We are trying to understand how to best shape Ecovillage Charlottesville with the community (you) in mind. It would help us out so much if you could fill out our survey about what you would like to see in the community. Thank you so much.
Announcements
Ecovillage Charlottesville Design Survey
Categories: Announcements, Communities, Design
Tags: 480 Rio Rd, Charlottesville, Ecovillage, low impact, Neighborhood, Tiny Housing
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River at Risk: The Environmental Health of the James River
River at Risk: The Environmental Health of the James River
Tuesday, January 13th, 2015 — 12:00-1:00 PM
Located at CitySpace, on the downtown mall in Charlottesville
The GVGBC is pleased to welcome Pat Calvert, The Upper James River Keeper for the James River Association who will present on the environmental threats to the James River.
The James River Association (JRA) is kicking off its “Our River at Risk” advocacy campaign throughout the James River basin to bring awareness to potential threats to the James River, a significant source of drinking water for Virginians.
Due to several recent incidents, to include the chemical spill on the Elk River in West Virginia, the coal ash spill on the Dan River in North Carolina and the train derailment and oil spill in Lynchburg, JRA has been researching the issues of crude-by-rail, toxic chemical storage and coal ash in the watershed.
Bill Street, Chief Executive Officer for the James River Association says “Our River at Risk” is designed to inform and engage the public in a conversation about the ongoing threats to the James.
“The James River Association is calling on industry and government to recognize and address the risks that are facing the river in light of the recent toxic incidents in the region. JRA has identified important goals in regards to potential policies to address each issue of concern and is seeking to engage the broader community, government agencies and industry representatives in an effort to achieve the results that are needed to safeguard the James River.”
This luncheon will be held at City Space, 100 5th St. NE, on the Downtown Mall, Charlottesville, VA. Doors open at 11:45 and the Seminar begins at 12:00. Luncheons are open to the public. Lunch is provided, attendance is free for GVGBC members and $10 for non members. Advance registration requested at GVGBC.ORG
Categories: Announcements, Preservation
Tags: Conversation, environment, GVGBC, Sustainability
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GVGBC Luncheon: Environmental Studies Academy
Join us for lunch (noon to 1pm) on December 9th at Cityspace downtown Charlottesville for Greater Virginia Green Building Council‘s monthly lunch speaker series! This month features a speaker from Western Albemarle High School who is going to fill us in about their Environmental Studies Academy and how they are training and empowering the next wave of environmental leaders.
Categories: Announcements, Education
Tags: Charlottesville, Education, Energy, environment, GVGBC
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UVA Sustainability Days
Thursday11/13 & Friday 11/14 UVA Sustainability Days
Events start at 9:30 am Thursday and end by 2pm Friday. See schedule for exact times and locations
Take part in UVA Sustainability Days to celebrate and innovate sustainable solutions on Grounds. There will be sustainability-themed events such as a Poster Competition, Film Screening, Zero Waste Workshop, Panel Discussion, Hoos Talking Green, and much more! Please RSVP, as space is limited for some of the events. Free. Info. and RSVP at http://www.virginia.edu/sustainability/u-va-sustainability-days/
Categories: Announcements, Energy Efficiency
Tags: community, Energy, environment, Sustainability, Technology
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Local Furniture
Have you bought furniture lately? The first problem is finding something that will last a long time. The second problem is finding something that hasn’t traveled around the world twice. A lot of furniture and cabinetry is made halfway across the world, and to make things worse, some of that wood comes from forests right here! There are still local carpenters making amazing pieces and it doesn’t need to be a dying art; there is plenty of demand. I have spent a lot of time talking with Thomas Johnson about how we need to bring carpentry back as a respected craft. The best way to do that is to support your local artisans with your business instead of the big box stores, but he wants to do more. He has a vision of creating a wood products manufacturing school called Mayflower Landing and rekindle the interest of young people to become masters of this timeless craft.
This is the custom table and bench that Thomas Johnson built just for us. It is solid oak, crafted and finished beautifully, as well as costing less than furniture of comparable quality from overseas.
Categories: Announcements, Communities, Materials, Resilience
Tags: craftsmanship, Resilience
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LEAP Home Energy Checkup
If you’ve been thinking about making your home more energy efficient but don’t know where to start, the Home Energy Checkup from LEAP is a really good and inexpensive way to have a professional check out your home and give you great advice. We just did our house and I had a lot of fun. Our coach was a wealth of knowledge and really friendly; he even insulated some of the pipes in our house free of charge. Overall it was a great experience and helped prioritize projects that will have the greatest effect for the least amount of money. Highly recommended.
Underground Housing and Earthworks classes
Two great classes are coming up in the charlottesville area, both are donation funded and located at the Ivy Creek natural area. The first is an introduction to Underground Housing on Sunday, April 20, 2014 from 11am – 7pm. If you’d like to get a little background before you go, look up Malcolm Wells in google!
The second is an introduction on shaping the landscape to build soil, improve fertility, and make food for yourself! Sunday, May 4, 2014 from 11am – 7pm in the Ivy Creek Natural Area Educational Building. If you’d like to get a little background before you go, look up Permaculture Earthworks in google!
Tiny House Parking
So you’ve decided to simplify your life, get rid of all the clutter and more into a tiny house on wheels, but there’s one catch: where do you live? It’s tricky. One option is to buy some land, but if you aren’t planning on being off the grid you’re going to need electrical hookup and perhaps a well, maybe even a septic system. All of this gets expensive and a little outside of the original idea of downsizing, especially when there are plenty of people who would be more than willing to rent a little place on their property with everything you need already there in exchange for a little rent and utility sharing. With the transient nature of our culture, we’ve lost a lot of the real social networks that would have once made it very easy to find a place like this. A brand new site called TinyHouseParking is trying to network people living in Tiny Houses with those who have the land and desire to help this tiny movement get some traction!
Categories: Announcements, Communities, Tiny Housing
Tags: community, Intentional Living, low impact, Sustainability, Tiny Housing
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Ecovillage Presentation
This is a presentation which gives a rough introduction to the Ecovillage Charlottesville project. It was built to be an introduction for UVA’s “Engineering Students Without Borders” student group
JRGBC Lunch: Living Building Challenge
Join us at the James River Green Building Council for lunch at City Space on December 10th as we learn more about Virginia Beach’s new Chesapeake Bay Foundation Brock Environmental Center which plans to be a model of sustainable and sensitive building for the future.
Categories: Announcements, Architecture
Tags: Chesapeake Bay Foundation, environment, JRGBC, low impact, Sustainability, Virginia Beach
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The Housing Lab 