So yesterday, a bunch of us had a table on behalf of White Hawk Ecovillage at the Ithaca Earth Day 2012 event at the farmers’ market.  It was cold.  Cold and blustery.  But even so, I don’t think we expected to wake up today with six inches of snow blanketing the land.  This late in the season, after an unusually warm spring and after we just removed the wintery scene from the home page of this site thinking we were well past winter at this point.

Such is the way of the natural world however -  untame, spontaneous, and sometimes uncomfortable.  And so while I can’t lie and say I like this, I do respect it.  And the precipitation in all of its forms is appreciated, because as of a few days ago, we were officially in a drought.

So, the 30 or so trees that have been planted recently around the property will finally get a drink.  As will all the other plants people have begun planting in their gardens and the rest of the living community in the woods and fields here.  I’m not sure what the amphibians in the pond do on a day like today, or the killdeers that have been nesting on the property, or the kestrel that seems to have made White Hawk her home.

But speaking of birds calling White Hawk home, we welcomed the arrival of eight new chicks this month.  One, who we affectionately called the chickmunk unfortunately did not make it, but the others are doing well.

And speaking of chickens, a few folks here decorated eggs for Easter using natural dyes and plant stencils.

This update won’t include a picture of what it looks like outside today as that could be depressing to some.  It is beautiful out – so we will enjoy what is probably the last snow day of the season, try to have gratitude for the break in dryness, and hope that it it passes in time for the first ever White Hawk capture the flag game this coming weekend.

So, word on the street is that this past winter was the second mildest winter on record in New York State.  February was apparently the warmest February ever.  But even though it was in the seventies for the better part of the past couple weeks, things in Ithaca – especially here at White Hawk – have been pretty cool.  How is that so you might be asking?

Well, first of all… folks here have been getting oodles of seed packets in the mail.  And that is cool.

Not only this, but we’re planting a bunch of sugar maples near the woods.  And expanding the nut tree row along our road… hazelberts, heartnuts, chestnuts, and mulberries are on order.

But what’s even cooler than that is spotted salamander eggs in our pond.

The same pond that our fire pit is near.  And on mild nights in March, you may just find yourself sitting around a fire with friends, drinking wine, roasting marshmallows, cooking grass-fed burgers over the coals and bear witness to a toad orgy in the water just in front of you. The trill of unashamed toads and joy of children running around, excited because one tried to mate with their foot.

What is also very, very cool is wild leeks… more than one could possibly harvest.  And not having to sneak onto someone else’s property or steal them from a park.

So, it is officially Spring in the Finger Lakes region.  Buds are opening, birds returning and pairing off, amphibians doing what they do best, ephemeral wildflowers poking out of the ground.  Residents are starting seeds and prepping holes for trees.

Forget what the weatherman says, things here are very cool indeed.

It’s pretty customary among co-housing communities to have a common house.  The common house is usually considered the “heart” of the community – a place where people get together for meals, meetings and to socialize.  And as unoriginal as the idea is, the plan has traditionally been for White Hawk to eventually build a common house as well.  Although lately, the idea has been thrown around for a common barn instead, as a cheaper, more practical, and maybe even more fun alternative.

But alas, with only a handful of households at this point, neither a common house, a common barn, or another common shed for that matter, is in the cards right now.  But the thing is, that’s okay.

Because the “heart” of this community doesn’t lie in a building or any other material object.

Families still manage to get together to meet, play, and socialize – even without a few hundred thousand dollar building to do it in.  We have potlucks, celebrations, and game nights.  In fact, board games, that have historically collected dust in the closet, are getting more use than ever this winter!  We cross paths at the campfire or in the community garden, and bring baked goods or eggs to our neighbors.

So at this point in time, it may be true that our membership and budget aren’t huge.  And yes, that lot that sits at the front of the circle designated for a common house, a common barn (or whatever) is devoid of any structure.  In fact, it may remain a place for wildflowers to grow, cats to hunt, and children to play for several years to come.

But I think everyone here at White Hawk Ecovillage would probably agree we are nonetheless building community regardless, and enjoying ourselves quite a bit while doing it.

The stillness of winter should be upon us at this point, but one would not know it around here.

At White Hawk, some residents spent the New Year’s weekend preparing beds in the community garden. In recent weeks, plots have measured out and scheming has begun already.  Instead of visions of sugar-plums, we’ve had visions of sorghum, beets, sweet potatoes, wheat, watermelons and potatoes dancing in our heads.

The bees are going through their winter honey reserves unexpectedly quickly.  They will have to be fed this year to make it ’til those first May flowers appear.  Gardening and Beekeeping in January… something a lot of people aren’t thinking about this time of year.

And the builders are braving the decreasing temperatures and continue to work on house #11.  First floor is framed, and now the race is on to see if the second floor framing and roof can be completed before real winter weather arrives.

For now, here’s a few more recent frosty images of our land.

Once upon a time, there was a field in Danby, just a few miles south of Ithaca, NY.

To be completely honest, there was really nothing exceptional about this land.  It was overgrown agricultural land, with creeks, hedgerows, and a woodlot.  Danby, being a rural town in the Finger Lakes region, is filled with such meadows, woods, and creeks.

But attached to this particular piece of land, separating it from all the others, was a vision. A vision that many would come and peek at, but that a few individuals would absolutely commit themselves to.

Fast forward to 2011.  The implementation of this vision has had its ups and downs over the years, due to uncontrollable factors such as pesky economic recessions and other circumstances.  People have come and gone.  But through it all, the project moves forward – driven by this powerful vision.  White Hawk Ecovillage currently consists of four homes, a fifth in the process of being constructed, with three other households in the membership process.  There are horses on the property.  Children run, hide in the weeds, and play on the playground.  Wildlife flourishes.  Chickens roam around and bees fly to and from their hive, as members experiment with various homesteading skills and projects.  Interest in the community continues to grow.

Some feel we live in uncertain times, in the midst of an environmental crisis, where personal satisfaction is perhaps at an all time low.  If this is the case, it could just be that community and land based skills are ingredients of the antidote.

At any rate, we like living here.

Check back here for occasional updates of news of life at White Hawk Ecovillage, and welcome to the new website!