The Collective Project Overview
(Note: This post originally appeared as a public Patreon post. You can learn more about our Patreon and our offerings for Patrons by clicking here!)
We can't ask for your support in this without first sharing our vision with you. I hope this will answer your questions, but please drop me a line if you would like to know more.
Background
Jen has an extensive background in nonfiction and educational writing, as well as many years experience in science educational outreach and environmental stewardship. Mo is a prolific professional artist, free spirit, and community builder.
In 2017, Jen returned to college, at the same time her eldest son started university, to earn a degree in environmental science and ecological outreach. She will be graduating in 2021 with the goal of starting an environmental outreach center and sustainable living community in the Pacific Northwest.
1) Purpose
The purpose of the land is threefold:
I) First, we will live there. It will be our home for the remainder of our lives, and perhaps for one or more of our children's lives. We would also like to build a small egalitarian community of like-minded souls that will also live there and become part owners in the endeavor. We may or may not pursue some form of income-sharing. The goal is a multi-generational collective that will reside on and steward the land in perpetuity.
II) Second, we will steward and protect the land. It will be an oasis against modern development. Our goal is to maintain healthy natural systems, work on restoration projects to fix past environmental damages, and to help the land adapt to the changing climate with as little ecological damage as possible. The goal is to create our own little Ecotopia where nature, science, and art mingle together sustainably.
III) Third, and perhaps most important, is the environmental outreach work that will take place on location. We envision a "forest school" for a diverse range of teens and adults, where they can learn permaculture concepts, environmental stewardship, and respect for natural systems and processes. The end goal is for students to take what they learn and apply them to their modern lives, both personally and professionally. People protect what they love and understand.
2) Location
We are dedicated to staying in northwest Washington. We prefer to avoid the Seattle bubble as much as possible, so we are limiting our land search to Whatcom and Skagit counties, and the Olympic peninsula (most likely Jefferson or Clallam counties).
There is always the off chance that we may look into BC, but that would require more research on the requirements for owning property and living in Canada while holding US citizenship, as well as looking into the restrictions for applying for Canadian citizenship. We are also open to some of the Salish islands, but land tends to be more expensive and restrictions tend to be greater on the islands.
3) Proximity to Services
Our goals for the land is to keep it in perpetuity as a stewarded and ecological diverse area where humans and the native organisms (flora and fauna) can thrive. Our goal is self reliancy, not self sufficiency, which means we plan to remain an active part of the human community in the area.
Our preference is to find land within a 2 hour drive to a small or medium city with healthcare services, groceries, and all the other necessities of modern life reside. Further, we would like a small town or community within a 30 minute drive (bonus points if it's bikeable!) for community and minor services (gas, etc).
At the same time we must balance these desires with possible population growth. We don't want the land to be swallowed by housing developments or corporate buildings within a few years. This is part of the reason for avoiding the Seattle bubble!
4) Size and Diversity
Naturally, we would love as much acreage as we can afford, as the more we can buy the more we can save from development or poor logging practices! We are looking for a minimum of 5 acres, but would prefer 10 to 20 acres. The space must be able to support natural areas and food production, as well as provide space for several small dwellings (<500 square feet) and an education center.
As for diversity, we plan to use permaculture principals. This means we want the land to have a certain amount of diversity -- new to older growth forests, meadows and fields, room for several dwellings and a large garden, and a water source (pond, creek, stream, wetland). We are willing to take on stewarding and restoring some of the systems, but some will need to be in place (forests) simply because we don't want to wait 50 years for recovery.
5) Costs
Naturally, we do not have a working budget at this time. We are currently creating a land purchase budget. Once the land is purchased, we will determine an ongoing budget for the entire project.
We are currently seeking patrons to help with the initial land purchase. Once the land is purchased, we may continue to seek patrons to aid with the costs of putting in necessary systems, such as water and sewage, the construction of the environmental learning center, and other infrastructure needs.
Beyond this initial outlay, the goal is a self sufficient income. We will continue to collect our regular wages and royalties to cover expenses for as long as necessary, of course. Fee-based forest school classes will also be offered, although we hope to provide these on a donation basis or sliding scale basis (to be determined) so that cost will never prevent someone from participating. We also will have a "farm stand" of some sort, whether through a local farmer's market or other venue, that will bring in some income.
Our goal is to keep the operating budget low -- no outstanding debts, self-sufficient energy, water, and septic solutions, and an overall low overhead for all the necessities (beyond taxes and insurance, obviously).
In conclusion....
There is still a lot of thought and planning that will go into this process, but these are the five key points that will be guiding our decisions going forward. We hope you can join us on this journey, whether it's as a supporting patron, a cheerleader and friend, or as an active participant.
Resistance Is Fertile!
We can't ask for your support in this without first sharing our vision with you. I hope this will answer your questions, but please drop me a line if you would like to know more.
Background
Jen has an extensive background in nonfiction and educational writing, as well as many years experience in science educational outreach and environmental stewardship. Mo is a prolific professional artist, free spirit, and community builder.
In 2017, Jen returned to college, at the same time her eldest son started university, to earn a degree in environmental science and ecological outreach. She will be graduating in 2021 with the goal of starting an environmental outreach center and sustainable living community in the Pacific Northwest.
1) Purpose
The purpose of the land is threefold:
I) First, we will live there. It will be our home for the remainder of our lives, and perhaps for one or more of our children's lives. We would also like to build a small egalitarian community of like-minded souls that will also live there and become part owners in the endeavor. We may or may not pursue some form of income-sharing. The goal is a multi-generational collective that will reside on and steward the land in perpetuity.
II) Second, we will steward and protect the land. It will be an oasis against modern development. Our goal is to maintain healthy natural systems, work on restoration projects to fix past environmental damages, and to help the land adapt to the changing climate with as little ecological damage as possible. The goal is to create our own little Ecotopia where nature, science, and art mingle together sustainably.
III) Third, and perhaps most important, is the environmental outreach work that will take place on location. We envision a "forest school" for a diverse range of teens and adults, where they can learn permaculture concepts, environmental stewardship, and respect for natural systems and processes. The end goal is for students to take what they learn and apply them to their modern lives, both personally and professionally. People protect what they love and understand.
2) Location
We are dedicated to staying in northwest Washington. We prefer to avoid the Seattle bubble as much as possible, so we are limiting our land search to Whatcom and Skagit counties, and the Olympic peninsula (most likely Jefferson or Clallam counties).
There is always the off chance that we may look into BC, but that would require more research on the requirements for owning property and living in Canada while holding US citizenship, as well as looking into the restrictions for applying for Canadian citizenship. We are also open to some of the Salish islands, but land tends to be more expensive and restrictions tend to be greater on the islands.
3) Proximity to Services
Our goals for the land is to keep it in perpetuity as a stewarded and ecological diverse area where humans and the native organisms (flora and fauna) can thrive. Our goal is self reliancy, not self sufficiency, which means we plan to remain an active part of the human community in the area.
Our preference is to find land within a 2 hour drive to a small or medium city with healthcare services, groceries, and all the other necessities of modern life reside. Further, we would like a small town or community within a 30 minute drive (bonus points if it's bikeable!) for community and minor services (gas, etc).
At the same time we must balance these desires with possible population growth. We don't want the land to be swallowed by housing developments or corporate buildings within a few years. This is part of the reason for avoiding the Seattle bubble!
4) Size and Diversity
Naturally, we would love as much acreage as we can afford, as the more we can buy the more we can save from development or poor logging practices! We are looking for a minimum of 5 acres, but would prefer 10 to 20 acres. The space must be able to support natural areas and food production, as well as provide space for several small dwellings (<500 square feet) and an education center.
As for diversity, we plan to use permaculture principals. This means we want the land to have a certain amount of diversity -- new to older growth forests, meadows and fields, room for several dwellings and a large garden, and a water source (pond, creek, stream, wetland). We are willing to take on stewarding and restoring some of the systems, but some will need to be in place (forests) simply because we don't want to wait 50 years for recovery.
5) Costs
Naturally, we do not have a working budget at this time. We are currently creating a land purchase budget. Once the land is purchased, we will determine an ongoing budget for the entire project.
We are currently seeking patrons to help with the initial land purchase. Once the land is purchased, we may continue to seek patrons to aid with the costs of putting in necessary systems, such as water and sewage, the construction of the environmental learning center, and other infrastructure needs.
Beyond this initial outlay, the goal is a self sufficient income. We will continue to collect our regular wages and royalties to cover expenses for as long as necessary, of course. Fee-based forest school classes will also be offered, although we hope to provide these on a donation basis or sliding scale basis (to be determined) so that cost will never prevent someone from participating. We also will have a "farm stand" of some sort, whether through a local farmer's market or other venue, that will bring in some income.
Our goal is to keep the operating budget low -- no outstanding debts, self-sufficient energy, water, and septic solutions, and an overall low overhead for all the necessities (beyond taxes and insurance, obviously).
In conclusion....
There is still a lot of thought and planning that will go into this process, but these are the five key points that will be guiding our decisions going forward. We hope you can join us on this journey, whether it's as a supporting patron, a cheerleader and friend, or as an active participant.
Resistance Is Fertile!
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