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Evergreen Land Trust serves as
an educational resource for people wishing to explore how
to live sustainably. By sustainable we mean living in a way
that meets the needs of the present without compromising the
needs of future generations. Here are some tools and resources
that our members find useful, and we hope you will too. For
an updated list of related workshops and events, see the News
& Events page. Below you will find information and
resource links for:
Local communities are increasingly at risk from unsustainable
development—development that destroys valuable resource
lands or makes housing unaffordable for working families.
For over thirty years, Evergreen Land Trust has been successfully
exploring one way to combat this trend. Land and housing is
legally owned by the Trust, and relationships are established
with resident-members who agree to care responsibly for Trust
assets. These relationships are defined in written agreements—a
sample of which can be downloaded below:
Other excellent resources about
land trusts and cooperative trusteeship of land and housing
include:
Since the end of World War II, industrial agriculture has
given us impressive productivity and convenience, but at a
tremendous cost. Topsoil depletion, groundwater contamination,
and the loss of family farms have become serious issues. As
public concern about health and food safety grows, the market
for organic and locally grown foods is gaining momentum. Moreover,
food self-reliance is an important tradition to revitalize
in our daily lives, as the problem of hunger in the United
States becomes more prevalent. All of the Evergreen Land Trust
rural properties grow food organically, and offer a variety
of opportunities for interns and visitors. For technical support
and advocacy regarding sustainable agriculture, we recommend
these resources:
The threat of global warming and the steady rise in energy
costs continues to drive the search for alternatives to fossil
fuels. There are many options available—solar, wind,
biodiesel, etc… and most importantly—energy conservation.
Walker
Creek is a great demonstration site of solar power and
off-the-grid living. A few other resources about renewable
energy in the Northwest include:
Early European settlers imagined that the natural resources
of the Northwest were limitless. Today we know otherwise,
as many species of plants and animals are in a state of rapid
decline. Fortunately many people are passionate about preserving
and restoring our natural world. In urban areas, planting
native landscaping can help conserve water and provide sanctuary
for birds and beneficial insects. In rural areas there are
limitless opportunities to protect and restore biodiversity.
River
Farm’s habitat restoration program is one example,
where native trees and shrubs were replanted in riparian areas
to restore streamside forests and support salmon recovery.
Many excellent organizations are working on ecological restoration
in our region. Here are few good references:
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