All of us here at Heartwood share the value of living in community, but we have many different interests, talents, beliefs, and backgrounds. In the passages below, you'll meet some of our members and learn what they enjoy about life at Heartwood.
Julie M
I have lived in #2 since the summer of 2003. Prior to that I lived in Durango for 23 years. Salt Lake City, Northern Virginia, Eritrea, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Long Island, New York.
I am the divorced mother of 3 and grandmother of 2. During my 17 years at HW all my children and grandchildren have lived with me at some point. My younger GC was born in the living room of #1 and my daughter, Kelly, currently lives here, as well as our social golden-doodle, Mae.
Kelly is a TSA inspector, I am a grief counselor who became an accountant 11 years ago. Mae is a full-time dog.
What I like about living here:
I have lived in #2 since the summer of 2003. Prior to that I lived in Durango for 23 years. Salt Lake City, Northern Virginia, Eritrea, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Long Island, New York.
I am the divorced mother of 3 and grandmother of 2. During my 17 years at HW all my children and grandchildren have lived with me at some point. My younger GC was born in the living room of #1 and my daughter, Kelly, currently lives here, as well as our social golden-doodle, Mae.
Kelly is a TSA inspector, I am a grief counselor who became an accountant 11 years ago. Mae is a full-time dog.
What I like about living here:
- That all of my family have felt comfortable living here at various times. It makes this our "Family Home".
- Knowing that neighbors will always offer each other a helping hand.
- Even in times of Covid, we find ways to celebrate.
Jack & Ronda
Jack McGroder and Ronda Ramsier live at #4. We have lived here throughout most of Heartwood's years. We were married here on the Village Green in 2006. Our son, Lee, was 13 when we moved here, and has long-since moved on to the big city.
What I, Ronda, really like about living at Heartwood is being “known” by so many familiar people. I pretty much always feel supported, seen, understood, and loved by those who know both the good and the not-so-good about me.
What I, Jack, really like about living at Heartwood is the land, the peace and quiet, the people, the feeling of community. I am very much looking forward to the completion of Phase 2 and the infusion of new people and new energy to mix with the “old”.
Jack McGroder and Ronda Ramsier live at #4. We have lived here throughout most of Heartwood's years. We were married here on the Village Green in 2006. Our son, Lee, was 13 when we moved here, and has long-since moved on to the big city.
What I, Ronda, really like about living at Heartwood is being “known” by so many familiar people. I pretty much always feel supported, seen, understood, and loved by those who know both the good and the not-so-good about me.
What I, Jack, really like about living at Heartwood is the land, the peace and quiet, the people, the feeling of community. I am very much looking forward to the completion of Phase 2 and the infusion of new people and new energy to mix with the “old”.
Laurie
I live in #6. Kyla, my 26 year old daughter, is here periodically though her recent move to Chicago may make that less and less likely. I have lived at Heartwood since 2005 and have been a part of the community, in one way or another, since the beginning.
What I enjoy about living at Heartwood is the ease of balancing private and social times. I have as much privacy as I may want or need and then when I’m ready to move out and engage there are often either community activities or the ease of engaging with my neighbors by just walking out the front door. I am often challenged and rewarded by the depth of interpersonal interactions and the different ways we view the world. I love being able to walk out the door to hike, snowshoe or ski on our trails.
I live in #6. Kyla, my 26 year old daughter, is here periodically though her recent move to Chicago may make that less and less likely. I have lived at Heartwood since 2005 and have been a part of the community, in one way or another, since the beginning.
What I enjoy about living at Heartwood is the ease of balancing private and social times. I have as much privacy as I may want or need and then when I’m ready to move out and engage there are often either community activities or the ease of engaging with my neighbors by just walking out the front door. I am often challenged and rewarded by the depth of interpersonal interactions and the different ways we view the world. I love being able to walk out the door to hike, snowshoe or ski on our trails.
Lynne
My name is Lynne McGee, aka Mimi, and I have lived in Heartwood from the beginning. I was a part of the Geneva Cohousing group that came down to Durango from Boulder 27 years ago with the hopes of starting a cohousing in this region.
Initially I rented # 14 while I built my straw clay house on the West End. Fran Hart (#8) and I built our homes in tandem and to this day share elements of our backyard space. She even invited me to build my small hoop house and raised bed garden on her property as the sun access was preferable there.
I live alone with my 11 year old Wheaten Terrier Ringo. I am the oldest member of Heartwood (but Han Bishop has been trying desperately to catch up). I love to hike and camp in my small teardrop trailer which is basically a bed on wheels with a kitchen on the back. Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and occasionally Arizona are our favorite destinations.
Since moving to Durango I have had a myriad of jobs including catering and creating one-of-a-kind art to wear clothing but am now permanently retired with nothing to do but bask in gratitude for the beauty in all its forms that surrounds me.
Textiles are a particular interest of mine and I explore the realms of Shibori, felting, and piece work in my own personal wardrobe and decor. Gardening is a great love of mine and although I have had to decrease some of my growing areas in the last few years I cannot imagine not being surrounded by masses of flowers and fresh vegetables.
I have three grown children and five grandchildren (two of whom grew up here).
The depth of intimacy and friendship I experience at Heartwood is beyond anything I could have imagined when my heart was leading me to community. I intend to live my remaining years here and be buried on the land leaving my body to continue to nourish this place that has brought me so much love, peace and joy.
My name is Lynne McGee, aka Mimi, and I have lived in Heartwood from the beginning. I was a part of the Geneva Cohousing group that came down to Durango from Boulder 27 years ago with the hopes of starting a cohousing in this region.
Initially I rented # 14 while I built my straw clay house on the West End. Fran Hart (#8) and I built our homes in tandem and to this day share elements of our backyard space. She even invited me to build my small hoop house and raised bed garden on her property as the sun access was preferable there.
I live alone with my 11 year old Wheaten Terrier Ringo. I am the oldest member of Heartwood (but Han Bishop has been trying desperately to catch up). I love to hike and camp in my small teardrop trailer which is basically a bed on wheels with a kitchen on the back. Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and occasionally Arizona are our favorite destinations.
Since moving to Durango I have had a myriad of jobs including catering and creating one-of-a-kind art to wear clothing but am now permanently retired with nothing to do but bask in gratitude for the beauty in all its forms that surrounds me.
Textiles are a particular interest of mine and I explore the realms of Shibori, felting, and piece work in my own personal wardrobe and decor. Gardening is a great love of mine and although I have had to decrease some of my growing areas in the last few years I cannot imagine not being surrounded by masses of flowers and fresh vegetables.
I have three grown children and five grandchildren (two of whom grew up here).
The depth of intimacy and friendship I experience at Heartwood is beyond anything I could have imagined when my heart was leading me to community. I intend to live my remaining years here and be buried on the land leaving my body to continue to nourish this place that has brought me so much love, peace and joy.
Lyn & Barry
In 2020 Barry and I celebrated 45 years of living together. We met in a class called, “Learning How to Tell the Truth,” in Denver, CO. Four years later, 1981, we moved with our then 18 month old son, Matthew, to Durango. We became part of a spiritual community here called the Emissaries of Divine Light. Their headquarters was in Loveland, CO but the 24ish members here was the group of friends that became our family and we all helped in raising each other’s children. That closeness lasted for 11 years and even though we are all still dear friends, the focus of the Emissaries dissipated. In 1991 we started looking for others that wanted a community where we could share land and our lives together. In 1994 we met who became the founding members of Heartwood.
Barry hales from Brooklyn, NY but left there so long ago that it’s like another lifetime. During the first 30 years of living in Durango he opened and successfully ran Barry’s Fix-it Shop. He repaired mostly home appliances, but had a go at many other things. Then he moved on to being a property manager which he still does in the Farmington area. We’re hoping he can retire from that in the near future.
Lyn left rural eastern Kansas at age 20, and after getting her MA worked as vocational rehabilitation counselor for 25 years covering SW Colorado. Retiring from that in 2008 she opened a part-time Astrology Counseling business, which has been her love since she was 24. Still finding much of her sanity through studying the heavens she can’t ever imagine not marveling at the miraculous.
Matthew returned to Colorado, moving to Littleton, with his family in 2018. We are delighted to be so close to especially our now 7 year old Granddaughter, Mckenzie.
We are both so very thankful to live in this wonderful community, Heartwood. And even though the foundation here is strong, we recognize that it still takes everyone of us to continue to create this most amazing way of life.
In 2020 Barry and I celebrated 45 years of living together. We met in a class called, “Learning How to Tell the Truth,” in Denver, CO. Four years later, 1981, we moved with our then 18 month old son, Matthew, to Durango. We became part of a spiritual community here called the Emissaries of Divine Light. Their headquarters was in Loveland, CO but the 24ish members here was the group of friends that became our family and we all helped in raising each other’s children. That closeness lasted for 11 years and even though we are all still dear friends, the focus of the Emissaries dissipated. In 1991 we started looking for others that wanted a community where we could share land and our lives together. In 1994 we met who became the founding members of Heartwood.
Barry hales from Brooklyn, NY but left there so long ago that it’s like another lifetime. During the first 30 years of living in Durango he opened and successfully ran Barry’s Fix-it Shop. He repaired mostly home appliances, but had a go at many other things. Then he moved on to being a property manager which he still does in the Farmington area. We’re hoping he can retire from that in the near future.
Lyn left rural eastern Kansas at age 20, and after getting her MA worked as vocational rehabilitation counselor for 25 years covering SW Colorado. Retiring from that in 2008 she opened a part-time Astrology Counseling business, which has been her love since she was 24. Still finding much of her sanity through studying the heavens she can’t ever imagine not marveling at the miraculous.
Matthew returned to Colorado, moving to Littleton, with his family in 2018. We are delighted to be so close to especially our now 7 year old Granddaughter, Mckenzie.
We are both so very thankful to live in this wonderful community, Heartwood. And even though the foundation here is strong, we recognize that it still takes everyone of us to continue to create this most amazing way of life.
Dick & Gay
We have been married since 1966—55 years! We met at Swarthmore College, were friends for 4 years and got together right before graduation. We have lived in Philly, Hartford, and then moved to Questa, NM, a small Hispanic town north of Taos, where Dick started practicing medicine — the first physician to live there. We lived in Albuquerque for his Residency, and then moved to Durango in 1970 with our two young sons. When the nest was empty, we moved to Heartwood, in 2000. We are happy that Dave and Bryan and their families both now live in Colorado. One daughter-in-law is a doctor, and the other a nurse. We love being able to spend time with our granddaughters, 17 and 13, in Grand Junction, and our 7 year old Anya, in Denver, who is bilingual in Russian and English, like her Ukrainian mom. We have a 12 year old big black lab mutt, called Ty, and an elderly chestnut mare called Missy. We love to hike and camp, cross country ski, canoe and paddle board on nearby lakes and rivers, and work outside. We have sung with the Durango Choral Society for 45 years, including several trips to Europe, to Hawaii and Carnegie Hall. We have enjoyed doing a lot of traveling in many wonderful countries on all continents (except Antarctica!)
Doctor Dick: I grew up in Philadelphia and am a Quaker and member of Durango Friends’ Meeting. I started my concern about human population in 1960, in high school. The path this has led me on included practicing OB-GYN for 40 years in Durango and writing the only newspaper column focusing on aspects of population since 1995. I have practiced medicine in a small town in the mountains of Puerto Rico, where we lived while our sons were in 3rd and 6th grades, and doctored in Swaziland and worked on a research project in Ghana. I love to travel.
I am happy to live at Heartwood for many reasons, including close relationships with friends, the beautiful land and the fact that living in an efficient community allows us to have smaller footprints. I helped to establish Heartwood's Renewable Energy Fund, and get our solar irrigation pump and the photovoltaic system for the Common House/Workshop. I am happy that we just installed an electrical vehicle charger near the Common House for visitors as well as residents. We have solar panels on our home and on our carport, to plug our hybrid into the sun.
Gay: My name is Gail, but “Gay” is my nickname, especially at Heartwood. I have been a teacher since college and grad school, first teaching High School and then going back to get a degree in Elementary Ed at Fort Lewis. A group of us started an independent preschool/elementary school in Durango in ’78 and it is still thriving, though I have been retired for about 20 years. During that time I have volunteered as a teacher with Durango Nature Studies and Big Brothers/Big sisters, and helped teach in our Heartwood Home School Cooperative. Singing in the Choral Society is very important for my mental health, and recently Dick and I have enjoyed getting involved with our local Rotary Club.
What I love most about Heartwood is working and playing with my neighbors outdoors on our beautiful land. I love being able to chat with neighbors informally, without arranging special events or dinners, and seeing friends at common meals and potlucks. I enjoy Heartwood work parties and growing vegetables with friends, old and newer. It’s also fun to cook common meals with others—I have gotten more interested in cooking since I have lived here. I enjoy getting to know the Heartwood animals, as well as their wonderful owners! Having been a teacher all my life, I have also had some very special times with children here, and hope we will have more young children in our community once Phase 2 is a reality.
We have been married since 1966—55 years! We met at Swarthmore College, were friends for 4 years and got together right before graduation. We have lived in Philly, Hartford, and then moved to Questa, NM, a small Hispanic town north of Taos, where Dick started practicing medicine — the first physician to live there. We lived in Albuquerque for his Residency, and then moved to Durango in 1970 with our two young sons. When the nest was empty, we moved to Heartwood, in 2000. We are happy that Dave and Bryan and their families both now live in Colorado. One daughter-in-law is a doctor, and the other a nurse. We love being able to spend time with our granddaughters, 17 and 13, in Grand Junction, and our 7 year old Anya, in Denver, who is bilingual in Russian and English, like her Ukrainian mom. We have a 12 year old big black lab mutt, called Ty, and an elderly chestnut mare called Missy. We love to hike and camp, cross country ski, canoe and paddle board on nearby lakes and rivers, and work outside. We have sung with the Durango Choral Society for 45 years, including several trips to Europe, to Hawaii and Carnegie Hall. We have enjoyed doing a lot of traveling in many wonderful countries on all continents (except Antarctica!)
Doctor Dick: I grew up in Philadelphia and am a Quaker and member of Durango Friends’ Meeting. I started my concern about human population in 1960, in high school. The path this has led me on included practicing OB-GYN for 40 years in Durango and writing the only newspaper column focusing on aspects of population since 1995. I have practiced medicine in a small town in the mountains of Puerto Rico, where we lived while our sons were in 3rd and 6th grades, and doctored in Swaziland and worked on a research project in Ghana. I love to travel.
I am happy to live at Heartwood for many reasons, including close relationships with friends, the beautiful land and the fact that living in an efficient community allows us to have smaller footprints. I helped to establish Heartwood's Renewable Energy Fund, and get our solar irrigation pump and the photovoltaic system for the Common House/Workshop. I am happy that we just installed an electrical vehicle charger near the Common House for visitors as well as residents. We have solar panels on our home and on our carport, to plug our hybrid into the sun.
Gay: My name is Gail, but “Gay” is my nickname, especially at Heartwood. I have been a teacher since college and grad school, first teaching High School and then going back to get a degree in Elementary Ed at Fort Lewis. A group of us started an independent preschool/elementary school in Durango in ’78 and it is still thriving, though I have been retired for about 20 years. During that time I have volunteered as a teacher with Durango Nature Studies and Big Brothers/Big sisters, and helped teach in our Heartwood Home School Cooperative. Singing in the Choral Society is very important for my mental health, and recently Dick and I have enjoyed getting involved with our local Rotary Club.
What I love most about Heartwood is working and playing with my neighbors outdoors on our beautiful land. I love being able to chat with neighbors informally, without arranging special events or dinners, and seeing friends at common meals and potlucks. I enjoy Heartwood work parties and growing vegetables with friends, old and newer. It’s also fun to cook common meals with others—I have gotten more interested in cooking since I have lived here. I enjoy getting to know the Heartwood animals, as well as their wonderful owners! Having been a teacher all my life, I have also had some very special times with children here, and hope we will have more young children in our community once Phase 2 is a reality.
Han & Sarah
My name is Sarah and my husband is Han, we moved to Heartwood #14 in July 2016 from the SF Bay area. We are so grateful to be here and love community life, even more so during this COVID crisis, when connecting with neighbors has been challenging at times, but certainly rewarding and enlivening despite not able to share common meals. The land and people are what attracted us to Heartwood after visiting several communities in the West. Our ability to step outside our door and have access to 360 acres with many miles of trails brings joy to our hearts, minds and bodies. Additionally, there are outdoor sport opportunities within a short drive from Heartwood. This picture was taken last winter at Vallecito Nordic Ski Center, about a 20 minute drive.
My name is Sarah and my husband is Han, we moved to Heartwood #14 in July 2016 from the SF Bay area. We are so grateful to be here and love community life, even more so during this COVID crisis, when connecting with neighbors has been challenging at times, but certainly rewarding and enlivening despite not able to share common meals. The land and people are what attracted us to Heartwood after visiting several communities in the West. Our ability to step outside our door and have access to 360 acres with many miles of trails brings joy to our hearts, minds and bodies. Additionally, there are outdoor sport opportunities within a short drive from Heartwood. This picture was taken last winter at Vallecito Nordic Ski Center, about a 20 minute drive.
Gail
Hi, my name is Gail Davidson. I am one of the pioneer founding members that came from Boulder to Durango in 1993; we began moving into our homes in January, 2000. Our intention was to create a community of living lightly on the land, sharing resources and creating higher levels of intimacy in our lives.
So be it – Heartwood Cohousing!
I am single, retired, and as of this writing (2020), 77 years of age. I don't have any pets of my own, although the neighborhood dogs sometimes think they live at #15. I have four grown sons and four grandchildren, two living in Colorado and two living in California. A sense of family was and continues to be important, i.e., my Heartwood family.
I am a very active person, hiking in the high country north of Durango a few times a week and snowshoeing weekly in the winter.
Feeling welcome and being part of something bigger at Heartwood has been a great gift as I go through my world. I am surrounded by people who create a welcoming environment, where I feel loved, have lots of fun, great conversations and a strong sense of belonging.
Hi, my name is Gail Davidson. I am one of the pioneer founding members that came from Boulder to Durango in 1993; we began moving into our homes in January, 2000. Our intention was to create a community of living lightly on the land, sharing resources and creating higher levels of intimacy in our lives.
So be it – Heartwood Cohousing!
I am single, retired, and as of this writing (2020), 77 years of age. I don't have any pets of my own, although the neighborhood dogs sometimes think they live at #15. I have four grown sons and four grandchildren, two living in Colorado and two living in California. A sense of family was and continues to be important, i.e., my Heartwood family.
I am a very active person, hiking in the high country north of Durango a few times a week and snowshoeing weekly in the winter.
Feeling welcome and being part of something bigger at Heartwood has been a great gift as I go through my world. I am surrounded by people who create a welcoming environment, where I feel loved, have lots of fun, great conversations and a strong sense of belonging.
Mac & Sandy
Our three kids have mostly grown and gone (ages 20 - 25). Our youngest, Joe, was born in this house shortly after moving to Heartwood and recently went off to college. Wow, what an earthshaking transition for us. So happy and so sad all at once. Because of Covid, our middle child, Al, has moved back in to finish up his Geology degree at Fort Lewis College (in Durango) while living in his old room in our basement. We also share our house with our sweet dog, Roo.
What Mac enjoys about living at Heartwood...
On the physical side, I love:
On the community side, I love:
What Sandy enjoys about living at Heartwood...
I enjoy sharing meals together, the ease of interactions with friends and neighbors. I enjoy living with people who really see me, know who I am and love me anyway. I am an introvert to the highest degree and love that I don’t have to make plans weeks ahead to get together with my friends. I love that I can go to a party at the common house for a few hours and go home while Mac is able to stay until the very end. I love looking out my window and seeing people I know and care about as they go to work or out and about. I love the land. The trails, the wildlife, the peace and beauty.
I love that my kids got to grow up in an environment where they were loved and respected by so many people of all ages. I love that they got to experience a deep connection to Nature and the beauty of the surrounding areas.
Our three kids have mostly grown and gone (ages 20 - 25). Our youngest, Joe, was born in this house shortly after moving to Heartwood and recently went off to college. Wow, what an earthshaking transition for us. So happy and so sad all at once. Because of Covid, our middle child, Al, has moved back in to finish up his Geology degree at Fort Lewis College (in Durango) while living in his old room in our basement. We also share our house with our sweet dog, Roo.
What Mac enjoys about living at Heartwood...
On the physical side, I love:
- walking out my front yard and hitting the trails after a day of desk work for a run, bike ride, or XC ski
- soaking in the hot tub under a dark, starry sky
- building furniture and other projects in the workshop
- living in close connection with Nature
- watching kids playing on the SS Ponderosa (play structure)
- playing tennis on the best court on Earth
- living in a super energy efficient house with no air conditioner, where the climate lets us keep the windows open for more than half the year
- walking over to the greenhouse to harvest some greens and herbs for my breakfast
- being close to millions of acres of mountain and red rock wilderness for endless adventures — skiing, snowboarding, mountain biking, hiking, camping, whitewater rafting
- living in an incredibly safe place, virtually free of crime
- living in a four season climate with sun, sun, and more sun
On the community side, I love:
- walking down the path and connecting with friends I know and love
- having my kids grow up in the most nurturing neighborhood I could hope for
- sharing meals with my neighbors
- knowing my neighbors and being known by them
- feeling comfortable, secure, and happy in knowing that my family belongs to a community that we care about and that cares about us
What Sandy enjoys about living at Heartwood...
I enjoy sharing meals together, the ease of interactions with friends and neighbors. I enjoy living with people who really see me, know who I am and love me anyway. I am an introvert to the highest degree and love that I don’t have to make plans weeks ahead to get together with my friends. I love that I can go to a party at the common house for a few hours and go home while Mac is able to stay until the very end. I love looking out my window and seeing people I know and care about as they go to work or out and about. I love the land. The trails, the wildlife, the peace and beauty.
I love that my kids got to grow up in an environment where they were loved and respected by so many people of all ages. I love that they got to experience a deep connection to Nature and the beauty of the surrounding areas.
Maria, Clint, & Lincoln
Hi! We are Maria, Clint, and Lincoln Miller. Maria is a local elementary school teacher, Clint works for Atmos Energy, and Lincoln is a full-time kid. He spends his summer days chasing lizards, getting muddy, playing on the SS Ponderosa, and climbing trees. We live at #18 and share our home with Becky Logan (downstairs apartment), Wally and Butters (great big senior dogs), and Mr. Mouse (our tuxedo kitty).
One thing to know about our family is that we like to take our time. Clint and I met in Middle School in 1991 and built a solid 20-year foundation of friendship before the wedding! It also took us a while to commit to Heartwood. In 2010, we learned about Heartwood and the concept of cohousing. We became enchanted by the idea of landing there some day to raise a family.
By 2013, we moved to Bayfield and remodeled a 100-year-old foreclosure in the center of town. At that time, Heartwood was out of reach financially, but was still very much on our radar. After two years of hard work, we had built our cozy little nest and it was darling. The only thing missing was a baby. In February, 2015, we welcomed Lincoln Rio into the world! Our lives changed in an instant. All that mattered from that moment forward was building a safe and happy childhood for our little boy. As much as we loved the nest we built, we didn’t have a sense of community in our neighborhood or access to wild open space for Lincoln to explore as he grew up.
By 2018, we were ready to seriously explore the idea of moving to Heartwood. We jumped on the opportunity to sublet the downstairs apartment of #18 for a couple of months to be sure community life was a good fit. What we thought would take two months of consideration took about two days. We fell in love. We said YES, to cohousing, YES, to Heartwood! Friendly folks, smiles, the great outdoors, the gardens, sharing food, and honest conversations made us feel like we had found our place in this world. We couldn’t wait for the right home to come on the market so that we could return and raise our little boy here.
Again, it took us some time, but in 2020, (after 10 years of thinking about it), the stars finally aligned and our dream was realized. We ended up buying #18 – the same house we stayed in two years before! Our hard work on the little nest paid off and helped finance the purchase of our dream home.
We feel like Heartwood's multigenerational cohousing dream to once again have young children romp the paths and command the SS Ponderosa playground was realized too. A month after moving in, a family with four kids moved in next door. It fills our hearts to the tippy-top to watch this “new crop” of kiddos build the next generation of Heartwood kid culture. We are so grateful and happy to be here!
Hi! We are Maria, Clint, and Lincoln Miller. Maria is a local elementary school teacher, Clint works for Atmos Energy, and Lincoln is a full-time kid. He spends his summer days chasing lizards, getting muddy, playing on the SS Ponderosa, and climbing trees. We live at #18 and share our home with Becky Logan (downstairs apartment), Wally and Butters (great big senior dogs), and Mr. Mouse (our tuxedo kitty).
One thing to know about our family is that we like to take our time. Clint and I met in Middle School in 1991 and built a solid 20-year foundation of friendship before the wedding! It also took us a while to commit to Heartwood. In 2010, we learned about Heartwood and the concept of cohousing. We became enchanted by the idea of landing there some day to raise a family.
By 2013, we moved to Bayfield and remodeled a 100-year-old foreclosure in the center of town. At that time, Heartwood was out of reach financially, but was still very much on our radar. After two years of hard work, we had built our cozy little nest and it was darling. The only thing missing was a baby. In February, 2015, we welcomed Lincoln Rio into the world! Our lives changed in an instant. All that mattered from that moment forward was building a safe and happy childhood for our little boy. As much as we loved the nest we built, we didn’t have a sense of community in our neighborhood or access to wild open space for Lincoln to explore as he grew up.
By 2018, we were ready to seriously explore the idea of moving to Heartwood. We jumped on the opportunity to sublet the downstairs apartment of #18 for a couple of months to be sure community life was a good fit. What we thought would take two months of consideration took about two days. We fell in love. We said YES, to cohousing, YES, to Heartwood! Friendly folks, smiles, the great outdoors, the gardens, sharing food, and honest conversations made us feel like we had found our place in this world. We couldn’t wait for the right home to come on the market so that we could return and raise our little boy here.
Again, it took us some time, but in 2020, (after 10 years of thinking about it), the stars finally aligned and our dream was realized. We ended up buying #18 – the same house we stayed in two years before! Our hard work on the little nest paid off and helped finance the purchase of our dream home.
We feel like Heartwood's multigenerational cohousing dream to once again have young children romp the paths and command the SS Ponderosa playground was realized too. A month after moving in, a family with four kids moved in next door. It fills our hearts to the tippy-top to watch this “new crop” of kiddos build the next generation of Heartwood kid culture. We are so grateful and happy to be here!
Becky
I joined HW over 2 years ago. I currently rent a lovely apartment and am a P2 associate member, waiting to move into my own house. After retirement, I sold my home in Vermont and took to the road in a beautiful 36’ travel trailer. Boy, I loved the travel, seeing so many wondrous places from Down East Maine to Big Bend, TX, from the Ozarks to the Wichita Mts. of OK, from Appalachacola, FL to St. George, UT. BUT, after 2 years traveling alone, I was lonely. So I went on search for a cohousing community, the one kind of community I could envision being a part of. After visiting two essentially unfriendly cohos, I dropped into Heartwood and never looked back. I was invited to join the October camping trip to Canyonlands and fell in love with the openness and generosity found with this group of people.
Love the SW – boulders, tors, cliffs, canyons – all such scenery stirring me. I hike, continue to travel with my little teardrop camper, before the Age of Covid, was a pickleball addict and hope to be again, am a Unitarian Universalist, love to play board games. Miss community dinners and potlucks, and, inexplicably, love yard work and gardening – I’m the Queen of fire mitigation, thistle eradication, and cluster beautification.
My household extends to Amber, my 2 year old Greyhound/Viszla, who is more social than I am, very friendly and inexhaustible – whereas I might hike 5 miles, Amber scoots off to explore and experience the surrounding terrain, probably arriving at 15 miles to my 5.
What I love about HW: well, the complex variety of people, groups and families living here, some so kind, some so darned smart and well-informed, some with amazing backgrounds and experiences, some with such good ideas for social gathering, some so spiritually open, some so talented, some so engaged with the outside community… All of us giving and sharing.
Living in a rural area with so much open land but only ½ an hour from a big town where I enjoy pickleball, church, shopping - this is the kind of life I’ve always had and very much enjoy.
Living so close to some of the most beautiful places to hike, and find inner fulfillment – like the Piedra River trail, Potato Lake, Sand Canyon, Penitente Canyon. Living close enough to take off camping near the national forest surrounding St. George, UT, or Silver City, NM, or Sedona, AZ.
This is my home and here I find respect and support and, in turn, find a very good place where my contributions are valued.
I joined HW over 2 years ago. I currently rent a lovely apartment and am a P2 associate member, waiting to move into my own house. After retirement, I sold my home in Vermont and took to the road in a beautiful 36’ travel trailer. Boy, I loved the travel, seeing so many wondrous places from Down East Maine to Big Bend, TX, from the Ozarks to the Wichita Mts. of OK, from Appalachacola, FL to St. George, UT. BUT, after 2 years traveling alone, I was lonely. So I went on search for a cohousing community, the one kind of community I could envision being a part of. After visiting two essentially unfriendly cohos, I dropped into Heartwood and never looked back. I was invited to join the October camping trip to Canyonlands and fell in love with the openness and generosity found with this group of people.
Love the SW – boulders, tors, cliffs, canyons – all such scenery stirring me. I hike, continue to travel with my little teardrop camper, before the Age of Covid, was a pickleball addict and hope to be again, am a Unitarian Universalist, love to play board games. Miss community dinners and potlucks, and, inexplicably, love yard work and gardening – I’m the Queen of fire mitigation, thistle eradication, and cluster beautification.
My household extends to Amber, my 2 year old Greyhound/Viszla, who is more social than I am, very friendly and inexhaustible – whereas I might hike 5 miles, Amber scoots off to explore and experience the surrounding terrain, probably arriving at 15 miles to my 5.
What I love about HW: well, the complex variety of people, groups and families living here, some so kind, some so darned smart and well-informed, some with amazing backgrounds and experiences, some with such good ideas for social gathering, some so spiritually open, some so talented, some so engaged with the outside community… All of us giving and sharing.
Living in a rural area with so much open land but only ½ an hour from a big town where I enjoy pickleball, church, shopping - this is the kind of life I’ve always had and very much enjoy.
Living so close to some of the most beautiful places to hike, and find inner fulfillment – like the Piedra River trail, Potato Lake, Sand Canyon, Penitente Canyon. Living close enough to take off camping near the national forest surrounding St. George, UT, or Silver City, NM, or Sedona, AZ.
This is my home and here I find respect and support and, in turn, find a very good place where my contributions are valued.
Sondra & Paul
Sondra Joyce and Paul Nazaryk are native Coloradans and live at # 24 with their cat, Mr. Poe. They were married at the Heartwood farm in 2010. Before that, Sondra and her son Joren (or JJ) lived at Heartwood. Joren grew up at Heartwood, currently lives in Durango, and is a frequent visitor.
Paul moved to the area from Missoula, Montana. His two daughters, Krista and Carly, were raised in Montana and the Denver area. Krista lives in Durango, and Carly lives in New York City with her husband, Israel. (They were married at the Cloisters during the Covid pandemic.) His stepdaughter, Lyndze, lives in Colorado Springs with her husband, Tommy, and their four kids.
Sondra is a realtor, commercial property manager/owner of Animas Square in Durango, and a coach. She loves living lightly on the earth, knowing people with diverse ideas and backgrounds that live here, all the amazing conversations that ensue because of that, breaking bread together, spontaneous parties, the fire circle, celebrations of the changing seasons, and the forward-thinking way we live together.
Paul is an attorney and an environmental consultant with an office in Durango. He is passionate about convertibles, music, especially Bruce Springsteen, and travel. Paul also does volunteer work with the Mountain Studies Institute and Axis Health Systems, where he serves on the Board of Directors. He loves to hike, mainly with his guy friends. Paul’s favorite thing about Heartwood is living with a close circle of friends and neighbors in a tolerant and progressive community with plenty of open space.
Sondra Joyce and Paul Nazaryk are native Coloradans and live at # 24 with their cat, Mr. Poe. They were married at the Heartwood farm in 2010. Before that, Sondra and her son Joren (or JJ) lived at Heartwood. Joren grew up at Heartwood, currently lives in Durango, and is a frequent visitor.
Paul moved to the area from Missoula, Montana. His two daughters, Krista and Carly, were raised in Montana and the Denver area. Krista lives in Durango, and Carly lives in New York City with her husband, Israel. (They were married at the Cloisters during the Covid pandemic.) His stepdaughter, Lyndze, lives in Colorado Springs with her husband, Tommy, and their four kids.
Sondra is a realtor, commercial property manager/owner of Animas Square in Durango, and a coach. She loves living lightly on the earth, knowing people with diverse ideas and backgrounds that live here, all the amazing conversations that ensue because of that, breaking bread together, spontaneous parties, the fire circle, celebrations of the changing seasons, and the forward-thinking way we live together.
Paul is an attorney and an environmental consultant with an office in Durango. He is passionate about convertibles, music, especially Bruce Springsteen, and travel. Paul also does volunteer work with the Mountain Studies Institute and Axis Health Systems, where he serves on the Board of Directors. He loves to hike, mainly with his guy friends. Paul’s favorite thing about Heartwood is living with a close circle of friends and neighbors in a tolerant and progressive community with plenty of open space.