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Planting Seeds of Hope in Qiandao Ecovillage

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From August 1st to August 15th 2022, a permaculture design certification course took place at Qiandao Lake Ecovillage which is located in the southwest of the Thousand Island (Qiandao) Lake Zhejiang Province, China. 44 Participants from different areas of China spent 15 days together learning permaculture principles. We worked in groups to design group projects and gained hands-on experiences making compost piles, natural buildings, and gardens. 

2022 PDC Participants at Qiandao Ecovillage

Qiandao Lake Ecovillage was founded in April 2014. In September 2013, Venerable Master Konghai was invited by the local county magistrate to serve as the consultant for a government-led project which intended to establish a learning center for traditional Chinese Culture. Master Konghai held deep care for the planet and asked the magistrate to consider making an ecovillage on Qiandao Lake. The local government responded swiftly in a few days and provided convenience for him to visit several possible locations. After evaluating all the places, Master Konghai decided to set a piece of land in a valley. The place was beautiful and quite secluded. 20 years ago, local villagers migrated out of nearby villages to cooperate with the government’s plan for building the Xin’anjiang Reservoir. Therefore, land here had been returned to nature for 20 years before a group of 20 young people came as pioneers for an ecovillage.

At first, there was no architecture except for a thatched shed which later became the ecovillage’s tool hut. 20 young ecovillagers lived in the shed which leaked rain on rainy days. They started growing food and created initial infrastructures for an ecovillage. The local government played a vital role in making electricity accessible, followed by an 800,000 yuan (approximately 112,000 USD) investment helping to build the road connecting the ecovillage to its nearby village.

“When you have a truly selfless intention to benefit the whole world, benevolent forces will synchronize together to support you”

Master Konghai
Dining hall structure with banana circle in front

Nowadays, around 25 regular residents dwell at Qiandao Lake Ecovillage. They carry out courses and workshops for making ecovillages, learning principles about the Tao, and practicing a lifestyle that is centered on spiritual growth. The place had been transforming its residents and visitors, incubating Earth Seeds that create eco projects all over the country. Core courses that took central place for residents and visitors included Mysteries of Dao De Jing Revealed, No Boundary: Eastern and Western Approaches to Personal Growth, and Theory and Practices for Building Ecovillages. Such shared learnings brought all villagers together and provided them with resources for solving disagreements in their community.

Ecologically, Qiandao village had been practicing natural farming since its beginning. Experienced teachers of natural farming and permaculture were invited periodically to give courses. The village has also been storing rainwater, practicing a zero-waste lifestyle, using a banana circle to process grey water, and maintaining their composting toilets. In recent years, natural buildings have also become a key feature and strength. Several small self-circulating systems which consist of natural buildings, rainwater collectors, gardens, and animals had been created by residents near the ecovillage’s center region. The team is now planning an outdoor classroom for children’s education.

Qiandao Ecovillage plants seeds of hope by making itself an example of living in harmony with nature, which is the teaching of both permaculture and the Tao. We wish it to keep flourishing and transform more visitors who are nourished by this land. There’s no time like now that the planet urges us to observe its laws and come into alignment with the principles of Heaven and the Earth.

About the Author

Yuting Yin, University of California Davis

Yuting is a Ph.D. student of anthropology at the University of California Davis. She is an ecovillage researcher and focuses on studying ecovillages in China. She has studied mental health and organized support groups for people who struggle with eating disorders. Her interest in mind-body well-being leads her to explore ecovillages since 2016. After two years of living in a cooperative living community in Davis, California. Currently, her research journey is taking her to deepen her roots in her native cultural tradition and tap into the power of practicing what is learned along the way.

Tanya Mottl: Participating in Online EDE was an Enriching and Nurturing Experience

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WOW!

Why did I do the course?

What did I want to achieve?

How will I use it now?

What happened?

So what?
What Next?

Will it help me with MY projects?

I registered to do the Ecovillage Design Education Online course because I felt that I had a marvelous opportunity to learn from the diverse GEN speakers from all around the globe. I figured that even if this was a toe in the water, it was a great way to collaborate in project-based learning and get a sense of which tools and resources would best help me with my own projects of passion: co-creating a collaborative living co-housing home using universal design at Narara Ecovillage, helping to develop and participate in the learning business at the village using GEN principles and helping to grow the GEN Australia network.

My strongest recollection in starting the course was John Croft, an elder from GEN, and co-founder of the Dragon Dreaming project tool, saying “what would it take for this to be the best course you have ever done”?

(picture: Melody Simay Acar)

WOW! I thought, my dream: building an online community that can use tools and resources that can be used to strengthen the online network by creating events and sharing information that helps with regeneration projects.

I’d already participated in GENOA’s use of the tool for project planning with Hema Wu. So, I wanted to learn more!

I was thrilled at the diversity of participants and in the ensuing weeks and months that followed, the fabulous support team created lots of opportunities for the participants to be in breakout groups to discuss the concepts we were learning. I noted a common purpose – how can I contribute to regeneration and healing the planet?  We are all in this together.

We were at choice to join our preferred project groups; I chose Networking and our group became Seeds and Spores and we used this metaphor as we grew and morphed and learned together.

These are my tribe, I thought. And I was right!

What I loved about exploring governance and agreements in the social dimension was that we created them together – here is our agreement.

Each week we had a different presenter and their ecovillage projects and experience were all so different and yet, they were all based on people’s participation and the connection to nature. Through this diversity, we were able to consider how their model might apply to our team project or to my own projects.

I noticed how effective Sociocracy was in allowing participatory leadership. Did we do it perfectly, heck no! Was there learning in that? YES! I am keen to immerse myself in it more!

Our group returned to the Dragon Dreaming process repeatedly and imperfectly – dreaming, planning, doing, and celebrating. I’ve learned that it’s clearly a process that requires time to understand, practice, and integrate. Using MIRO online as an alternative to using sticky post-it is probably more environmentally sustainable, however, it does take a wee bit of practice. And yes, being together shoulder to shoulder in a circle, not on a zoom screen would be better YET I’m grateful for the technology we were able to make use of.

All of our sessions were recorded and we have access to these and to the additional resources that the participants and facilitators provided. A treasure trove of collaborative knowledge.

I’m also looking forward to further integrating all my learnings by diving into the 2021 Online Summit which was included in our fee.

As we dived into the Ecology dimension and had sessions about permaculture design and green building technologies, water management, regeneration & food security, climate change, and emerGENcies, I felt enormously grateful that I am already a member of an ecovillage with a strong vision based on permaculture principles. I had only done my own Permaculture Design Certificate in Oct/Nov (at the time of the GENOA Online Gathering) and reviewing these concepts in the EDE helped to better integrate them. 

(picture: Monika Hering)


I also felt grateful for the simple new measures I have been able to practice during COVID lockdowns – saving seed & regrowing the heads of spinach, beets, celery, beetroot, and parsnips.  I have deepened my love of composting and have yet to set up my own Share Waste project.  

As part of our group’s weekly Celebration and strong desire to integrate music and art, I introduced the group to an Australian permaculture group, Formidable Vegetable.

“Songs are some of our most powerful tools for learning, remembering, and sharing knowledge. Music can be so much more than entertainment”

Charlie McGee

You can see Charlie’s TedX talk More than a Tune: Make Music with a Purpose, Change the World!  Here:

Their songs are based on permaculture principles and I particularly love their song Our Street; which one do you prefer?

The Economy dimension was eye-opening with the first presentation by ecovillage founder Ross Jackson. How fascinating to hear Anna Kovasna, Head of Education present about the economies of different ecovillages, Taisa and Macaco speak of social currencies, community banks, and trade systems. It affirmed my orientation over many decades of work for the board and that we all have something of value to contribute.  May East’s decades of work around intrapreneurship and working on the edge was also informative.

This dimension has particularly inspired me during the lockdown as Narara has planned an Ecovillage Residential Experience Weekend and I am certain that there are other ways that we can all promote ecovillage living joyously? I love how GEN-Europe hosted a series of Meet the Ecovillages and now has the  Resilience and Regeneration series. 
How else can we demonstrate the benefits of ecovillage lifestyle and support income for our ecovillages – using the principle of Respect Indigenous Wisdom and Welcome Positive Innovation?

I really enjoyed the different styles of teaching that Macaco and Taisa were able to incorporate in the presentations including bringing in nature – even if it was a pot plant indoors with us!

(picture: Melody Simay Acar)

I loved seeing what new direction the pioneers of GEN Education have taken – Kosha Joubert now attending to collective trauma with Pocket Project, Daniel Christian-Wahl whose articles I’ve subscribed to in Medium, and Daniel Greenberg who’s now driving the importance of story-telling and Mugove.

I particularly loved Taisa’s presentation about Ecovillages and the SDGs and the activity we did to better understand such a complex idea. I am keen to see how GEN continues to work with Regeneration rather than Sustainability. The figures presented in the 2017 Impact Assessment are inspiring and I think it is our responsibility as Ambassadors to share this as much as possible.

“Let ours be a time remembered for the awakening of a new reverence for life, the firm resolve to achieve sustainability, the quickening of the struggle for justice and peace, and the joyful celebration of life.”

Earth Charter
(picture: Monika Hering)

It also really looks forward to implementing the new Impact Assessment Survey to present updated global data on the power of regenerative lifestyles.  

So what now? I am still integrating ALL the information, reviewing frequently, and seeing how I can practically apply the information.

Our project group will assess how we might continue our project and how we can collaborate with others from the program.  We are grateful to the support team (Abbie, Carolin) who set up a Slack channel for future communications.

I can’t wait to hear how it was for some of them who were able to go to Damanhur for part of the month-long EDE.

I followed up the EDE by attending a 4-week online workshop about co-housing at EarthSong in New Zealand which deepened my EDE learnings. I’m grateful for Robin Allison’s encouraging words:

I’d like to reiterate that ours was a very long and demanding journey because it was the first time the cohousing model was introduced and adapted to NZ conditions. It shouldn’t be so challenging for others. It’s for that reason that it feels important to tell the Earthsong story and share our learnings, systems, and agreements, to help other projects move faster.

Robin Allison

I have organized a Dragon Dreaming session with the generous support of Hema Wu and Amena Bal.  This collaboration has meant an opportunity to explore and expand our own online facilitation skills and for me, even more respect for their skills and their friendship.

What next?  

I want to find out more about the Transition Game as I think this will help our Collaborative Living project at Narara Ecovillage.

(picture: Melody Simay Acar)

I have got involved with helping to organize the Sociocracy workshop series at Narara in September.  Project-based learning like this has increased my skill exponentially – new online systems, uploading the FB events, and finding ways to be creative!

I also am looking forward to a deeper dive into the upcoming Dragon Dreaming workshop that is being proposed by GENOA.

Support and encouragement for the growth of PermaYouth who are in the top 10 for the Hildur Jackson Award 2021

Can I design an ecovillage now?

Maybe not by myself!!  However, having access to the GEN Map of Regeneration and having my own sets of cards with the SDGs attached, I’m finding ways of doing online presentations and having conversations about solutions to the climate crisis and the Regeneration that we can ALL participate in.

I remain in a state of both Outrage and Optimism, in the words of Christiana Figueres.

I will do the best I can with what I have learned.

How can you help us to build the GENOA network across Oceania and Australasia?

It would help if you visit our Facebook and Instagram pages.

Please comment and Like the posts and mark Interested in the events, even if you cannot go as this helps your friends to see what events are coming up.

Please feel free to contact me at tanya.mottl@genaustralia.org.au 

Would I recommend the online EDE?

Heck, yes! If not now, when? If not me, who?

Education and inspiration and action are essential right now.

About the Author

Tanya Mottl, GEN Australia, Australia.

Tanya is a GEN Australia Ambassador based in Sydney, Australia. She is also a member of the GEN Australia Management and Communications team since March 2020. An enthusiast for the GEN Regenerative Design process, Tanya has a diverse background and is driven by a passion for community, nature and the inherent human need for connection.

She is a skier, sailer, e-cyclist and a generalist and likes to play to her strengths – kindness and facilitating conversations around the current climate crisis. With a background in training, she is keen to see the SDGs and Ecovillage Design Cards utilised extensively during the Decade of Restoration. She is grateful for her upbringing in the Ku-ring-Gai Chase National Park on Pittwater in Sydney for the understanding of weather which helps her understanding of the Permaculture Design Certificate she’s currently doing. A novice eco-villager but a quick learner!

Eco Village Voice Issue #3 – a year in the making!

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This article is written by Michael Ney from Eco Village Voice, Australia

Soon after moving to Crystal Waters Ecovillage, Qld, Australia, I was asked to produce a documentary. Watch here – https://bit.ly/cwdoco01 – I was so inspired to spread the ideals of “ecovillages” that Eco Village Voice was born. Whilst I wish for a team behind this operation it has been mostly up to me – digital media producer, photo-journalist, filmmaker… but of course I couldn’t do it without our fantastic writers too.

Global Ecovillage Network was always a bright light. GAIA education and FIC and others have been inspirational too… I can only hope to grow into such an organisation. With big plans, we launched in November 2019 with an Ecovillage Film Festival, followed by Issue 1 of the magazine in January 2020. The website sprang into life with videos and our first podcasts. Months later Issue 2 arrived, plus a major webinar. Permaculture was always a primary focus… and we are blessed here with many leading lights such as Morag Gamble, Robin Clayfield, and Steve Cran.

As the pandemic arrived in early 2020, I found myself spiralling into my own first long term health dilemma; not COVID related but I was unable to continue – until recently. Thankfully, I managed to keep social media and newsletters going, but had to stop work on other production. I had no idea it was to be a year before the next issue! 

We share the wisdom of “eco” community living, permaculture and regeneration; that is widening now to spiritual views too. Many free preview magazine excerpts of Eco Village Voice magazine promotes organisations globally and provide networking opportunities. This serves our advertisers to get noticed beyond our paid membership audience. We encourage collaboration and share ecovillage stories, events, products and services. The visually rich style of our magazine will always feature nature with inspirational pages and community messages. 

I am personally heartened to read “GENOA explores a new paradigm of holistic sustainability – meditation, yoga and mindfulness“… Lately, I’ve felt urged to also spread this important intention. As an aside… one of the most exciting events, even if it is somewhat “out there”, is a recent global meditation initiative called “Fire the Grid“. I’ll explore this further in the next editorial. It is a welcome antidote to the despair and waning hope that seems to be taking hold in the world. I’ve always believed our planet itself is a living entity, and now more information is coming to light.

“Each one of us is an energy being. We, as energy beings, are attached to a huge hexagonal grid that surrounds and works throughout the planet. In the planetary grid, each one of us has our own hexagon surrounding us. At any given moment, we are either feeding our hexagon with light (high frequency state) or we drawing light from it (low frequency state). Every choice and every action we take affects the planetary grid. Collectively, WE determine the future of our planet.” 

Hear the story of Samoiya Shelley Yates, Initiator of Fire the Grid – https://youtu.be/Jqkr84IXkHo and this “Fire the Grid” update – https://youtu.be/RXEjrTOjZQE

Whilst it is so good to be developing healthy communities, working with the earth – and permaculture offers many solutions – we must not lose sight of our spiritual nature. Indeed, harkening back to the genesis of Findhorn, even the nature spirits play their part too. So, Eco Village Voice also explores a wholistic world view. Feedback welcome. Please email me if you’d like to get involved in our production side too – editor@ecovillagevoice.com

Funds from all new Eco Village Voice members go into our ongoing tree planting campaign – with donations to EcoForce Global <https://www.ecoforceglobal.com/>, TreeSisters <https://treesisters.org/> and also Carbon Positive Australia <https://carbonpositiveaustralia.org.au/>. 

The future is looking bright again so we welcome you to join us at: https://www.ecovillagevoice.com – To receive everything on offer, our membership is only $5USD per month. Save $10 a year with the $50 USD annual membership… includes the magazine, podcasts, webinars, video channel, and monthly newsletters. 

About the Author

Michael Ney. Editor, Eco Village Voice

Michael Ney is a digital media producer, editor/publisher of Eco Village Voice, photographer and filmmaker. In 2018, he produced a 90 minute documentary about Crystal Waters Permaculture EcoVillage. Michael first worked in many theatres in Sydney, Australia, and after several years moved into television production. He later ran his own commercial photography and audio-visual company “Midnite Stills”. When computers arrived in late 1980’s he opened a pioneering multimedia company “Virtual Realm Xchange” for CD-ROM and web projects for The University of Sydney and many others. In 2001, Michael refocused on his first love – filmmaking – and his production company “Sensory Image” combined documentary and commercial work. In 2014, Michael rebranded as “Eagle Spirit Media” and now focuses on cultural creatives, sustainability, eco publishing as well as elearning content. – https://ecovillagevoice.com/eaglespiritmedia