Evening of Stargazing (and ground gazing)

by Paul Voss

The sky was clear and the temperatures cool when Jeffry and Paul gathered to explore the night sky on October 22.  Bright Venus followed the setting sun as Mars and Saturn made their appearance.  Once again Jeffry’s 6-inch reflecting telescope revealed a clear view of Saturn’s rings.  As the sky darkened, the telescope brought into focus the Andromeda galaxy and the M2 globular star cluster in Aquarius.  Familiar constellations filled the overhead sky.

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Glowworm sparkling in the grass

October 21 marked the peak Orionids meteor shower, and 24 hours later there were still several streaks across the sky to enjoy.

Turning our eyes the other direction revealed several spots of white light in the grass.  The glowworms seemed delighted by the autumn night coolness.  (Lampyris noctiluca, picture from the internet)

We’re going to try to make these stargazing evenings a regular event while we follow the seasonal progression of the planets, stars and constellations.  Look for announcements and come join us next time!

 

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A village in the making

October 15, 2016 Architecture Design Workshop

by Joe Cole

On Saturday, October 15, Hart’s Mill members gathered for another round of our Architectural Design Workshop with our architects Frank Harmon, Suzy Cash, and Paul Drake.  We met in the Chapel Hill Public Library on a bright afternoon, and the architects shared their hard work and progress since our last gathering in August.

attentive-audienceIn early September, Hart’s Mill members also met together to make a host of specific decisions around Site Plan, Common House Design, and Home Design, and we passed along our preferences to the architects.  So, by mid-October, we were very excited to see what the architects had come up with.

They started by presenting a revised and updated Site Plan with a more compact design, including the Common House in the center of the village.  The compact Site Plan reflected the community’s decision to design half of the homes as duplexes, and about 75% as 2-story homes, which reduced our land footprint and decreased our overall roof square footage to help us with storm-water management.  The plan also included covered parking to hold solar panels, and a provisional idea for our Education Center to sit near the pond.

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Suzy describes a Common House concept

Next the architects presented drawings and a rough model of the Common House that included a mid-sized Dining Room to foster more intimate gatherings, and a large screened porch that could be used as overflow dining and meeting space for much of the year in temperate North Carolina.  Several members commented on the elegance and beauty of the design, and appreciated how the layout created a village commons and green nestled around the large oak tree on the property.

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Could a duplex look like this?

After the group discussed pros and cons of the Common House design direction, the architects presented three separate Schemes for Home Design: the Variety, the Efficiency, and the Adaptable.  We were treated to some 2-D and 3-D drawings, along with a small model of a home representing one of the Schemes.  Group members appreciated the visuals and the variety of design schemes, and we spent much of our remaining time identifying the pros and cons of each Scheme, and generating questions for our community and the architects to address going forward.

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Imagine conversing on a terrace by the oak tree

At the end of the meeting, several members expressed great appreciation for the architects.  Suzy, Paul, and Frank are doing an impressive job working with our group (typically about fifteen members attending the workshops) in a collaborative design process that aims to create a village that is sustainable, affordable, and beautiful.   As with any group, there is a range of preferences, dreams, and visions of what each person wants the village to look like.  Through this process, we are not just designing a village—we are getting to know each other, learning to work with our differences, and building community.  Our hope is that we can design a village that inspires each of us, along with others to come.

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Common House rough concept in 3-D

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Mushrooms, mowing, and (global) movements

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Work Day, October 3rd

Margret chronicles the accomplishments at the work day on October 3rd: Jeffry mowed extensively (5 hours in 2 days), Ginny and Geri got a great start on garden clean-up, and Margret and Rita tackled the McGowan Creek trail, making excellent headway.  Rita snapped some pictures of the many mushrooms spreading everywhere.  Thank you, everyone, for your care of the land!

Global Ecovillage Network experience at Pickards Mountain Eco-Institute

by Joe Cole

On Saturday,ede-auroville October 1, I attended a workshop on Ecovillages at Pickard’s Mountain Eco-Institute.  The workshop was led by two energetic, young facilitators.  Cynthia and Nick are active in GEN, the Global Ecovillage Network, and Cynthia is on GEN’s international board.

The facilitators gave us an overview of the global ecovillage movement, and shared some of their experiences visiting and living in ecovillages around the world.  In small and large-group activities, we shared our feelings about the environmental challenges ahead, and also our visions about how to move forward.  I left with a deeper sense of connection to the world-wide ecovillage movement that is building communities based in cooperation and sustainability.

After the workshop, I had an interesting conversation with Cynthia and Nick about how Hart’s Mill might attract more young people.  Among their suggestions: hgen-workshop-pictureaving short-term, affordable housing in the community; creating education and internship programs; providing entrepreneurship opportunities and infrastructure that welcomes young people, including community businesses with jobs designated to support a few young people financially; and hosting National/International ecovillage events and gatherings at Hart’s Mill.  I look forward to working with Hart’s Millers in making many of these ideas manifest in our community.

The workshop also inspired me to enroll in an online course offered by GEN/Gaia Education.  The Design for Sustainability course is a ten-month version of their month-long face-to-face design workshop, and it starts in mid-late October. Here is a link with more information:

http://www.gaiaeducation.org/index.php/en/online

Keep an eye out, because I will be sharing what I learn in this course with the HM community.  (Thank you, Joe — we’ll be waiting!)

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CELEBRATION! We’re buying the land!

Community is not a goal to be achieved but a gift to be received. —Parker Palmer

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The old oak tree at the center of our community

Since 2011, Hart’s Mill Ecovillage has been linked to a 112-acre parcel of land owned by Alana Ennis.  Over the past few years, the community has bonded with this land in many ways–working, playing, constructing, communing, celebrating, camping, and star-gazing to name a few.  Our site plan is intimately linked to the contours of this land, and our farmstead is being conjured from meadows and woodlands to cultivate nourishment and beauty for the community.

It’s high time to make this land our own in fact as well as feeling.  Last week, a group of members came together and pooled resources to do just that.  We raised enough pledges to more than cover the down payment and nearly match the monthly finance fee for the next two years!  It was an amazing moment of commitment to the vision that is Hart’s Mill Ecovillage and an honoring of all the fine folks who have worked so diligently and heartfully for so many years to make this day possible.

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There’s a place for YOU in this picture!

We can now put Hart’s Mill Ecovillage on the map!  We’re aiming to close in early December and will be inviting more members to pledge funds to Hart’s Mill, LLC, in order to secure this purchase in the weeks to come.  Now’s the time to step forward if you want to be a vital part of the sustainable community of the future being founded here.  And, if you’d like to read a thorough and entertaining report by Paul about the ownership trails and trials of this parcel of land since Colonial times, click here.

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Dam good work day!

Labor Day 2016 workday began at 8 am on a cool sunny morning with Margret, Donna, Lindsey, and Anthony cutting down a flowering Tree of Heaven and bagging the seed heads (see photo) to keep it from spreading all over Kingdom Come. Paul began the good work of closing down the summer garden. As more folks arrived, work switched to the main project of the morning: clearing brush and trees from the dam. Thanks to Margret, Donna, Lindsey, Tom, Steven, Ben, and Anthony, we cleared virtually the “whole dam thing”.  Hope took other visitors, LaTandra and her daughter, Marilyn, for a good trail walk and tour.  Well done, everyone!

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Inspiration from Eno Commons

Common House dining room

This afternoon about 8 Hart’s Mill members visited Eno Commons Co-housing in Durham.  Two of our architects–Suzy and Paul–came along. We had a good walkabout and were able to talk with several residents, paying close attention to some of the features we are currently considering for our own designs

at Hart’s Mill:

  • the Common House and its dining area
  • residence layouts, both inside and in relation to each other
  • hints of the Southern vernacular style

The layout is quite “aligned,” north-south facing to maximize

passive energy capacity, but feels organic rather than rigid, partly due to the landscaping with many trees and shrubs.

It was interesting and helpful to visit this community and we appreciated their hospitality!

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Designing our dwellings—the process continues

Common house projectionThe Hart’s Mill architecture group gathered at our favorite local common house at Arcadia Cohousing for the next installment in the schematic design process.  The Architecture Liaison group—Anthony, Joe, and Katy—are working intensively with Frank Harmon Architects on determining what the homes and common house will look like.

Factors that we are weighing and considering Ecovillage architecture presentationinclude: ways to orient the homes to the movements of sun and currents of wind  to reduce energy consumption;  blending one- and two-story options; crafting pathways and home arrangements to facilitate interactions with others as well as ensure privacy; organizing open areas between and around the homes for gardening and recreation; and location and layout of the common house.

We’re in Suzy reviews the optionsthe thick of a creative, important, and exciting process and will continue to report on what’s happening along the way.

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Growing Inspiration, Just Around The Corner

Anathoth Community GardenFresh veggies

On an early August Saturday, Rita, Hope, and Paul showed up for a work day at Rita, Paul, and Hannah bag onionsAnathoth Community Gardens, located just a few miles north of Hart’s Mill near the town of Cedar Grove.  We waded into a hoop house full of cured onions splayed on racks and  filled bag after bag destined for cold storage.  In the process, we learned more about the extraordinary story of creating community and connection through food that is unfolding here.  Here is how it all started (excerpted from their website):

In 2005 Bill King was murdered at his bait and tackle store down the road from the current community garden site. In response, Cedar Grove United Methodist Church  held a prayer vigil for healing and peace at the site of the murder.  At the prayer vigil two visions came together: Scenobia Taylor, an African-American woman, had a vision to donate 5 acres of her family’s land to the church for the healing of the community; Rev. Grace Hackney, the pastor of the predominately white church, was exploring ways that the community could reconcile with the land by growing food sustainably. 

Anatoth high school student internTen years later, Anathoth Garden and Farm is a vigorous enterprise with a CSA program that provides fresh seasonal food for dozens of families.  As the day progressed and the heat and humidity climbed, more volunteers drifted into to the open-air pavilion to pack boxes with peppers, squash, onions, okra, and more.   High school and college student interns and community members worked together, contributing to this enterprise which creates connection and restoration one box—and one potluck—at a time.

Later, Rita, Paul, and Hope trudged up the steamy hill for the weekly potluck. Anathoth pavillionStanding in a circle, we learned about the death of an elderly volunteer and heard stories about her contributions to the farm; how much she’ll be remembered and missed.  We left the farm feeling inspired and energized by our encounters and so very glad to have made a connection with this marvelousplace.  To be continued…

Hope bagging onions at AnathothCSA boxes

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The Meteors were Mediocre but the Planets were Plenty

Jeffry and his telescope

Jeffry’s telescope zeros in on planets

Many thanks to Randy for bringing us together last evening to do some stargazing on the beautiful Hart’s Mill land.  Several of us (Randy, Anika, Jeffry, Margret, Hope & Paul) gathered early, did some work in the garden, checked out Anthony’s MicroWalden shanty, and then set up for the main event.  There was some summer haze in the sky, but not a cloud in sight.  Perfect.

Jeffry had bush-hogged a large area in the eastern pasture the day before, so we had a comfortable and unobstructed view of the open sky.  Jeffry also set up his wonderful 6-inch reflecting telescope.  The Bright moonhalf-moon was in perfect phase for crater exploration.  Just west of the moon sat Mars (orange aglow) and Saturn in nice aspect for ring viewing.  Trailing the setting sun was Jupiter, proudly showing off three of its moons.  Thanks, Jeffry, for this treat and for discussions about the mysteries and mechanics of the solar system!

Most Natural FINAL CROPPED LOW RES

Patience rewarded only two decent meteor flashes.  (The same night in Livermore, CA, Hope’s brother, Mack, took this photo of a shooting star.)  In the end, no one stayed behind to spend the night (just too hot and muggy), and by 11:30 the gate was closed as the last car headed home.  What a fun way to spend a Carolina summer evening with great friends.

 

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Architecture Under the Sun

It happened atThe oak watches over us all 7:30 on a Saturday morning, July 30th.  The group of members who are participating in the village design process gathered early under the signature oak tree hoping to evade the fierce July heat.  Our architects, Suzy, Paul, and Frank (www.frankharmon.com) had already set the stage with easels, awnings, and site plans arranged in a gentle curve beneath our signaturJoe opens the morning sessione Oak tree.

Joe Cole, facilitator, invited us to take a moment of silence to receive and inhabit the space before engaging in the work of the day.  We commenced by reviewing values and priorities identified at our last meeting; values that remind us what we are creating and why.

Suzy and Paul make a presentationSuzy and Paul presented four possible layouts for how the village might take shape.  Starting with our current county-approved plan, we thoughtfully considered a number of dimensions with each variation, such as how it might best work with the land and Tools of the tradeharness natural gifts like sun, wind, farmland, and viewscapes; how we can meet needs for both privacy and interaction with others; any costs that could be reduced to help ensure access and long-term sustainability for our members; and what shifts can be accommodated within the parameters already established through our re-zoning process.

Next we talked about the Common House and viewed layouts from the other communities we have visPeople were very engagedited.  What appealed to us and what would we want to do differently?  And how can this all-important structural hub reflect and enable what we most need to do and become as a community?

We ended with a hearty round of gratitude to the architIt's hot, but a good dayects, the Architecture Liaison Group, and our facilitator for all of the effort that went into planning and pulling off this meeting on the land with such engagement and grace.  We also sent appreciation to the clouds which had shielded us from the sun’s hot rays all morning!Post-meeting conversations

Many of us stayed around to enjoy conversations, stroll down the trails, and pluck the ample tomatoes, basil, and pole beans in the garden.  It was a beautiful and productive day all around!A hidden wholeness small

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