I know I say this all the time, but the excitement really IS building (literally and metaphorically) at the Witchcliffe Ecovillage.
Nowhere was it more evident than at our very first Ecovillage Community ‘Meet Your Neighbours’ Sundowner, which we held on the lawn our front of the Ecovillage office on Saturday, 27 March. The positive energy was palpable and the vibe electric as more than 110 future Ecovillage residents gathered to meet each other and share the journey of this rapidly growing community.
While many of us were virtually strangers, it felt like we were meeting friends. Hugs, excited grins and phone numbers were immediately exchanged, conversations quickly took deep dives, bypassing small talk to instantly achieve connections that felt authentic and joyous.
For Mike and Michelle, the co-founders and visionaries of the Ecovillage, it was an emotional experience that marked an auspicious milestone in the 12-year history of this unique development.
The tables groaned under the weight of delicious plates of homemade food as glasses clinked and kids played chasey under the trees. In the golden light of late afternoon, a snaking line of chattering people followed Ecovillage staff out onto the site. We visited the Village Square first, which is looking magnificent with completed stone walls and concrete paths defining the areas that will soon be laid with lawn and planted with deciduous trees.
Then we split up into groups heading to the different residential clusters where people took photos on their lots and admired the view, which became all that more special as a giant, almost-full moon rose up from behind the trees of the conservation area and bathed the darkening landscape in moonlight.
It felt like a blessing.