| At Ecovila Cunha |
Open House & |
| Part One |
| 13-15 November 2010 |
Presented by IPEMA |
 |
Participate in a unique, four-part course in ecovillage planning and design. Learn about ecovillages in Brazil and the rest of the world – intentional communities where people seek to integrate a supportive social environment with a low-impact way of life. Study ecological design, permaculture, green building, renewable energy, community building practices, and much more. Live and work in an ecovillage project in the Mata Atlântica (coastal rainforest) of southeastern Brazil. • Introduction to ecovillages Parts 2, 3 & 4 (schedule to be announced) will include: • Green building |
| Coordinator: Marcelo Bueno, founder of the Institute for Permaculture and Ecovillages in the Atlantic Rainforest (IPEMA), Ubatuba, SP. Member of The Ecovillage Network of the Americas (ENA) and the Ecovillage Network of Brasil. Bio-architect involved with building ecological projects, including systems for recycling and re-using wastewater. Currently working to develop sustainable residential projects in Brasil. |
| Open House: Stay at Ecovila Cunha, meet the members, and connect with us! |
Registration and complete schedule: Phone: 12-3848-1801 |
Ecovila Cunha is an ecovillage under development in the Mata Atlântica (Atlantic rainforest) near the town of Cunha, São Paulo, Brasil.
Currently, one family lives on the property. Other members live nearby, in São Paulo, and in the USA, and they visit the ecovillage throughout the year.
We intend to:
- Establish permanent, seasonal, and short-term residence for members, interns and guests.
- Practice sustainable agriculture and agro-forestry.
- Assist in the restoration of our land and the Mata Atlântica.
- Create a teaching and learning retreat for ecological, social, economic, cultural and spiritual development.
We are developing the house and land to better accommodate residents and visitors. Our first public program – an ecovillage development course co-sponsored by IPEMA – will take place in November 2010.
Ecovillages: For millenia, people have lived in communities close to nature, and with supportive social structures. Many of these communities, or "ecovillages", exist to this day and are struggling for survival. Ecovillages are now being created intentionally, so people can once more live in communities that are connected to the Earth in a way that ensures the well-being of all life-forms into the indefinite future. More info: > Global Ecovillage Network
Our vision: We are an intentional community of people exploring the challenge of living in ways that are materially sufficient, socially and ecologically responsible, and satisfying to the soul. As a rural community, we are experimenting with permaculture as a sustainable land management practice. We are also developing the skills of community: sharing, responsibility, compassion, communication, consensus building, conflict transformation, appreciation of diversity, and love. We believe that these skills are necessary to bring the larger society to sustainability and sufficiency, and we want to learn them to the best of our ability.
Our location: Ecovila Cunha is located in the coastal mountains above Parati, halfway between São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. It is 3 km from the Parque Nacional da Serra da Bocaina, a protected reserve of the Mata Atlántica (coastal rainforest), and 15 km east of the town of Cunha.
Our land consists of 15 alquieres (approx. 36 hectares or 90 acres) on the Rio Manso, a small, swift-flowing river. It includes meadows and forest, an orchard, vegetable gardens, several springs, and a large house. Originally covered by the Mata Atlántica, the land was cleared for agriculture at some point, and is now in various stages of natural reforestation.