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Welcome to the Expanding Heartwood Cohousing! by Nisargo Troy  Nestled in the foothills of the San Juan Mountains in the Southwest of Colorado lies our well established little village of 24 homes. About 50 residents live here in quite an idyllic setting. Cars are parked on the outskirts of the cluster of homes. The individual homes, the common house, workshop and carports are connected via walking paths, where neighbors greet neighbors on their way to collect their mail or retrieve the one missing ingredient for dinner from the greenhouse. Walking along here you might see kids playing on the SS Ponderosa, the large play structure on the village green, safely being able to explore the neighborhood on their own, or you might see a few people sharing a chat on a front porch. Beautiful gardens surround each home. Fruit trees, colorful bushes and abundant flowers attract a multitude of butterflies as well as birds, their songs filling the air. At times you might even see deer or a flock of wild turkeys passing through!  West End Pedestrian Pathway Leading to the Common House It is a peaceful environment, tucked away in a small corner of our beautiful state. From our cluster of homes we enjoy our 360 acres of land with 7 miles of hiking trails through Piñon, Juniper, and Ponderosa forest. Our farmland, irrigated with fresh water brought to us every summer via an extensive system of irrigation ditches from the nearby mountains, offers ample opportunities for growing food and animal husbandry. 300+ days of sunshine and the closeness of the red rock canyons of the desert as well as the striking heights of the Rocky Mountains invite year round outdoor adventures. Opportunities for hiking, biking, camping, rock climbing or rafting in summer as well as skiing, snowshoeing and sledding in winter are all right here or just a short drive away.  Skiing the Loop Road Right out Your Front Door The most important amenities are close by. The nearest town, Bayfield, a 5 minute drive with a population of approximately 3,000, has an award winning library, a well stocked hardware store, a postoffice, elementary, middle and high schools, several restaurants and banks, a grocery store and a farmers market in the summer. Durango, an easy 25 minute drive from Heartwood with a population of about 20,000, offers all else one might need. It has two hospitals and a gorgeous college campus Durango hosts events of all different kinds throughout the year, enjoyed by locals as well of those visiting this small mountain town. There is a rich music scene here as well, including folk, jazz and classical performances. The yearly Music in the Mountains event at the college brings world class musicians into town. Durango is a destination for athletes, especially for mountain bikers with a multitude of trails surrounding the city and beyond. In winter there are two ski areas about an hour drive away. And if, after playing in the great outdoors a soak in hot springs is desired, there are two to choose from: Durango Hot Springs and nearby Pagosa Springs. Located so close to the meeting point of 4 states, several stunning National Parks are all less than a 3 hour drive away: Mesa Verde in Colorado, Canyonlands and Arches in Utah, and Chaco Canyon in NM. Durango airport, connecting locals to the world beyond and inviting visitors in, is only a 20 minute drive from Heartwood, accessible via quiet country roads through rolling farmland. Who lives at Heartwood you might ask and how did it all start? In the 1990s a number of people found each other in the Durango area, having arrived from several regions of the country, all with the same desire: to create a different way of living together than what is the norm in the wider world. They had experienced the limitation, separation and loneliness of today’s typical neighborhoods, where true connection between fenced-in homes with entrances through garages is difficult, if not impossible. The concept of cohousing had been brought to the US from Europe in the 1980's and many intentional communities were sprouting up around the country. And a plan was created. It took several years and a lot of determination until the right property was found, a layout of the buildings was agreed upon and permits were granted, until finally in 1999, ground was broken and Heartwood Cohousing began to take shape. During these first years another, very essential process took place: The members of this first group came together to build the internal structure of their new community. Vision and Values were created and agreed upon, along with the essential covenants. Interpersonal agreements were established and set as the framework for the way community members were going to aspire to live together. A substantial body of work came out of this effort which still forms the basis of how we live together today, and continues to be used as a template for other newly forming communities. All of this can be easily accessed on our website! Today we are a thriving community of people of all ages. Our youngest member is just three months old and was born right here at Heartwood, having been eagerly anticipated by future playmates and surrogate aunties, uncles and grandparents! Altogether seven children are part of Heartwood, and we have five incredibly active cctogenarians. We have young families, still working and retired couples, as well as singles, all working and playing together. People who are drawn to Heartwood are those who want to live in a close-knit, rural community in harmony with nature and each other. Except for leaving Heartwood, one does not need a car here. Road noise, if audible at all, is very far away. Even though all our individual front porches are open and inviting to those walking by, our backyards offer complete privacy which is highly valued by all. Except, of course, for the occasional backyard party.  Neighbors Enjoying a Backyard Dinner Party All Heartwood homes and our common house are passive solar, sustainably built and energy efficient. Members own their homes and parcel of land it sits on, built with high esthetics in mind in a Southwest Mountain Rustic style, using natural but also fire resistant materials where possible. There are a few rental units as well. Members pursue various ways of making a living. Some work in the surrounding communities, others utilize the fast internet available which allows for work from home, and others are on a fixed income. There is plenty of opportunity to be involved in community activities. Three times a week one can enjoy a communal meal. Impromptu porch parties are common during the warm season. We are also known for some pretty outstanding parties for birthdays and holidays.  Another Glorious Heartwood Thanksgiving A monthly “work party” brings members together and essential hands-on work around the community gets taken care of. A multitude of teams create the backbone of the functioning of the community, since we are a self governing organization. We operate our own water and sewer systems. We maintain our own roads. The 60 acres of pastureland needs ongoing stewardship. We have plenty of possibilities for engagement with the land, growing food, keeping livestock, supporting the irrigation system, assisting and reaping the benefit of owning agricultural land. There is a lot of work to be done and many hands needed to keep things rolling.  Moms with their Kids on the Way to Work in the High Tunnel A cornerstone to the way we operate at Heartwood is the process of consensus. Decisions here, be it in the circle of a smaller team or in big community meetings, are not made by majority, but by the careful process of listening to each other in order to gain a broader understanding of the issues at hand, until an all around better outcome can be reached. The goal is group unity. This does not mean we arrive at full agreement with each other. It means we talk until everyone can give their consent to a decision and stand behind it, always having kept the best interest of the community in mind. This usually takes longer than decisions made by majority. But experience has shown that, when done correctly, it is more efficient, since everyone has been heard from the start and has greater buy-in to the decisions made. With all the great amenities we have, decisions get made on a regular basis regarding maintenance, repairs or sometimes replacements. To run an efficient community, almost all community decisions have been delegated to teams. Everyone is expected to serve on at least one of the many teams, to choose from. Just to name a few, there is the Common Facility Team, the Pasture Team, the Common House Team, the Land Stewardship Team, the Finance Team, Process & Communication Team and the Steering Team. Lots of opportunity to learn a new skill or follow that interest you have had for a long time already! Some of the amenities we enjoy at Heartwood include: a gorgeous common house, the village green, a fantastic kids play structure, the woodworking shop, communal gardening tools, a lovely greenhouse and a high tunnel producing all kinds of vegetables, raised garden beds, a henhouse, laundry facilities, an exercise room, the always newly restocked library, a free box to find your next treasure in, two guest rooms, ping pong and foosball tables, 7 miles of trails, tennis, pickleball and basketball court, barns and stables, tractors, a yurt, hot tub under the stars, a fun sledding hill, bonfire circle, and so much more!  Playing Pickleball on the Best Court Ever So, if you find yourself curious about us, possibly feel intrigued about getting engaged in this way of living, go check out the rest of our website. A lot more information is available here, including how to be part of our great expansion on the way, the addition of 14 more homes in 2025! There are still a few spots available in Phase 2.  Circling Up before Easter Brunch |