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.
Friends of Earthaven
While not a formal membership category, becoming a Friend of Earthaven 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 Friend of Earthaven, 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 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 Joining Fee of $3,000 upon becoming a Provisional Member and a Commons Fee of $5,000 when becoming a Full Member. Once one becomes a Full Member, the Joining Fee and Commons Fee are nonrefundable.
- 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.
