Up a winding dirt drive, emerging out of blooming meadows…three normal-looking houses–passive solar homes that are the start of a community where both individuality and sustainability can flower.
At White Hawk Ecovillage, living sustainably isn’t just the latest hype; it’s an everyday experience. Green communities are not some bastion of exclusivity to which only the patchouli-scented and sanctimonious are admitted. Now sustainable living is fully accessible to Joe Schmoe…er, rather…Joe Italiano.
Joe Italiano, father of two, perfectly normal American male, and ecovillage resident: “Sustainable living shouldn’t be hard, and it isn’t. It’s about simplicity, and at a place like White Hawk, learning from your neighbors.” He notes how his neighbors are experimenting with green roofs and rainwater harvesting. “It’s a living laboratory, so it’s easy to pick up information about what you might want to try next.”
Joe shares his 1000-square-foot home at White Hawk with his two young children and wife Julie Boerst. “Our home and our hot water are heated with one on-demand water heater connected to a radiant heating system,” she says. “Water for washing hands is used a second time to flush the toilet. Both of these solutions are simple and low-cost. Green living can and should be attainable for everyone.”
Everyone including the cable guy. Steven Woinoski climbs ladders by day for the local cable company, and he’s the first to admit that he’s not wealthy in terms of dollars. “We are technically low-income by government standards, so we are proof that a low-income family can live well in an ecovillage.” Woinoski’s home is constructed from energy-efficient structural insulated panels (or SIPs) and sided with locally harvested hemlock.
From the beginning, the founding members of White Hawk Ecovillage wanted to make their community affordable and accessible. Looking at the other available opportunities for green living in community, they saw that most people are easily edged out of pricey eco-developments. At White Hawk, residents can design their own homes and put in sweat equity to lower the cost. “We loved taking the lead in designing our home because it saved us money, and that’s important because we’re a one-income family. We have also completed much of the finish work ourselves,” notes Joe Italiano.
The neighborhood at White Hawk includes thirty homesites clustered around a pedestrian walkway that encircles a common recreation area. The developed area is about ten acres, with the remaining 110 acres of the property available to residents for hiking, farming, and any common projects they dream up, like solar showers. Laura Woinoski appreciates the benefits of raising children in a green community. “It’s a wonderful place for children to really prosper…like the old days when we’d just explore for hours!”
Seven children from three families play in the Woinoskis’, living room in front of a sunny expanse of south-facing windows. “It’s such a relaxed and nice feeling here,” says Julie Boerst. “At-home parents don’t have to guzzle gas or cram kids in the car in order to socialize. Beyond the obvious ecological benefits, I cannot overstate the social benefits of living in a green community.”
Outside, chickens range freely, far beyond their community-built coop. Organic gardens have popped up at White Hawk, along with compost piles and a playground. The residents of White Hawk Ecovillage are looking forward to learning and playing with their new neighbors. Will you be one of them? For more information, visit http://www.whitehawk.org.
