Lost Valley Educational Center
Encyclopedia
Lost Valley Educational Center is an intentional community
and ecovillage
located on 87 acres of mostly forested land in Dexter
, Oregon
, United States
, approximately 18 miles southeast of Eugene
. The center was founded in 1989 and is located on the grounds of the old headquarters of the Shiloh Youth Revival Centers
.
The non-profit educational center is dedicated to the practices of non-violent communication and personal growth, permaculture
, sustainability
, and simple living
. Its mission is to create and foster mutually beneficial relations between humans and all parts of the web of existence. Between 20 and 30% of the food consumed on site is grown in its gardens. Some of the natural features on the land are gardens, a large meadow, forests, ponds, and a creek. Some of its projects include numerous building material
structures, solar ovens, solar showers, beekeeping, a hot tub and a sauna. It runs a community supported agriculture program during the summer months as well as hosts workshops throughout the year, such as the Ecovillage and Permaculture Certificate Program, the Permaculture Design Certificate course, and Sustainable Homes: An Introduction to Eco-Building and Appropriate Technology. The Ecovillage and Permaculture Certificate Program immerses participants in the theoretical, physical, and social aspects of ecovillages, community living, and permaculture .
The site of Lost Valley was originally the Shiloh Christian Youth Camp, a part of the Shiloh Youth Revival Centers. In the 1980s the Shiloh organization sold the property to a group of people intent on starting their own eco-village. The intent was for the Lost Valley Educational Center to be both a community and an educational center. For years the main educational focus of Lost Valley was a program called Naka Ima which evolved into Heart of Now, which is currently defunct.
In 2006 a community member organized a Permaculture Design Certificate program called the EPCP, the Ecovillage and Permcaculture Certificate Program. With the success of this new program the educational focus of Lost Valley moved away from the traditional "Naka Ima" programs to a more traditional Permaculture Design program, with an emphasis on community building. The EPCP program recently has evolved into the Camassia Institute, named after the indigenous Camas
plant, a subsidiary body of the Lost Valley organization.
In 2008 the culture (the focus and goal of the community) of Lost Valley underwent many transformations. The organizational and governing structure of Lost Valley, which had been conducted by consensus was replaced with sociocracy
and sociocratic methods of governance. This change led to the departure of numerous community members, including the founder. Consensus-based community decision making was done in a group called 'Purpose Circle', where all residents had a say in all matters concerning the community, the site and the programs. The consensus based decision making process proved difficult to manage the affairs of the community and the business of running educational programs. Many of the remaining members felt sociocracy was a more efficient and effective style of government.
Lost Valley is one of several intentional ecovillage communities in Oregon, including Aprovecho
research center, located in the outskirts of Cottage Grove; Cougar Mountain Cougar Mountain Farms and Maitreya Ecovillage located in nearby Eugene.
Intentional community
An intentional community is a planned residential community designed to have a much higher degree of teamwork than other communities. The members of an intentional community typically hold a common social, political, religious, or spiritual vision and often follow an alternative lifestyle. They...
and ecovillage
Ecovillage
Ecovillages are intentional communities with the goal of becoming more socially, economically and ecologically sustainable. Some aim for a population of 50–150 individuals. Larger ecovillages of up to 2,000 individuals exist as networks of smaller subcommunities to create an ecovillage model that...
located on 87 acres of mostly forested land in Dexter
Dexter, Oregon
Dexter is an unincorporated community in Lane County, Oregon, United States. It is located near Dexter Lake , a reservoir of the Willamette River along Oregon Route 58....
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, approximately 18 miles southeast of Eugene
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
. The center was founded in 1989 and is located on the grounds of the old headquarters of the Shiloh Youth Revival Centers
Shiloh Youth Revival Centers
The Shiloh Youth Revival Centers movement was the largest Jesus People communal movement in the United States in the 1970s. Founded by John Higgins in 1968 as a small communal house – House of Miracles – in Costa Mesa, CA, the movement quickly grew to a very large movement catering mostly to...
.
The non-profit educational center is dedicated to the practices of non-violent communication and personal growth, permaculture
Permaculture
Permaculture is an approach to designing human settlements and agricultural systems that is modeled on the relationships found in nature. It is based on the ecology of how things interrelate rather than on the strictly biological concerns that form the foundation of modern agriculture...
, sustainability
Sustainability
Sustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non...
, and simple living
Simple living
Simple living encompasses a number of different voluntary practices to simplify one's lifestyle. These may include reducing one's possessions or increasing self-sufficiency, for example. Simple living may be characterized by individuals being satisfied with what they need rather than want...
. Its mission is to create and foster mutually beneficial relations between humans and all parts of the web of existence. Between 20 and 30% of the food consumed on site is grown in its gardens. Some of the natural features on the land are gardens, a large meadow, forests, ponds, and a creek. Some of its projects include numerous building material
Cob
-Places:* Cobb, California* Cobb, California, former name of Pine Grove, Lake County, California* Cobb County, Georgia, United States* Cobb, Georgia, an unincorporated community in Sumter County, Georgia, United States...
structures, solar ovens, solar showers, beekeeping, a hot tub and a sauna. It runs a community supported agriculture program during the summer months as well as hosts workshops throughout the year, such as the Ecovillage and Permaculture Certificate Program, the Permaculture Design Certificate course, and Sustainable Homes: An Introduction to Eco-Building and Appropriate Technology. The Ecovillage and Permaculture Certificate Program immerses participants in the theoretical, physical, and social aspects of ecovillages, community living, and permaculture .
The site of Lost Valley was originally the Shiloh Christian Youth Camp, a part of the Shiloh Youth Revival Centers. In the 1980s the Shiloh organization sold the property to a group of people intent on starting their own eco-village. The intent was for the Lost Valley Educational Center to be both a community and an educational center. For years the main educational focus of Lost Valley was a program called Naka Ima which evolved into Heart of Now, which is currently defunct.
In 2006 a community member organized a Permaculture Design Certificate program called the EPCP, the Ecovillage and Permcaculture Certificate Program. With the success of this new program the educational focus of Lost Valley moved away from the traditional "Naka Ima" programs to a more traditional Permaculture Design program, with an emphasis on community building. The EPCP program recently has evolved into the Camassia Institute, named after the indigenous Camas
Camassia
Camassia is a genus of six species native to western North America, from southern British Columbia to northern California, and east to Utah, Wyoming and Montana...
plant, a subsidiary body of the Lost Valley organization.
In 2008 the culture (the focus and goal of the community) of Lost Valley underwent many transformations. The organizational and governing structure of Lost Valley, which had been conducted by consensus was replaced with sociocracy
Sociocracy
Sociocracy is a system of governance, using consent-based decision making among equivalent individuals and an organizational structure based on cybernetic principles...
and sociocratic methods of governance. This change led to the departure of numerous community members, including the founder. Consensus-based community decision making was done in a group called 'Purpose Circle', where all residents had a say in all matters concerning the community, the site and the programs. The consensus based decision making process proved difficult to manage the affairs of the community and the business of running educational programs. Many of the remaining members felt sociocracy was a more efficient and effective style of government.
Lost Valley is one of several intentional ecovillage communities in Oregon, including Aprovecho
Aprovecho
Aprovecho is the name of two non-profit organizations located in Cottage Grove, Oregon. Aprovecho Sustainability Education Center is a not-for-profit organization based in the vicinity of Cottage Grove, Oregon. Its focus is on sustainable living, including permaculture and renewable energy...
research center, located in the outskirts of Cottage Grove; Cougar Mountain Cougar Mountain Farms and Maitreya Ecovillage located in nearby Eugene.
External links
- Lost Valley Educational Center (official website)
- Garden at Lost Valley Educational Center