The Core of our Project.

Our vision for TREE (Third Residential EcoVillage Experience) is a neighborhood of 40 small homes, which support our goals of sustainability, accessibility, and affordability. The homes will be passive solar, energy-efficient, green, affordable, and suitable for aging-in-place. TREE will be an integral part of EcoVillage at Ithaca (EVI), sharing in social events, community projects, and overall governance.

We, members of the third neighborhood of EVI, will live in a cluster of reasonably-priced, environmentally sustainable homes. Our community design enhances our lives, enabling us to live simply, in harmonious and supportive community with each other, while retaining the freedom to spend our time on the things we value most. Our presence here furthers EVI's vision, mission, and goals.

A description, in concrete terms, of how we will realize our vision.

• Use policies and procedures that foster group-centered, consensus decision-making.
• Create a neighborhood of reasonably-priced, efficient, small foot-print homes at EVI.
• Provide an experimental example of socially-responsible, healthful, and ecologically sustainable living.
• Work with EVI, VA, and neighborhood committees to integrate our cluster into the larger community, vision and goals.

Values and Aspirations

What we, as a community, care about most strongly.

• Living simply and reducing our housing costs, while at the same time making green and non-toxic choices.
• Cultivating a sense of "enoughness" and satisfaction, allowing community members to focus on our non-material assets.
• Having time for the work that matters to each of us.
• Enjoying time spent in our homes, neighborhood, and village.
• Having fun together!
• Creating a welcoming community for people with varying needs, abilities, backgrounds, and finances.
• Leading by example, as a part of the larger local community, to show one way it is possible to build a community of homes that are "sustainable," "green," and  "ecological," and that "cooperation" and "simplicity" can result in "balance," "less complicated," and "fun"!
• Sharing what we learn here with a wider circle of communities.

Working Agreements

Guidelines for how we will treat each other.

• Listen deeply to one another.
• Make decisions using principled consensus, for the good of the group.
• Act in accordance with past group decisions.
• Respect the policies and decisions that have previously been made by other groups at EVI.