O.U.R Ecovillage

Our volunteer program is changing! Currently, we are giving priority to volunteers who can commit to 3-6 month terms. We would love to meet people who have experience in hospitality, food preparation for groups, who would love to help us run the village during the many permaculture courses we hold! To apply for volunteering the best route is to fill out our application and send your resume to http://www.ourecovillage.org/volunteer
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O.U.R. Ecovillage focuses on ecological ways of living involving permaculture design.
We are dedicated to researching and modelling ways that are rooted in social, cultural, spiritual, economic and ecological well-being.
Each year we welcome many visitors to O.U.R. Ecovillage, where they get the chance to work hard, learn essential "soft"-skills for community building, and build relationships with a unique group of people.
Volunteering at O.U.R. Ecovillage enables the opportunity to grow, serve, learn and share, while experiencing living in community and living lightly on earth.

We are less inclined to accept volunteers from November 1 to February 28 as this is our downtime...yet if you have a great interest in being with us in the quiet and restful time then let us know more about you!
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O.U.R. Ecovillage is a "Regenerative Living Demonstration Site & Educational Research Center" (1999). With a permaculture focus we also have a range of beautiful handcrafted earthen and strawbale buildings, ecological systems, engineering projects, and research projects. As a learning community we work with a range of stakeholders from the general community, government, academia, and businesses....we aim to see everyone at the table in regenerative design. We are a committed group of learners/teachers and love to eat well - crafting food is and medicines is important to us in OUR wellness work. Working with children & youth, community arts (mosaics, murals, and earthen sculpting of a massive dragon!), and restorative justice/peackemaking are all also important aspects of OUR daily work. We are committed to: 1- Treating all people with respect, dignity and fairness 2- Taking both personal and group responsibility including: • being accountable for our actions • measuring and sharing our contribution to the community • making and keeping commitments 3- Demonstrating openness, honesty, clarity, good faith and integrity in all our communications and encouraging shared leadership in our community. 4- A participatory decision-making and conflict-resolution process includes folks in OUR Volunteer Program (and other Interns, staff, and long-term communitarians!). WE ASK THAT OUR VOLUNTEERS BRING A 'CRIMINAL RECORD CHECK' AND (IF POSSIBLE) SPECIFICALLY ADD VULNERABLE SECTOR, working with children/youth/etc, AND BRING WITH YOU WHEN VOLUNTEERING. We do have programs for those who need assurance that we are a safe and healthy environment....don't we all! :)

Top Host
This host receives a lot of worldpackers and has a high average rating.

Reviews

5.0
(29 reviews)29

Staff & Host

5.0

Hours & Tasks

5.0

Hostel

4.5

Learning & Fun

5.0

Mexico

5

Being in OUR Ecovillage has been one the most wonderful experiences in my life. I had the opportunity to stay in such a beautiful place, learning about, planting, harvesting, permaculture and animals care.
It has exceeded my expectations, because it is much more than that. it's a place to have positive interconnections with people all around the globe, to learn, help and share, to built a long term community.

Thank you so much and all my love to all of the people I could be participating in OUR Ecovillage. I am very grateful to Brandy, Trent and Freya for let me be there.

13 days ago


OUR replied

Aurea - you really get it! Your wisdom and ways of seeing the world are deeply needed anywhere you choose to go. You deeply impacted everyone here and helped the next generation of folks here to see possibilities and brought incredible support to each of us. Above all you have been really missed already.....we look forward to seeing you back in the spring matybe!

Brazil

5

This experience changed my life. I connected deeply with myself and discovered my true essence. I learned a lot, including permaculture ✨ Great infrastructure, comfortable dorms, and good food. The surrounding nature is incredible. I stayed there +- 4 months. It's more about community and caring for each other than just working working hours. Everyone cooks for everyone, and the place becomes your home. Brandy, Trent, and Freya are beautiful people with kind hearts. Thank you, Brandy, for the opportunity and for working hard to make the workd a better place for everyone.💕

13 days ago


OUR replied

You are such a special person Raquel.....you are missed beyond measure and we look forward to hearing where this learning journey takes you next. Please, please stay in touch!!

France

5

I had an amazing experience at OUR Ecovillage.
It is a place full of kindness and humility.
Come here to learn about the place and share your skills. They help you to use them.
You learn to live differently, to adopt a new philosophy, while developing various skills.
There are many beautiful places around.
Baldy Mountain at sunset is one of my favorite views.
This experience was good for me. I met great friends.
Thank you to Brandy, Trent, and Tlithl’kawi.

2 months ago


OUR replied

You changed OUR world Kevin! It was a privilege to work and live with you and to learn with you as we all shared so much. You truly are a gift to anybody you spend time with and your kindness to each of us has been deeply felt in the hearts of all. Thank you for all the technical skills you brought - and all the more for the care you brought to everyone at OUR Ecovillage!

Canada

5

Choosing to live at OUR Ecovilage means becoming a part of a community that has evolved over the past 25 years and integrating yourself into all systems. My experience here has been filled with not only wonderful relationships but significant learning about how i want to live in this lifetime. I came here originally because I wanted to learn about farm to table cooking but but I have learned so much more about Gardening, Animals, hospitality, living in community and myself then I ever thought possible. Than you everyone I met here you have truly become family

2 months ago


OUR replied

You are indeed a wonderful young woman Elsie! Your choice to grow and transform has made you such an important part of a 'Regenerative Living' immersed learning environment. You are living your learning - and have become a joy in the kitchen, so responsible for organizing, and demonstrating leadership on a whole new level! You are an inspirational force....

Canada

1

I was incredibly disappointed with my experience here. I had no interest in continuing after 3 days and left and found another placement. Very few people made an effort to welcome me in. I felt incredibly lonely when I got there. Many extra mandatory meetings and event set up that doesn't count for your hours. My first work day started at 9am and finished at 8pm. Was thrown into things with next to no guidance and with people who had no idea what they were doing. My tent I was to stay in was infested with insects upon arrival and took me hours to clean out when I got there. I could go on.

2 months ago


OUR replied

So saddened that you chose to see your experience this way Jylisa. As you might note we have feedback from most others that we changed, healed, and held the lives of dozens of people per month. This may not have been your experience - but no need to cause harm or shame and publicly prejudice a space and thus impact others who actually love and care for each other - and state: "this is the the most important thing I have done in my life" (as said in Circle tonight). We wish you healing -


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