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17 Apr 2025
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Description
My name is Valerie. I began homesteading in the Emerson Brook Forest in 1981. I’m a citizen and tribal council member of the Ko’asek Abenaki nation, director of The Sustainability Project, an Airbnb Superhost, and an active grandmother to two boys, ages 2 and 5. Both grandsons are budding naturalists and forest gardeners!
Founded in March of 2000, The Sustainability Project (TSP) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit educational organization. We promote a love of nature, environmental stewardship, caring communities and ways of living that deepen our understanding of the interconnected web of life. Our guiding principles embrace indigenous wisdom, diversity, inclusion, mindfulness, compassion and creative expression as fundamental to the long-term wellbeing of our planet and its inhabitants.
The Sustainability Project recently finished the construction of a 1200 square-foot timber frame structure to host our mission driven programs to house a permanent exhibit of sculptures by artist Susan O’Hara and rotating nature-inspired exhibits by local artists and craftspeople, and to offer guests safe, off-the-grid overnight stays in the Emerson Brook Forest.
In 2024, The Sustainability Project will host three weekend retreats with a focus on Permaculture Design. This year’s retreats will take place on the weekends of July 19-21, August 16-18, and October 11-13. After contributing 50 hours as a Workaway volunteer, you are welcome to join a retreat without cost. You will also have opportunities to develop and maintain trails, and to participate in edible forest landscaping, activities of daily living, homestead chores, nonprofit management and welcoming visitors to the center.
Please note that drugs and alcohol are not permitted. At The Sustainability Project, we work hard to maintain a safe, inclusive and respectful environment where challenges are considered opportunities for collective problem-solving.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Charity Work
Art Projects
Help with Eco Projects
Teaching
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Help with Computers/ Internet
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
Our efforts in the forest reflect the work of a larger network of community organizations collaborating on behalf of the planet. Together, in the spirit of cooperation, we nurture and promote ways of living in tune with nature. What a volunteer learns will be determined by their expressed learning goals, which we will incorporate into our program planning.
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
Workaway volunteers are requested to submit a brief narrative describing their strengths and what they hope to gain from the experience.
Examples of past and ongoing Workaway projects include:
Gardening - Supporting Local Agriculture
*️️️️️ Building edible forest gardens, sheet mulching, planting vegetables, herbs and flowers as well as installing permaculture designed perennial polycultures;
*️️️️️ Designing and implementing rain catchment systems for irrigation;
*️️️️️ Creating an outdoor kitchen and amphitheater;
*️️️️️ Building wheelchair accessible gardens, trails, and camping sites;
*️️️️️ Maintaining and expanding a network of hiking trails throughout our 33-acre outdoor education center.
Volunteering - Community Programming and Outreach
*️️️️️ Leading mission driven events and activities to bolster our community’s sustainable living skills;
*️️️️️ Creating educational materials, including maps and interpretive signs for gardens and trails.
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Accommodation
Shelter and organic staples such a beans and grains, egg and cheese, fruits and vegetables will be provided to volunteers. Facilities include a heated, solar powered cabin that sleeps 5 individuals. Volunteers are also welcome to pitch their own tent if desired. Volunteers have access to an indoor toilet, an outdoor shower and kitchen facilities.
What else ...
• Facility location - adjacent to miles of surrounding woodland trails, the locale is perfect for outdoor recreation. When possible and with previous arrangement, hosts can provide transportation to local events, grocery shopping, etc. as needed.
• Our town also has a library, a tennis court, and a general store. Twelve miles away, a larger city with 3 colleges, offers a greater selection of cultural, educational, dining and shopping opportunities.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
Workawayers have a dedicated space in the main house with access to fiber optic internet.
Space for parking camper vans
This host can provide space for campervans.
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
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