Gardening and Environmental Awareness

In the 1960’s the Findhorn Community first became famous for its work with the nature kingdoms – the devas and nature spirits – and the spectacular results that were achieved through working in a spirit of co-creation with these energies.

By the late 70’s the work with nature had been somewhat pushed into the background as the Community grew and the proportion of the membership involved in the gardens decreased, the main focus shifted to educational programmes. We would speak of our work now being more with ‘growing people’ rather than plants. The famous cabbages were more of an embarrassment than something to talk about!

The gardeners would periodically complain about this state of affairs and there would be voices speaking out from time to time about our general lack of ecological awareness as a community – but during the early 80’s we were going through a time of shortages of both people and finances, so it was never easy to translate ideas into action. A few projects were undertaken, such as horticultural research and tree growing at Cullerne House, but what we had learned from our work in the gardens and our concern for the environment tended to be expressed more by creating a space for discussion and generating ideas through our annual conferences. These included the ‘Building a Planetary Village Conference’ in 1982; hosting the ‘3rd World Wilderness Congress’ in 1983; and ‘One Earth: a Call to Action’ in 1986.

But the balance has gradually shifted: the idea of building an ‘ecological village’ brings our work with nature to a new level as we look at how we can build our homes and live our daily lives in harmony with the earth. In 1983 we bought the caravan park with the intention of replacing our caravans with ecologically sound houses and we have since been researching various methods of insulation, building and decorating materials, sewage disposal and so on, as well as planting thousands of trees.

Since October 1989 the first wind generator of our wind park has stood on the horizon as a symbol to remind us of our commitment to the Planet. In March 1990 work began on the first of a group of houses to replace ageing caravans at the Park, heralded by the Press as ‘the greenest houses in Britain’. Meanwhile, on a smaller scale, we have gradually introduced the use of recycled paper and ecologically sound cleaning materials in our work departments and homes, and we try to recycle as much as we can.

In 1983 the Findhorn Nature Calendar was also launched – a project initiated by Alan Watson, who had always been one of the voices speaking out for the earth. This has now developed into a growing business, selling cards, calendars and t-shirts carrying the message of the need for co-creation with nature, and especially saving forests and planting trees. The business aims to tithe a proportion of its profits to the ‘Trees for Life’ project, started by a group of Foundation members in 1981 to take action on behalf of trees.

In May 1989 the Ecology Action Group was formed to co-ordinate our efforts to care for our planet. The first project was to carry out an ‘environmental excellence audit’ of every aspect of the Foundation’s work. The idea of the audit is to look at everything we do on a day to day basis, evaluate it in terms of its impact on the environment and see where improvements can be made.

Another project the group is keen to support is the ‘Trees for Life’ scheme to assist the natural regeneration of the Caledonian forest in Scotland. This involves fencing some of the surviving patches of the forest so that young trees can grow there, protected from deer and sheep. Some areas have already been successfully fenced off by other organisations but much more needs to be done. Funds are being raised for further fencing and in the meantime young trees are being given individual protection where possible.

Our gardens continue to develop and grow, lovingly cared for by our numerous gardeners: the original garden has now expanded to include the whole caravan park – we are gradually landscaping the whole area, planting more trees, and exploring ways of increasing our wild bird and flower populations; we are growing as many vegetables as we can in our various gardens – though never enough to feed the large number of members, associates and guests who daily eat at the Foundation; and the Erraid group has successfully begun re-afforestation of the island by both fencing and planting.

Ecological Village Project

In March 1990 we began work on a new ecological housing project on our property near the village of Findhorn on the Moray Firth. At the moment the site is a residential and holiday caravan park. In this unlikely setting the Foundation aims to build an ecological village to demonstrate the principles of energy conservation, renewable energy generation, waste recycling, organic food production and other related subjects.

To date twelve dwelling houses have been erected, including five single dwelling made from recycled whiskey vats, a Guest Lodge for 12 beds and a Youth Building. A 75 kW wind turbine was erected in 1989 and is currently supplying 20% of the electricity needs of the site.

The houses that were begun in 1990 were designed to be as environmentally friendly and healthy to live in as possible, avoiding materials with high toxicity in manufacture, application or usage. The houses were designed by award-winning Keystone Architects, founder members of the Institute of Building Biology and the Ecological Design Association. (“Building Biology” is a term coined in Germany, referring to the health aspects of buildings and materials, such as toxicity, ventilation, condensation and electromagnetic field effects.)

Features we have incorporated include:

• The use of passive solar features where possible through orientation and window layout.
• Solar panels for domestic hot water heating.
• A district heating system using a gas condensing boiler for highest fuel efficiency.
• Super-efficient insulation.
• Low-energy light bulbs throughout.
• Triple glazing.
• Cellulose insulation (made from recycled paper).
• Non-toxic organic paints and wood preservatives throughout.
• Boarding manufactured without the use of toxic glues or resins.
• Locally grown and harvested timber from managed forests.
• Local stone for skirting, patios and pathways.
• Roofing with natural clay tiles.
• Innovative ‘breathing wall’ construction allowing a controlled exchange of air & vapour.
• Suspended timber floors for under-floor air circulation to avoid a build up of radon gas.
• Isolating electrical circuits to reduce electromagnetic field stress.
• Water conservation (showers, low-flush toilets and self-closing taps).
• Collection and recycling of rainwater for garden use.
• Shared facilities (laundry, kitchens, lounges) avoiding unnecessary duplication.
• Simple timber frame construction and detailing suitable for Self Build.

To date the houses have been built largely with volunteer labour and through the Foundation’s Building School, a two or three week hands-on course in ecological building. We have been generously sponsored by many of the firms whose materials or products we are using.

Other planned projects include: construction of sewage treatment facility using the Solar Aquatics System, a unique process incorporating complete aquatic ecosystems in a green house environment; additional wind generators to provide up to 70% of energy needs; development of a ‘green’ business park incorporating a Visitor’s Centre introducing the ecological village concepts; a farm project to provide locally grown organic food; and a Health and Wellness Centre providing conventional and alternative medical care.

(Various amended extracts from ‘Welcome to the Findhorn Foundation’[1]. It is not known precisely who contributed to the above text as the various parts of this brochure were penned at different times. John Talbott was certainly the main contributor, and in addition there was input from Nicky Robertson, Frances Edwards, and Jill Brierley, who edited the finished product.)

The ‘Statement of Land Ethic’

First drafted in 1982 this is the Foundation’s formal statement about its working relationship with the nature kingdom.

Nature is Sanctuary : The Findhorn Garden Trust
The Findhorn Foundation is founded on the basic belief and faith in the underlying spirit and intelligence within all life. For over thirty years we have lived on land in the Findhorn Bay Caravan Park, seeking to embody this belief and to work consciously and openly with nature in the spirit of co-operation and co-creation. We are moving towards the vision of a new society: one that relates to people, the environment and the planet out of a sense of love, understanding and wholeness rather than fear and survival. Much of what we have accomplished in the past, our experience and learnings, have been on a consciousness and awareness level. We now wish to apply this awareness more fully to the physical level of how we live; to express the essence of what Findhorn Community is through architecture, landscape and integrated ecosystems that harmonise the needs of people with the needs of the natural systems in which we live. Working with intuition and consciousness as well as with proper planning and follow-through, we wish to create physical forms that honour the sacredness of life. Nature is constantly expressing the joy of the Spirit and the song of life, celebrating creation, bringing more life. We wish to join this celebration and to participate fully, finding the appropriate forms, dwellings, homes and lifestyle that harmonise with Nature’s Song.

To this end we have become the legal owners of the land of the Findhorn Bay Caravan Park. Until that point all our dwellings there were required by law to be of a temporary nature; but our ownership now allows us to build. We are now making a long-term commitment to the land and to right stewardship and erecting permanent buildings.

The Land Use Plan which the Foundation has developed for The Park sees the area as a residential and commercial village centre within the Community, integrating families, children, singles, couples, the elderly and visiting guests. There will also be areas for food production, recreation, facilities for education, cottage industries and crafts, business offices, shops and commercial concerns. The main features will be the central open informal gardens in Pineridge, integrated landscaping and buildings in the central area, trees, and the natural flora and fauna of the Findhorn peninsula. We are committed to aesthetically and ecologically sound energy-efficient homes and buildings heated with low tech energy systems; limited vehicular traffic in residential areas; water conservation, and the recycling of all organic wastes on site. We are further committed to the conservation of our adjacent wild areas, including primarily the sand dunes of the Moray coast and the tidal marshes of the Findhorn Bay. We see the area growing and being developed in an organic manner over a period of years, with nature as the focal point and key quality.

It is the aim of the Foundation to create a model village; one that combines the essential principles of community, connection to nature, appropriate technology and spiritual awareness to form an integrated life-giving environment; an environment that provides all the basic nutrients and growing conditions for all life and all beings.

 

[1] Findhorn Foundation: Welcome to the Findhorn Foundation – Internal document produced by the Human Relations Department; 1993.