Stories from our intentional community
Narara Ecovillage is a Finalist in the 2024 Banksia Sustainability Awards: Place Making. This category celebrates sustainability through innovative design and practices, resource conservation, energy efficiency, circularity, renewable energy and biodiversity, as well as social sustainability, inclusivity, mobility, well-being, and community engagement. Narara Ecovillage has been named as a Finalist in the 2024 Banksia Sustainability Awards in the category of Place Making. …
As Linda enters her 80’s, she looks forward to enjoying more recreation and social life when her time-consuming building project is completed. She’d like to get back to writing and enjoying more art and books. Linda has been building an extraordinary house, with her passion for natural building that was sparked when, as a WWOOFer volunteer in UK, she experienced …
Tanya was drawn to Narara Ecovillage because of its intention to be a demonstration village with a focus on education, the credibility that came from the connection to the Global Ecovillage Network with proven experiential resources and the need in our world for examples of regeneration and sustainability. “I realised the village had all my passions rolled into one. I …
The original and key aim of Narara Ecovillage was, among other things, to: ‘research, design and build an intergenerational, demonstration ecovillage’. Currently of the two hundred or so Nararians, 37% are under 50 years of age (20% of these are children); interestingly, few in their 20s, perhaps for very explainable reasons. We recognise the importance of intergenerational living as embedding …
Heidi found the Ecovillage community a few years ago. The appeal to be surrounded by a village while raising children was strong. It was a way to live the homestead lifestyle without the isolation. There was a lot to consider with juggling finances, shared access for the boys and work commitments. Heidi dipped in and out for 2-3 years until …
Lynda and Meng (and Ruby) have been residents for a few years enjoying their hempcrete home that was built as part of the Stage 1 Ecovillage development. Lynda became a member a decade ago and Meng later joined her at the Village. ‘We both decided this was the place we wanted to live. I have a passion for permaculture and …
From John: Hey friends, its been quite a week for podcasts. Last week I recorded podcasts with the ABC’s Philosopher’s Zone and Sounds True One. Neither of these have been released as yet, but James Jesso just released the conversation we had on his psychedelic podcast “Adventures Through the Mind”. I listened to it on a walk in the Yarra Valley …
PRESS RELEASE Narara Ecovillage, a demonstration ecovillage near Gosford, surveyed its residents and found that they are producing over 40% less emissions than the average for the Central Coast. The Ecovillage has set a target to achieve a 75% reduction by 2030. “We still have a long way to go, but this is a great start,” said Janet Ellis, a …
Peter and Kee enjoyed a full and varied working life until retirement with businesses in software, computers, academic research and more recently apartment management, as well as building an eco-home in Moss Vale, ……. They bring many skills to the community and have have embraced the NEV Community and thrown themselves into many groups. Although quite new to the community, …
Kate, Lara and Casper have joined the village on a shared lot with Elly and are planning to build a small cabin-style house in stage 2. Passionate about creating a socially and ecologically just world; ecovillage living was something that appealed for connection to community, sharing resources and treading lighter on the earth. Big outdoor lovers, the family found the …
Elly maintains a small practice in dance, and in particular, improvisation, participating in weekly performance groups in Sydney – experimental music, improvised dance/theatre, as well as the very non-experimental UNSW Collegium Choir. All are immensely satisfying, physically, emotionally and spiritually. Elly is looking forward to establishing some classes at the village or finding a nearby studio in which to …
Jonathan and Sue have come from 20 years in Melbourne, and before that they hailed from London. Retiring from ‘paid employment’ they feel they still have plenty of energy and enthusiasm to give to try to make a better world. Jonathan, a Rabbi, was involved in Interfaith work as well as Environmental awareness, and brought these together by serving on …
Todays’ treat!
At the end of March I attended a fascinating talk about the Auroville Ecovillage (more an ‘Ecotown’ with over 3000 residents!) in India by Radhika, a delightful young engineer who has lived there for 7 years, and who had recently arrived to spend a few months at NEV, thanks in part to Tanya and the Global Ecovillage Network. Hard to …
Winter nights are crisp but the mist rises from the forest and the days are glorious!
Jonathan and Sue are building a modular 3 bedroom house adapted from a Parkwood Homes design at the front of this site on Gugandi Rd, the main ‘spine’ road of the village, close to the Village Hall and Coffee Cart and to our recycling collection point. The dual-occupancy site will ultimately include Tanya’s 2 bedroom home to the rear as …
Peter and Kee
ABC Central Coast reached out to the Ecovillage to ask about EVs, their benefits and challenges regarding charging. Member John Shiel spoke with Caroline about these questions and more. One big concern was the lack of charging stations on the Central Coast. John shared some of the latest updates: 30 charging locations on the Central Coast 2 maps to find …
There are usually a handful of completed homes available for rent or sale, since families grow, people age or downsize, and unexpected changes do happen. You can see some of these opportunities by clicking the link at the bottom. For those wishing to build, we have nearly completed sales of the 550m2 lots on stage 2, and expect to have …
With backgrounds in social change movements and progressive governance Cathie and Jay were drawn to Narara Ecovillage for its use of sociocracy, and what they call a ‘thicker’ experience of community. “As social change geeks, we liked the large scale of Narara”, says Jay. “An intentional community of 200 people means working together through differences, and exploring beyond a culture …
