Objective of the internship: To help the community move toward greater ecological sustainability and self-sufficiency; to help the intern learn skills associated with these practices.
Job/task description and responsibilities: This is a relatively fluid internship. Depending on the intern's desire and the availability of the work (some jobs are not necessarily available during a given time period), the EcoVillage intern may learn about and work with:
- organic vegetable gardening
- garden planning
- organic seed growing
- seed processing
- packaging seeds for our seeds business
- managing an organic food business (seeds, tofu)
- food processing (canning, drying, freezing, etc.)
- herb growing / processing
- dairy (milking cows, cheese-making, yogurt-making, etc.)
- raising chickens
- renewable heating systems (wood-splitting)
- renewable electricity systems (photo-voltaic / solar)
- composting (cultivation, application)
- community decision making regarding our sustainability practices
- spirituality in relationship with nature
What will the intern learn during the internship? In addition to specific skills mentioned above, the intern will learn about our community-scale systems of sustainably supporting human habitation. This includes organizational infrastructure such as shared meals, shared housing, communal businesses, and maintaining a contemporary rural agrarian ecovillage of 100 people.
What kind of training will be provided to the intern? The intern will receive job-specific training in each work area. No prior experience is needed.
Other details: Each intern will have a private bedroom in one of our residential buildings. The intern will complete a three-week visitor period during which time they will learn the basics and most important aspects of our systems and culture alongside beginning their usual work. Following this visitor period, the community will accept the intern for the agreed-upon period of the internship provided that the intern has demonstrated an ability and willingness to live and work within the norms and expectations of the community. All interns have access to internet; learning about our decision making; access to community resources and facilities such as our wood shop; recreation including yoga, pond activities, canoes, dances, parties, films, and more.
For more information about applying for this internship, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and specifically mention this internship.