Three Groves Ecovillage

Three Groves Ecovillage Open House at Dansko

OPEN HOUSE
SATURDAY, MARCH 27, 2010
3-7 PM DANSKO HEADQUARTERS

Join us for an informative and fun-filled afternoon at Dansko (33 Federal Road, West Grove PA). We invite neighbors to learn about our project to build a green community, setting an international example of what sustainable living can be. We will seek LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum certification, the highest LEED certification available. Come meet future residents and the developer.

• Keynote Speaker: SANDY WIGGINS
  NET ZERO ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIVE RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT 4 PM
• Followed by ANTHONY AUFDENKAMPE
  THREE GROVES ECOVILLAGE PROJECT
• Q & A SESSION
  Moderated by BOB VANELLA
• TOUR OF DANSKO HEADQUARTERS
  LEED® Gold Certified Building
• WINE & CHEESE RECEPTION
• 10% DISCOUNT AT THE DANSKO COMPANY STORE

RSVP Requested: 610.643.4411 or threegrovesecovillage@gmail.com

Download and share our flyer, or use it as a poster.

Mid-Atlantic Cohousing Conference

Mid-Atlantic Cohousing and the University of Maryland School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation present ...

Cohousing: Growing Smart Communities

A one-day conference for people passionate about community in the Mid-Atlantic Region on Saturday, March 20, 2010.

The conference is followed by Open House tours at local cohousing communities on Sunday, March 21, 2010.

Come rub shoulders, elbows and toes with the people who have created, are creating or helping others to create their cohousing community. This is YOUR local conference for those of you who are building cohousing, living in cohousing, interested in the idea, or who are professionals in the field.

When you are ready to register, go to the Registration Page.

The growing list of those committed to presenting include Zev Paiss (Keynote Speaker), Neshama Abraham, John Buck, CT Butler, Elana Kann (developer), Dene Peterson, Laird Schaub, Don Tucker (developer), Sharon Villines and Jack Wilbern (developer/architect.)

In these pages, you will find information about the upcoming conference, including presenters, workshops, time and place, how to register ... oh ... just everything!

Registration is handled through an event registration service. When you click on any of the Registration links in these pages you will leave this website. There is a link on the registration home page that will bring you back to this web site.

Please note: This is a work in progress. They are adding details to information that’s here already as well as new workshops, speakers, events, and more ... daily! Check back often here!

(Special Note: Three Groves will have a table at the Conference.)

January 2010: Paperwork, Planning and Meeting People

I know. We’ve been pretty quiet through the winter. As exciting as it is to be working our way towards building the first LEED Platinum Ecovillage in the country, there are some pretty dull parts, too. We have some excellent lawyers and civil engineers working hard on entitlements, but somehow I equate that sort of thing with doing my taxes…many pages of obscure rules, referring back to “subsection 23, paragraph 3” in a different manual that I can’t find. Our developer, who understands subsection 23 much better than I do, is pleased with our progress.

Until we can do more exciting things like design the homes or break ground, we will be working hard to meet our future neighbors and help everyone understand what Three Groves Ecovillage is. Mark your calendars now, and we will get you more information on the Open House as we have it:

March 27:  Three Groves Ecovillage Open House at Dansko. 3PM to 7PM We’re teaming up with our friends at Dansko to bring you some presentations, a tour of the Dansko LEED Gold facility, and a wine and cheese reception. Our developer Sandy Wiggins will be speaking on “Net Zero Energy and Environmentally Responsible Residential Development”, Anthony Aufdenkampe will be speaking on the status of the Three Groves Ecovillage project, and then we will have a Q&A Panel. We’ll be at the Dansko Headquarters, 33 Federal Road, West Grove, PA 19390. Free event, RSVP requested.

June 5:  London Grove Township “Green Fair and Community Day” 10AM to 2PM, Rain date is June 12.
We will be at this Educational Fair. Come learn about Composting, Lighting Pollution, Energy Efficiency, Recycling, Alternative Energy Sources, Water Conservation, Native Species, Alternative Cleaning Products and much more! Kid’s activities and Food/Beverages will be available. Free event open to the public will be held at the London Grove Township Municipal Field located adjacent to the Township Building at 372 Rose Hill Road, West Grove, PA 19390.

1/19 "LEED for Homes: Low Cost Pathways to Green w/Case Studies"

Register Now! 1/19 "LEED for Homes: Low Cost Pathways to Green w/Case Studies"

Please REGISTER NOW if you are interested to attend, to avoid disappointment.
 
If you are not yet familiar with presenter Sam Klein, he is a WEALTH of knowledge - don't miss this kick off event for the new year.   Also check out our Feb. 3 presentation by Laura Blau on Passive House.
 
"LEED for Homes: Low Cost Pathways to Green, with Case Studies"
 
5:30pm  Refreshments and Networking
6:30-8pm Presentation
 
Location:  Carpenters Hall, 320 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA

This is a comprehensive overview of LEED for Homes including reflections from over 3 years of verifying LEED Homes. The presentation will include an examination of the costs of green building and will shed light on where the opportunities lie for low cost pathways to green. Sam will pull data from over 200 homes currently certified and over 3000 in the queue.

He will also provide an insider’s perspective on the challenges with LEED for Homes both from a process, cost, and feasibility standpoint. This presentation will be a fresh take on the rating system and is a great opportunity to get a first-hand insider’s perspective on the program.
Presenter:  Sam Klein, LEED AP, a local Quality Assurance Designee to the USGBC for MaGrann Associates. Sam has been involved with green building since 1998, including development of the Energy Star Qualified Homes program as a subcontractor of the EPA, and is currently an active member of the DVGBC Residential Circle.
 
For more details and to register: http://www.dvgbc.org/event

Design for Living, Home-Scale Permaculture -- Course offered at Heathcote Community

Design for Living, Home-Scale Permaculture Course offered at Heathcote Community

Heathcote Community, in Freeland Maryland, is offering a 7-day course in “Permaculture Design” with an additional 2-weekend Design Certificate option.  Beginning February 14th, the course meets every other weekend through June 2010.

Ecologists and authors, Bill Mollison and David Holmgren, from the University of Tasmania, created the concept of Permaculture to infer permanent culture, and permanent agriculture.  The term implies a way a life that insures the survival of all earth’s species and natural resources.   Mollison’s theories evolved from childhood observations of traditional stewardship behavior of the neighboring aboriginal community. 

Using both ancient and modern knowledge, Permaculture Design mimics universal survival patterns found in nature.  As both a theory and practice, it is a system of designing human-initiated ecosystems that relate food production to other human needs (such as shelter, water, and community), bioregional resource flow and conservation. Permaculture is a frame of reference for analyzing specific human habitats and finding sustainable solutions to their inherent problems or needs.  A small-scale backyard, or large-scale farm, village or city, can be transformed into a healthy ecological human habitat.  Permaculture principles provide basic criteria for ecologically informed decision-making, suggesting limits to land development, and individual independence.

This course will appeal to anyone interested in living a more community-reliant, environmentally responsible life-style.  Class time will involve hands-on outdoor demonstrations, lecture and scale drawing (no experience necessary).  Students will apply sustainable concepts of biological diversity, water harvesting, food production, renewable energy, natural building, ecological waste management, and wilderness conservation in a design exercise for a familiar property of their own choice. 

Heathcote Community, a School of Living land trust, provides a focus for interdisciplinary study and research, illustrating practical applications of sustainable living.  To register see http://www.heathcote.org/cms/content/home-scale-permaculture-design-course-2010

For more information call 410-357-9523 or email education@heathcote.org.