural, and financial responsibility for developing our aspiring ecovillage — a decades-long, maybe lifelong, ecological and cultural project. Members may choose to live at Earthaven or elsewhere.

What are a Full Earthaven Member’s rights and privileges?

Enjoy our beautiful mountain forest setting and the social life of our village.
Help build Earthaven Ecovillage over time with other like-minded people.
Access to all Earthaven common land and facilities.
Attend Council Meetings, participate in discussion, and have a voice in decisions.
Draft proposals for Council (usually through a guild or committee); receive all Council, guild, and committee minutes, by email or posted, and receive all inter-community discussion on email; participate in community processes and events.
Live on site. The different Pods have different options for building, buying, or renting. You can also live off site.
If you wish, own and operate a business here, and/or an agricultural project.
Have an indoor cat or dog, or one confined to your homesite. You cannot have a free-ranging cat or dog without explicit Council permission.

What are a Full Earthaven Member’s responsibilities?

Abide by all Earthaven agreements and policies, as outlined in documents, Council Decisions, and guild/committee decisions.
Contribute 1,500 hours (or the monetary equivalent) of community service in the first ten years of membership, with 50 hours a year minimum.
Be accepted to join a Pod at Earthaven.
Pay a nonrefundable Joining Fee of $3,000 upon becoming a Provisional Member and a Commons Fee of $5,000 when becoming a Full Member.
Pay annual fees and assessments, through your neighborhood. These include (1) Dues and fees that currently range from about $800 to $1,100 a year, depending on the facilities you use and whether you have a car on the land and (2) a property tax assessment for your personal buildings.

What about my partner?

Membership at Earthaven is individual. Your partner can also apply for Provisional Membership or seek New Root status (and apply for Provisional Membership later). If your partner didn’t want to become a Full Earthaven Member, they might consider becoming a long-term resident.

What about my children?

If you have children who will live with you at Earthaven, they will be taken into account when we consider your membership. In other words, we would want to feel good about your children too. Children are not charged fees until they become adults.

What about my dog or cat?

It’s possible to have a dog or cat at Earthaven; however, we do have restrictions on pets. While Full Members may have dogs or cats on their homesites under certain conditions, New Roots may not have a dog or cat unless a Full Member takes full responsibility for it. A Provisional Member who wants to bring a pet to Earthaven must get permission from the Pod and comply with all rules regarding pets in Pods and in common areas.

Become a Patron of Earthaven

Are you inspired by Earthaven’s mission and want to stay connected and updated with village happenings?

Do you want to hear how Earthaven villagers are implementing practical solutions that attempt to merge the best of ancestral wisdom and technological innovation with a spiritual and moral response?

Do you have loved ones and friends at Earthaven and want to support their life from afar?

Earthaven Ecovillage’s patron program provides a way for you to contribute to Earthaven’s work in the world as part of our extended community.

Patron plans start at $5 a month.

To become a Patron, click here.

Get an inside look at THREE Earthaven Ecovillage homes.

Upcoming Events

Virtual Earthaven Tour

Saturday, September 10 @ 2 – 4 pm EST

There’s nothing like experiencing ecovillage life first hand, but taking a virtual tour of Earthaven is a close second!

The tour highlights ways in which Earthaven is striving to be a holistic, sustainable culture. The introductory overview tour examines the concept of sustainability at Earthaven through social, ecological, and economic lenses. Not only will you get a glimpse of what has worked through time, but also hear about what has been challenging. And you will have a chance to ask questions!

Ecovillage Action Week

May 30 - June 3, 2022

Be an active participant in the everyday rhythm of life and work at Earthaven Ecovillage. In this hands-on, service-based program, you’ll work side-by-side with residents, making meaningful contributions while exploring Earthaven’s neighborhoods, and expanding your ideas of alternative living.

Earthaven Ecovillage Experience Week

July 31 - August 6, 2022

Join the homesteads, farms, and businesses of Earthaven Ecovillage for a hands-on, skill-building immersion in sustainable and climate-resilient community life. A residential service learning immersion in our unique community laboratory.

Compassion Camp

August 18-22, 2022

Our annual event focused on Nonviolent Communication, featuring classes and experiential learning. An experience designed to foster compassion and connection in our hearts, communities and world, and to spread the seeds of justice and love.