Photo Credit: 611 EcoVillageDeciding to explore my own cityscape for some local green inspiration, I recently discovered the 7-year old Oakland Ecovillage and its founder Dan Antolioni. Talking with Dan today, I was again reminded that ecovillages seek to both address our impact on the environment and also focus on how we can create sustainable social ecosystems in the world around us.

Those of you familiar with the term ‘ecovillage’ may now be picturing some form of a rural, off-grid community with a bunch of old hippies who grow their own food and sing songs around campfires. But, as Dan states, “You don't have to live twenty miles down a remote dirt road to live in harmony with people and natural systems. Nor to make an enormous difference to a lot of people, by visibility and community activities.”

Starting with the goal of creating an environment conducive to constructive social energy, Dan bought a courtyard and its surrounding fixer-upper houses in the gritty paradox of West Oakland urban hostility.

He often gathered work parties together to help remodel the urban pair of houses with low voc-paints, earth plasters, reclaimed and sustainably forested wood, tubular skylights to emphasize daylight, and a greywater system hooked up to feed the courtyard plants with clean used water from the washing machine and fed through various purifying wetland plants outside the house. The latest green addition is a salvaged hot tub, soon-to-be powered by solar energy and contributing to the greywater plant-feeding system.

As well as promoting non-toxic sustainable practices between the houses, having a respectful relationship with the community and recognizing everyone as a part of the social ecosystem is a huge part of what keeps the Oakland Ecovillage alive and thriving. As Dan said in our conversation today, “The environmental impact is only one aspect of the larger vision. There are lots of people helping to recreate Oakland as a greener city, from green collar jobs to addressing larger issues of socio-economic inequality.”

If you’re interested in learning more about the Oakland Ecovillage or its sister rural ecovillage-in-the-making in Laytonville, check out
www.611ecovillage.com