Explore the question, “What is sustainable community?” in a 20-year-old ecologically-focused community in Oregon. The course examines the question through 4 aspects of life: social, economic, ecological, & worldview, corresponding with the Global Ecovillage Network’s Ecovillage Design Education curriculum. The course covers how to join, start, and maintain ecovillages and other communities. The program’s exploration of all of these topics is informed deeply by permaculture. For a month-long course on permaculture and other aspects of sustainable living, as well as a longer community experience, students can take Creating Community in conjunction with Lost Valley’s fall permaculture course, Permaculture & Community: Permaculture Design Course & Ecovillage Living Practicum (10/6 – 11/3). Learn more and register online.

Come join us on this "traveling workshop" and very special tour of a rich variety of the Portland Area cohousing communities. Portland is a very vibrant city and home to many Cohousing communities As you travel between each location on a comfortable bus, the guide will give participants a chance to introduce themselves, share general information about cohousing, answer questions, provide fact sheets and site plans, and prepare you for your ~40-minute visit to each community. At each stop, a community host will guide your group through his or her neighborhood and answer questions. We look forward to having you join us for a day full of learning, community building and fun. On this tour you will visit these five communities. To read more and register, click the weblink below.

Portland, Oregon’s newest cohousing community Daybreak Cohousing is officially open! Members are now moving into their new urban village in North Portland. They are actively seeking new members and invite you to the next social and tour, Wednesday, November 18, 6:30 pm-8 pm on site at 2525 N. Killingsworth Street. (#72 Killingsworth bus or Max to the Killingsworth station) Daybreak Cohousing provides a physical design that encourages social interaction while respecting personal needs for private space. Homes have most of the features of conventional homes, and members also enjoy extensive common facilities. The community is offering a price incentive for new members who join by Dec. 15, 2009. For more information, contact Ken at AskAboutUs@daybreakcohousing.org, 503-310-7044 or visit www.daybreakcohousing.org

Learn about sustainable living for 2 weeks in a 20-year-old community in Oregon. This course explores what it means to live sustainably on different scales: as individuals, as a society, & as communities. The course explores permaculture & sustainable living through different formats, including lectures, discussions, hands-on projects, & field trips. Throughout the course students work on group on-site design projects—a great opportunity to integrate what students are learning. The curriculum includes: * permaculture ethics, principles, philosophy * reading the landscape * recognizing patterns * waste as resources * water on the land: catching, storing, & using rainwater * growing soil * natural building & retrofitting * appropriate technology * transportation & sustainability * producing & harvesting food in our yards/ communities * sustainable economics * invisible structures & social sustainability * rural, urban, & suburban applications. Learn more & register online.

True Holidays Celebration - ‘Tis the Season to Befriend 7:00 p.m. Doors open 8:00 p.m. One-hour program 9:00 p.m. Dancing and festivities To befriend another—active compassion—is both the common sense and the spiritual power of this holiday season. We encourage you to claim your friendships with goodwill. This season challenges us to extend our feeling and caring to all those we encounter. This mid-winter festival will prepare you for a season that includes: Hanukah, Diwali, Solstice, Christmas, Kwanza, and the New Year. There will be a program for all ages and faiths, a time to prepare your heart for the season ahead. Food and drink will be for sale in our café. There will be a silent auction. A supervised childcare area will be provided. Location: Mercer Island Congregational Church (UCC) 4545 Island Crest Way, Mercer Island ... From Seattle: I-5 to I-90 Eastbound. Exit 7B. Merge to the left lane. Travel 1.7 miles church on the right at the crest of the hill.