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 current members and learn what they enjoy about life at Heartwood and you'll meet some of our future Phase 2 members and learn what attracts them to life at Heartwood.
Heartwood Phase 1 Members
Nancy
Contributing to the stewardship of this land for future generations is an important part of my Heartwood life. Interacting with people of all ages in my day-to-day is valuable, as is supporting others in the journey from infancy to childhood to passing on. I'm finding this opportunity here and will contribute to encouraging diversity. Walking trails every day is uplifting and my volunteer contributions have me outdoors working physically, every day which I value.
Contributing to the stewardship of this land for future generations is an important part of my Heartwood life. Interacting with people of all ages in my day-to-day is valuable, as is supporting others in the journey from infancy to childhood to passing on. I'm finding this opportunity here and will contribute to encouraging diversity. Walking trails every day is uplifting and my volunteer contributions have me outdoors working physically, every day which I value.
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 live with my social golden-doodle, Mae.
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 grandchild was born in the living room of #1.
I am a grief counselor who became an accountant 11 years ago.
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 live with my social golden-doodle, Mae.
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 grandchild was born in the living room of #1.
I am a grief counselor who became an accountant 11 years ago.
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.
Julie G & Scott
My husband Scott and I have been living at Heartwood since its inception in 2000. We raised our two daughters, Amanda & Rebekah, at Heartwood.
I grew up in Long Island, NY and have lived in Washington DC, Park City, UT, and Windhoek Namibia before moving to Colorado in 1998. Professionally, I have served as a social worker for most of my career. Currently, I coach home visitors for a parent support program throughout the State of Colorado, and am able to do so remotely.
I enjoy playing pickleball, playing cards and board games, and love Broadway musicals.
I enjoy the friendships and strong sense of community that has been created at Heartwood. I feel a sense of peace and comfort here at Heartwood and the natural beauty offers a safe and grounding space.
My husband Scott and I have been living at Heartwood since its inception in 2000. We raised our two daughters, Amanda & Rebekah, at Heartwood.
I grew up in Long Island, NY and have lived in Washington DC, Park City, UT, and Windhoek Namibia before moving to Colorado in 1998. Professionally, I have served as a social worker for most of my career. Currently, I coach home visitors for a parent support program throughout the State of Colorado, and am able to do so remotely.
I enjoy playing pickleball, playing cards and board games, and love Broadway musicals.
I enjoy the friendships and strong sense of community that has been created at Heartwood. I feel a sense of peace and comfort here at Heartwood and the natural beauty offers a safe and grounding space.
Ashley, Matthew, Lily, & Penelope
Hi! We are Ashley, Matthew, Lily (age 4), and baby Penelope. Matthew and Ashley are originally from Kentucky, spent two years traveling about the US in a motorhome, and landed in Bayfield in 2017. We felt a yearning to live in closer connection with our neighbors and to be a part of a supportive community that we just couldn’t find in our other neighborhood. We moved into #4 in February of 2023. Penelope joined in the adventure January 2024 and was welcomed into the world right here in our home.
Ashley has paused working as an RN to focus on raising our children. Matthew owns the Art Supply House in Durango.
There are so many things we love about living at Heartwood.
There are so many things we love about living at Heartwood:
Hi! We are Ashley, Matthew, Lily (age 4), and baby Penelope. Matthew and Ashley are originally from Kentucky, spent two years traveling about the US in a motorhome, and landed in Bayfield in 2017. We felt a yearning to live in closer connection with our neighbors and to be a part of a supportive community that we just couldn’t find in our other neighborhood. We moved into #4 in February of 2023. Penelope joined in the adventure January 2024 and was welcomed into the world right here in our home.
Ashley has paused working as an RN to focus on raising our children. Matthew owns the Art Supply House in Durango.
There are so many things we love about living at Heartwood.
There are so many things we love about living at Heartwood:
- Knowing we are cared about and having supportive neighbors who are always there for us.
- Work parties
- Sharing meals together and celebrating life events/holidays.
- Multi-generational living
- Watching children roam freely
- Gardening together
- Beautiful hiking trails and connection to nature
- Front porch gatherings and the ease of socializing
- Being able to contribute to something bigger than ourselves and immediate family.
- Having access to shared resources and not having to duplicate commonly used equipment.
Lynne (Mimi)
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.
Dick & Gay
We have been married since 1966—57 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 in OB-GYN, and then moved to Durango in 1976 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, 20 and 17, in Grand Junction, and our 10-year-old Anya, in Denver, who is bilingual in Russian and English, like her Ukrainian mom. We have a 2 ½ year old rescue mutt called Finn. We had two horses for many years, but they are no longer alive. Although we are 80, 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 48 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!)
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 to practice OB-GYN for 40 years in Durango and write 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, 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 grew up in Montreal and Vermont. I’ve been a teacher since grad school, (MAT Harvard) 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. I have volunteered as a teacher with Durango Nature Studies (now San Juan Mountains Assoc,) 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—57 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 in OB-GYN, and then moved to Durango in 1976 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, 20 and 17, in Grand Junction, and our 10-year-old Anya, in Denver, who is bilingual in Russian and English, like her Ukrainian mom. We have a 2 ½ year old rescue mutt called Finn. We had two horses for many years, but they are no longer alive. Although we are 80, 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 48 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!)
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 to practice OB-GYN for 40 years in Durango and write 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, 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 grew up in Montreal and Vermont. I’ve been a teacher since grad school, (MAT Harvard) 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. I have volunteered as a teacher with Durango Nature Studies (now San Juan Mountains Assoc,) 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.
Nisargo & KJ
We moved into #12 at Heartwood in 2019, after raising our two children in the mountains west of Boulder, CO. They are adults now, living their separate lives, while we get to enjoy an entirely different life style, and loving it!
KJ grew up in Connecticut as one of five boys. He is a nurse, a musician, a great gardener and cook. He is currently enjoying a semi-sabbatical waiting for inspiration toward the next steps in his carrier.
Nisargo grew up in Germany but has lived in the US for 40 years. She is a writer, working on a memoir, and also a musician, playing recorders and the piano. She is retired from her private practice in cranio-sacral therapy.
Pip and Hazel, two lovely indoor/outdoor cats also live at #12 keeping them company!
What we love here:
We moved into #12 at Heartwood in 2019, after raising our two children in the mountains west of Boulder, CO. They are adults now, living their separate lives, while we get to enjoy an entirely different life style, and loving it!
KJ grew up in Connecticut as one of five boys. He is a nurse, a musician, a great gardener and cook. He is currently enjoying a semi-sabbatical waiting for inspiration toward the next steps in his carrier.
Nisargo grew up in Germany but has lived in the US for 40 years. She is a writer, working on a memoir, and also a musician, playing recorders and the piano. She is retired from her private practice in cranio-sacral therapy.
Pip and Hazel, two lovely indoor/outdoor cats also live at #12 keeping them company!
What we love here:
- instant access to many friends
- awesome hiking out of our front doors
- the best court for playing pickle ball
- beautiful cared for gardens
- surrounded by beautiful farmlands
- impromptu front porch gatherings
- access to so much camping in such varied landscapes just a short drive away
- a lot of smiling faces to greet my day
- being welcomed back home every time I have been gone
- all the gifts people share with the community in so many different ways
Beth & Michael
Hi there! I am Beth and Michael is my husband. We just celebrated our 31st anniversary! We've been part of Heartwood from the beginning, way back in the early days when we used to hand out flyers on the streets of Durango, inviting folks to the Sunday potluck, trying to attract folks to this idea of building a cohousing community. I worked closely with Mac on the Phase 1 build-out, serving as the Assistant Project Manager during construction. After 6 years of development, Michael and I were able to move into our brand new Heartwood home in January, 2000. Here we raised our two kids, Shannon and Jesse, who are now in their late twenties (and in the photo). Last year Shannon married the love of her life, and on Mother's Day this year they told us that they will be having their first baby in January 2023. We are so excited to be grandparents!
I work as a coach: I do life coaching with individuals and relationship coaching with couples. Most of my work revolves around teaching and facilitating the practice of good communication skills, including how to have difficult conversations with each other. I am pretty passionate about communication! Michael works as a counselor and also sees individuals and couples. Michael has been in the counseling profession for over 45 years now.
At Heartwood, Michael participates on the Steering team. I collect monthly water meter readings and track both the community's domestic water production and usage. I also manage all the various Google chats we use for plenary and team communication, and I help provide communication and consensus training for the Phase 2 folks. During the pandemic, we took a year-long break from gathering with the community, but now we are back to participating in common meals pretty regularly.
In my spare time, I enjoy sewing (upcycling clothing), gardening, and reading. I love learning about neuro-diversity and increasing my understanding of the gifts that neuro-diverse individuals bring. I also love hiking and walking – being outdoors in general is very important to me. Michael enjoys singing and playing acoustic guitar, drumming, gardening, walking, yoga, and swimming. We love having long deep conversations about life, the universe, and everything. We both find ourselves becoming more contemplative as we get older.
What I most love about Heartwood is getting to raise our children here. It was a way to give our kids as much freedom as they could handle, but with lots of caring adult eyes watching and guiding. Co-parenting in Heartwood made me a better mom, and it gave our kids an opportunity to relate more intimately to many different adults and kids. To this day they talk about how much they appreciate the community culture they grew up in. Living in community is not always easy for me, even after all these years! But it has added a depth of meaning I would be hard-pressed to find elsewhere. Community living has also been the catalyst that has caused me to grow, sometimes in ways I didn't count on! Both Michael and I are looking forward to the completion of Phase 2 – getting to know new neighbors and watching our community grow and expand.
Hi there! I am Beth and Michael is my husband. We just celebrated our 31st anniversary! We've been part of Heartwood from the beginning, way back in the early days when we used to hand out flyers on the streets of Durango, inviting folks to the Sunday potluck, trying to attract folks to this idea of building a cohousing community. I worked closely with Mac on the Phase 1 build-out, serving as the Assistant Project Manager during construction. After 6 years of development, Michael and I were able to move into our brand new Heartwood home in January, 2000. Here we raised our two kids, Shannon and Jesse, who are now in their late twenties (and in the photo). Last year Shannon married the love of her life, and on Mother's Day this year they told us that they will be having their first baby in January 2023. We are so excited to be grandparents!
I work as a coach: I do life coaching with individuals and relationship coaching with couples. Most of my work revolves around teaching and facilitating the practice of good communication skills, including how to have difficult conversations with each other. I am pretty passionate about communication! Michael works as a counselor and also sees individuals and couples. Michael has been in the counseling profession for over 45 years now.
At Heartwood, Michael participates on the Steering team. I collect monthly water meter readings and track both the community's domestic water production and usage. I also manage all the various Google chats we use for plenary and team communication, and I help provide communication and consensus training for the Phase 2 folks. During the pandemic, we took a year-long break from gathering with the community, but now we are back to participating in common meals pretty regularly.
In my spare time, I enjoy sewing (upcycling clothing), gardening, and reading. I love learning about neuro-diversity and increasing my understanding of the gifts that neuro-diverse individuals bring. I also love hiking and walking – being outdoors in general is very important to me. Michael enjoys singing and playing acoustic guitar, drumming, gardening, walking, yoga, and swimming. We love having long deep conversations about life, the universe, and everything. We both find ourselves becoming more contemplative as we get older.
What I most love about Heartwood is getting to raise our children here. It was a way to give our kids as much freedom as they could handle, but with lots of caring adult eyes watching and guiding. Co-parenting in Heartwood made me a better mom, and it gave our kids an opportunity to relate more intimately to many different adults and kids. To this day they talk about how much they appreciate the community culture they grew up in. Living in community is not always easy for me, even after all these years! But it has added a depth of meaning I would be hard-pressed to find elsewhere. Community living has also been the catalyst that has caused me to grow, sometimes in ways I didn't count on! Both Michael and I are looking forward to the completion of Phase 2 – getting to know new neighbors and watching our community grow and expand.
Carly, Marcus, Aubrey, & Naomi
We are Marcus and Carly, and we are delighted to live in #14 with our 5 year old and nearly 3 year old daughters. We moved in at the end of 2023, and we are delighted to be part of such a caring, supportive, and fun community. Our daughters have adjusted easily, and are already understanding the value and joy of living in community. Heartwood offers us a chance to balance the needs and wants of all members of our family, and has helped us find a greater sense of balance, especially with the ability to walk out the door and wander into the woods. We look forward to building deeper relationships with our neighbors and exploring even more of what the land and the area has to offer.
We are Marcus and Carly, and we are delighted to live in #14 with our 5 year old and nearly 3 year old daughters. We moved in at the end of 2023, and we are delighted to be part of such a caring, supportive, and fun community. Our daughters have adjusted easily, and are already understanding the value and joy of living in community. Heartwood offers us a chance to balance the needs and wants of all members of our family, and has helped us find a greater sense of balance, especially with the ability to walk out the door and wander into the woods. We look forward to building deeper relationships with our neighbors and exploring even more of what the land and the area has to offer.
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), 78 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), 78 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 grown and gone (ages 23 - 28). They have now all graduated from college. Wow, what an earthshaking transition for us. So happy and so sad all at once. Though they are scattered throughout the Rocky Mountains, they stay close to their Heartwood friends they grew up with and we stay very close as a family. The only one left at home with us is 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 grown and gone (ages 23 - 28). They have now all graduated from college. Wow, what an earthshaking transition for us. So happy and so sad all at once. Though they are scattered throughout the Rocky Mountains, they stay close to their Heartwood friends they grew up with and we stay very close as a family. The only one left at home with us is 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.
Sandhya & Dylan
Sandhya & Dylan (36 years old in 2023) are excited to make Heartwood their home! They love cooking and dancing around the kitchen together, exploring the mountains and desert of the Southwest by bike, foot, and packraft, and spending time with friends and family.
Dylan is a 5th grade English & Language Arts teacher at Park Elementary School where he loves connecting poetry, Shakespeare, and social justice to kids' lives and experiences. Dylan is originally from San Mateo, CA and was raised by musician parents on one side, and business-minded parents on the other. He is passionate about biking, bread making, beer and kombucha brewing, lots of kitchen experiments, disc golf and teaching. Dylan loves striking up casual conversations and getting to know folks.
Sandhya is originally from Santa Barbara, CA and was raised in an intentional living community for the first 18 years of her life, where she loved being surrounded by many adults as supportive role models and lots of other kids running around. Sandhya is a participatory facilitator through her own business, Sagebrush Ltd., where she facilitates collaborative, consensus building conversations, strategic planning retreats, and regional coalition events. She is passionate about helping people discuss complex and often difficult topics and build innovative solutions to address the pressing issues which affect our community and world.
As Dylan & Sandhya dream of creating a family together, living in community makes so much sense, especially since their immediate family live elsewhere. They are immensely drawn to Heartwood to live in a close multigenerational community to steward land, raise kids, grow food, support each other through the big and small aspects of life, practice effectively communicating through compassion, and build a web of connection and support with others. From their first tour of Heartwood and meeting all of the community members there, they've known that this is where they want to call home.
Sandhya & Dylan (36 years old in 2023) are excited to make Heartwood their home! They love cooking and dancing around the kitchen together, exploring the mountains and desert of the Southwest by bike, foot, and packraft, and spending time with friends and family.
Dylan is a 5th grade English & Language Arts teacher at Park Elementary School where he loves connecting poetry, Shakespeare, and social justice to kids' lives and experiences. Dylan is originally from San Mateo, CA and was raised by musician parents on one side, and business-minded parents on the other. He is passionate about biking, bread making, beer and kombucha brewing, lots of kitchen experiments, disc golf and teaching. Dylan loves striking up casual conversations and getting to know folks.
Sandhya is originally from Santa Barbara, CA and was raised in an intentional living community for the first 18 years of her life, where she loved being surrounded by many adults as supportive role models and lots of other kids running around. Sandhya is a participatory facilitator through her own business, Sagebrush Ltd., where she facilitates collaborative, consensus building conversations, strategic planning retreats, and regional coalition events. She is passionate about helping people discuss complex and often difficult topics and build innovative solutions to address the pressing issues which affect our community and world.
As Dylan & Sandhya dream of creating a family together, living in community makes so much sense, especially since their immediate family live elsewhere. They are immensely drawn to Heartwood to live in a close multigenerational community to steward land, raise kids, grow food, support each other through the big and small aspects of life, practice effectively communicating through compassion, and build a web of connection and support with others. From their first tour of Heartwood and meeting all of the community members there, they've known that this is where they want to call home.
Mary Ellen & Paul
We moved into #18, with our big rescue dog “Bowser”, in April 2023. Recently retired, we’re excited to be living here, and are appreciating so many aspects of community life:
We were both born in Denver, and have pursued paths of service and adventure in many places: Paul as a social worker, an Episcopal priest in parish ministry for over 20 years, and a Chaplain for a Denver elementary school; Mary Ellen as a community organizer and lobbyist for environmental issues, a musician, music teacher, and non-profit director. We met in our 40’s, in Estes Park. We both love to sing, garden, and hike, and are learning to play ukulele. Mary Ellen’s also an avid knitter, and Paul is studying the complex history and cultures of the Southwest. We have a large extended family with many siblings, in-laws, nieces and nephews.
We moved into #18, with our big rescue dog “Bowser”, in April 2023. Recently retired, we’re excited to be living here, and are appreciating so many aspects of community life:
- The warm welcome of our neighbors, and ease of connecting over meals and on the paths.
- People always willing to lend a hand, pitching in to solve needs.
- Working together at the greenhouse, pastures, and on community projects.
- Commitment to a more environmentally-sustainable way of life, with very conscious use of water, well-built homes, abundant areas to grow food.
- Commitment to agreements honoring everyone’s voices in community decisions.
- The wealth of knowledge, skills, and life experiences pooled among neighbors.
- Multi-generational community, bringing together the joy and fresh energies of children with the wisdom of elders, and everyone in between.
- Network of beautiful hiking trails on the HW land.
- Pickleball and tennis courts, hot-tub, common house guest rooms.
- Spectacular natural and wilderness areas nearby.
- Dark skies at night.
We were both born in Denver, and have pursued paths of service and adventure in many places: Paul as a social worker, an Episcopal priest in parish ministry for over 20 years, and a Chaplain for a Denver elementary school; Mary Ellen as a community organizer and lobbyist for environmental issues, a musician, music teacher, and non-profit director. We met in our 40’s, in Estes Park. We both love to sing, garden, and hike, and are learning to play ukulele. Mary Ellen’s also an avid knitter, and Paul is studying the complex history and cultures of the Southwest. We have a large extended family with many siblings, in-laws, nieces and nephews.
Becky
I joined Heartwood over 4 years ago. After living here for some years in a Heartwood apartment, I bought a Heartwood P1 house. One of the things I like about my new old house is that I can age in place since there’s a bedroom/bath on the first floor. Now, however, I rent to two lovely women, both of whom have become Heartwood members. Yes, it’s a big house with an apartment downstairs and several rooms upstairs, two of which I rent.
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 a 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.
I love the Southwest – boulders, tors, cliffs, canyons – all such scenery stirring me. I hike, continue to travel with my little teardrop camper, am a pickleball addict, am a Unitarian Universalist, and love to play board games. I also, inexplicably, love yard work and gardening – like fire mitigation: lopping ladder fuels and building piles of dead brush to be chipped or burned, and working in my gardens.
My household extends to Amber, my 4 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 Heartwood over 4 years ago. After living here for some years in a Heartwood apartment, I bought a Heartwood P1 house. One of the things I like about my new old house is that I can age in place since there’s a bedroom/bath on the first floor. Now, however, I rent to two lovely women, both of whom have become Heartwood members. Yes, it’s a big house with an apartment downstairs and several rooms upstairs, two of which I rent.
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 a 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.
I love the Southwest – boulders, tors, cliffs, canyons – all such scenery stirring me. I hike, continue to travel with my little teardrop camper, am a pickleball addict, am a Unitarian Universalist, and love to play board games. I also, inexplicably, love yard work and gardening – like fire mitigation: lopping ladder fuels and building piles of dead brush to be chipped or burned, and working in my gardens.
My household extends to Amber, my 4 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.
Sasha & David
We are a family of five at this time: 2 humans and 3 felines. We were both active in animal welfare in Austin, TX and have fostered and adopted out approximately 50 cats through the years. We "failed" 6 times, which means we ended up adopting some of our fosters – all males who were quiet, fixed, litter box trained, loving, and absolutely hilarious at times. Since then, 3 have passed away, so we now just have "Jake", "Butch" and "Zorro".
Sasha has two daughters and David has a son and a daughter. We have five young grandchildren, who have enormously blessed our lives. Having grandchildren living in different cities has us traveling to Marina Del Ray, CA, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico and maintaining a presence in Austin, TX. David's son and his fiancee live in Asheville, NC. Not bad places to visit, we'd say!
David taught government at the University of Texas at Austin for 50 years, writing a number of books on international relations and American politics. He retired 7 years ago but continues to be active in University affairs when in Austin, and remains an active writer. He especially loves to cook.
Sasha has her own financial management company and is chief financial officer for a company in the music business founded by one of her daughters. Her main avocation continues to be serving as a voice for all animals.
Sasha has always loved the idea of community. When she was a single mom, she regularly had roommates and then she joined a spiritual community which she enjoyed for almost 15 years. We both love the community life and experiences at Heartwood, and participate actively in them. David considers himself to be spiritual and Sasha defines herself as a Buddhist atheist.
We bought half of a duplex (#14) in Heartwood two years ago and enjoyed living there so much we exchanged it for a somewhat larger home (#21) recently. We still have a limited presence in Austin, where David remains active in the Church of Conscious Harmony and the U.T. Library and we both maintain many friendships and visit family.
We are a family of five at this time: 2 humans and 3 felines. We were both active in animal welfare in Austin, TX and have fostered and adopted out approximately 50 cats through the years. We "failed" 6 times, which means we ended up adopting some of our fosters – all males who were quiet, fixed, litter box trained, loving, and absolutely hilarious at times. Since then, 3 have passed away, so we now just have "Jake", "Butch" and "Zorro".
Sasha has two daughters and David has a son and a daughter. We have five young grandchildren, who have enormously blessed our lives. Having grandchildren living in different cities has us traveling to Marina Del Ray, CA, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico and maintaining a presence in Austin, TX. David's son and his fiancee live in Asheville, NC. Not bad places to visit, we'd say!
David taught government at the University of Texas at Austin for 50 years, writing a number of books on international relations and American politics. He retired 7 years ago but continues to be active in University affairs when in Austin, and remains an active writer. He especially loves to cook.
Sasha has her own financial management company and is chief financial officer for a company in the music business founded by one of her daughters. Her main avocation continues to be serving as a voice for all animals.
Sasha has always loved the idea of community. When she was a single mom, she regularly had roommates and then she joined a spiritual community which she enjoyed for almost 15 years. We both love the community life and experiences at Heartwood, and participate actively in them. David considers himself to be spiritual and Sasha defines herself as a Buddhist atheist.
We bought half of a duplex (#14) in Heartwood two years ago and enjoyed living there so much we exchanged it for a somewhat larger home (#21) recently. We still have a limited presence in Austin, where David remains active in the Church of Conscious Harmony and the U.T. Library and we both maintain many friendships and visit family.
Tom & Carin
The Garcias’ in #23: Tom and Carin, Nikki (33), Gabriel (25), Brianna (24), Keely (22), and Goldendoodle, Kikito (6). We have lived in Heartwood for 24 years and now we’re empty nesters. Our children have all grown up here and this will always be their home. The kids had the run of the woods, safe in the embrace of family, friends, and community. Connection is a high value for us and lifelong friendships have evolved over the years. To know and be known by our neighbors is such a blessing. The challenges we have faced together in our private lives and in community have made us stronger. We’re always learning from one another here. This land is a wonderful place to explore in every season—hiking, biking, snowshoeing and skiing. Community fire circles and ceremonial gatherings are a special highlight where we find the spirit of Heartwood alive and well.
The Garcias’ in #23: Tom and Carin, Nikki (33), Gabriel (25), Brianna (24), Keely (22), and Goldendoodle, Kikito (6). We have lived in Heartwood for 24 years and now we’re empty nesters. Our children have all grown up here and this will always be their home. The kids had the run of the woods, safe in the embrace of family, friends, and community. Connection is a high value for us and lifelong friendships have evolved over the years. To know and be known by our neighbors is such a blessing. The challenges we have faced together in our private lives and in community have made us stronger. We’re always learning from one another here. This land is a wonderful place to explore in every season—hiking, biking, snowshoeing and skiing. Community fire circles and ceremonial gatherings are a special highlight where we find the spirit of Heartwood alive and well.
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.
Committed Phase 2 Homebuyers
Shelley
Our household includes me and my dog and two cats. The cats are the boss. :-)
I feel that community is an essential component to living a healthy, balanced, extraordinary life. I think it gets harder as we get older to connect with people and form community because everyone is so busy with work, their own immediate family concerns and other busy-ness and life seems kind of structured to keep us isolated.
I long to be in nature and to be with people that are more like me in how they value living respectfully on the earth. I love the large acreage, nature, quiet, beauty, growing food and animals. I appreciate the balance of privacy and socializing, that pets are welcomed and common, that things are run by consensus and self-governed and that it is established with I'm sure lots of wisdom gathered along the way.
Our household includes me and my dog and two cats. The cats are the boss. :-)
I feel that community is an essential component to living a healthy, balanced, extraordinary life. I think it gets harder as we get older to connect with people and form community because everyone is so busy with work, their own immediate family concerns and other busy-ness and life seems kind of structured to keep us isolated.
I long to be in nature and to be with people that are more like me in how they value living respectfully on the earth. I love the large acreage, nature, quiet, beauty, growing food and animals. I appreciate the balance of privacy and socializing, that pets are welcomed and common, that things are run by consensus and self-governed and that it is established with I'm sure lots of wisdom gathered along the way.
Dawn & Tom
My name is Dawn. I am 62 and enjoy vigorous daily walks, yoga, and cooking. Originally from a small town near the Canadian border, in New York state, I love the four seasons, and spent many summers swimming, sunning and boating on Lake Ontario. Today I find the most inspiration experiencing the magnificence of the mountains as well as the tides, winds and surf of the beach. I am an entrepreneur, having created and operated two small businesses for 20 years. I love music, dancing, deep conversations, and all types of animals and wildlife. I am a licensed aesthetician and specialize in helping folks take care of the skin they’re in. I am also a Sexuality Coach, Certified Tantra Educator, and a bodyworker.
I am Tom. I am 67 and view myself as a lifelong learner. My experience is that the natural universe is our greatest teacher. Observing and experiencing nature has, for me, far outweighed any other avenues of learning. For example, nature has taught me that diversity is essential, and as a result, I believe that the unique gifts of each person should be valued, cultivated, and celebrated. I am working in a second career as a holistic psychotherapist (semi- retired), licensed in Texas, Hawaii, and now Colorado. I love riding my bike, working on projects around the house, helping others, and maintaining spiritual connection.
We are committed to living together as a couple, and are interested in joining a community of people that value nature, health, spirituality (however each chooses) and are committed to living an open-hearted, peace-filled life, with a minimum impact on the environment. We are both vegan, and have had an interest in intentional living and cohousing for many years. We currently live in The Woodlands, Texas where it is hot and humid most of the year, and the opportunity to enjoy nature is limited. Also, in our current community, residents tend to be isolated. We love traveling, and have joined friends on yoga retreats to Peru and Greece. We recently took a road trip to Colorado. During the COVID crisis, we have mostly sheltered in place together, and practice social-distancing and mask-wearing when in public. We have spent many weekends at Galveston beach on the Texas gulf coast. We are ready for change and are excited to be newly committed homebuyers at Heartwood.
My name is Dawn. I am 62 and enjoy vigorous daily walks, yoga, and cooking. Originally from a small town near the Canadian border, in New York state, I love the four seasons, and spent many summers swimming, sunning and boating on Lake Ontario. Today I find the most inspiration experiencing the magnificence of the mountains as well as the tides, winds and surf of the beach. I am an entrepreneur, having created and operated two small businesses for 20 years. I love music, dancing, deep conversations, and all types of animals and wildlife. I am a licensed aesthetician and specialize in helping folks take care of the skin they’re in. I am also a Sexuality Coach, Certified Tantra Educator, and a bodyworker.
I am Tom. I am 67 and view myself as a lifelong learner. My experience is that the natural universe is our greatest teacher. Observing and experiencing nature has, for me, far outweighed any other avenues of learning. For example, nature has taught me that diversity is essential, and as a result, I believe that the unique gifts of each person should be valued, cultivated, and celebrated. I am working in a second career as a holistic psychotherapist (semi- retired), licensed in Texas, Hawaii, and now Colorado. I love riding my bike, working on projects around the house, helping others, and maintaining spiritual connection.
We are committed to living together as a couple, and are interested in joining a community of people that value nature, health, spirituality (however each chooses) and are committed to living an open-hearted, peace-filled life, with a minimum impact on the environment. We are both vegan, and have had an interest in intentional living and cohousing for many years. We currently live in The Woodlands, Texas where it is hot and humid most of the year, and the opportunity to enjoy nature is limited. Also, in our current community, residents tend to be isolated. We love traveling, and have joined friends on yoga retreats to Peru and Greece. We recently took a road trip to Colorado. During the COVID crisis, we have mostly sheltered in place together, and practice social-distancing and mask-wearing when in public. We have spent many weekends at Galveston beach on the Texas gulf coast. We are ready for change and are excited to be newly committed homebuyers at Heartwood.
Will & Eris
We're Will Ramsdell and Eris Tock and we're so, so over the moon about joining Phase 2 and cementing the next step in our path to Heartwood. Here's our 'lil bio:
Will (he/him, 35) and Eris (they/them, 31) and Yolandi (mew/meow, 13) are Austin, Texas natives. We're married, no kids yet, but a big piece of Heartwood's attraction for us is how we envision a future of our having and raising kids in community.
Will spent three college years in a co-op that provided 5 free open-house meals per week and ran the campus makerspace 7 days a week. He knew within the first year that this was how humans evolved to live. It took exactly zero convincing for Eris—who works in community & LGBTQ healthcare—to champion the cohousing life goal.
Eris is also a working mixed-media and textile artist—we have a costume closet like you wouldn't believe. We are the "chicken people" in our neighborhood all due to Eris, who loves working with animals of all kinds. Will is a rock-climber, a fiction writer, and a tech wizard. Will works as the director of a small tutoring firm in Austin doing minimal paperwork and lots of varied teaching.
Why Heartwood? Because it's awesome. It's in nature. It's how bipedal mammals evolved to live. Amazing people. Just the right level of Hippie-ness. Will's family in CO. Excellent design and standard of living. We found it through friends (auspicious sign). Good schools. Killer hot tub. And then, there's the curse—we have this curse that whatever we find first on our journey always ends up being the best. We'll go check out all the other options (ice cream flavors, real estate, etc), hate them all, and come back to the beginning, time and time again. We wanna say we have/will do our homework and look at lots of communities, but it's hard when the 2 weeks we spent at Heartwood this winter were some of the most life-affirming and inspiring in our lives. We know what's good when we see it.
We're Will Ramsdell and Eris Tock and we're so, so over the moon about joining Phase 2 and cementing the next step in our path to Heartwood. Here's our 'lil bio:
Will (he/him, 35) and Eris (they/them, 31) and Yolandi (mew/meow, 13) are Austin, Texas natives. We're married, no kids yet, but a big piece of Heartwood's attraction for us is how we envision a future of our having and raising kids in community.
Will spent three college years in a co-op that provided 5 free open-house meals per week and ran the campus makerspace 7 days a week. He knew within the first year that this was how humans evolved to live. It took exactly zero convincing for Eris—who works in community & LGBTQ healthcare—to champion the cohousing life goal.
Eris is also a working mixed-media and textile artist—we have a costume closet like you wouldn't believe. We are the "chicken people" in our neighborhood all due to Eris, who loves working with animals of all kinds. Will is a rock-climber, a fiction writer, and a tech wizard. Will works as the director of a small tutoring firm in Austin doing minimal paperwork and lots of varied teaching.
Why Heartwood? Because it's awesome. It's in nature. It's how bipedal mammals evolved to live. Amazing people. Just the right level of Hippie-ness. Will's family in CO. Excellent design and standard of living. We found it through friends (auspicious sign). Good schools. Killer hot tub. And then, there's the curse—we have this curse that whatever we find first on our journey always ends up being the best. We'll go check out all the other options (ice cream flavors, real estate, etc), hate them all, and come back to the beginning, time and time again. We wanna say we have/will do our homework and look at lots of communities, but it's hard when the 2 weeks we spent at Heartwood this winter were some of the most life-affirming and inspiring in our lives. We know what's good when we see it.
Alex, Natalia, Raffaela, Naomi
We are the Brooks family. Alex (he/him, 38) and Natalia (she/her, 38) met in Durango in 2012 and after bouncing around the entire US together, decided we missed living in the southwest and we moved back here to start our family. Raffaela is 3 and Naomi is 1½. Originally we were looking for a house in town in Durango but we soon realized our drive to live "in town" was actually tethered to a desire to be part of a real, dedicated community. Once we began visiting Heartwood, it was clear we found the community we had been looking for. Heartwood is located in one of our favorite places in the world, the Four Corners, and we love being near the San Juans, as well as having access to New Mexico, Arizona and Utah! Our family appreciates the sense of belonging and support Heartwood offers along with the beautiful setting among pinyon, juniper and ponderosa pines! We love a morning soak in the hot tub, a nice stroll to the meditation yurt in the afternoon, communal meals, we are excited about working together to preserve and maintain our trails and many common areas. I find Heartwood to be a great place to nurture any budding interests in gardening, keeping chickens, baking bread, knitting, book clubs, there's even pasture lands in case we ever get a hankering to delve into animal husbandry :) Our family loves all the usual Colorado outdoorsy hobbies and currently has a special affinity for collecting wildflowers and mushrooms. Alex and I both grew up with important multigenerational friendships in our lives and we love that our children will have that as well as having five of their peers to connect with. We can't wait to raise kids together and see what wonderful things we can make happen together!
We are the Brooks family. Alex (he/him, 38) and Natalia (she/her, 38) met in Durango in 2012 and after bouncing around the entire US together, decided we missed living in the southwest and we moved back here to start our family. Raffaela is 3 and Naomi is 1½. Originally we were looking for a house in town in Durango but we soon realized our drive to live "in town" was actually tethered to a desire to be part of a real, dedicated community. Once we began visiting Heartwood, it was clear we found the community we had been looking for. Heartwood is located in one of our favorite places in the world, the Four Corners, and we love being near the San Juans, as well as having access to New Mexico, Arizona and Utah! Our family appreciates the sense of belonging and support Heartwood offers along with the beautiful setting among pinyon, juniper and ponderosa pines! We love a morning soak in the hot tub, a nice stroll to the meditation yurt in the afternoon, communal meals, we are excited about working together to preserve and maintain our trails and many common areas. I find Heartwood to be a great place to nurture any budding interests in gardening, keeping chickens, baking bread, knitting, book clubs, there's even pasture lands in case we ever get a hankering to delve into animal husbandry :) Our family loves all the usual Colorado outdoorsy hobbies and currently has a special affinity for collecting wildflowers and mushrooms. Alex and I both grew up with important multigenerational friendships in our lives and we love that our children will have that as well as having five of their peers to connect with. We can't wait to raise kids together and see what wonderful things we can make happen together!
Rejoyce, Noah, Zoë, Solomon, Silas
We are Rejoyce (born in 1973) and Noah (born in 1974). We met one another entering high school at a small alternative school. After five years of friendship, we became partners for another eight years, and then married in 2000. We are parents of three delightfully fascinating individuals: Zoë (born in 2001), Solomon (born in 2006), and Silas (born in 2011). We have lived most of our lives in the Midwest (Indiana and Ohio), punctuated with time in Arizona, Hawaii, and Maryland.
Rejoyce has a background in massage therapy, as well as assisting families with the birthing and dying processes. In 2003, she shifted focus to guiding and supporting home education within her own household. She finds deep nourishment in expanding self-awareness, compassionate communication, relational dynamics, innovative collaboration, and intentional connective culture. She is consciously creating a life in alignment with natural cycles; planting seeds of possibility, tending the emergent growth, appreciating the full bloom of manifestation, and reveling in the mystery of decomposition, transformation, and regermination. She loves playing with wicked problems, systems thinking, and engaging with iterative regenerative design.
Noah has a background in linguistics, was a professor at the University of Cincinnati, then pivoted from academia to data science in 2019. He enjoys exercise, mindfulness meditation and yoga, reading (mostly non-fiction, working on increasing his engagement with fiction), watching movies (often obscure, strange, and/or old ones), amateur photography of nature and architecture, and hiking. He is looking forward to getting back into mountain biking as well.
Zoë moved out of the family household in 2020 and graduated from the University of Cincinnati. She has a deep appreciation for the importance of pursuing awareness and growth in both interpersonal and intrapersonal relationships. She now lives in Chicago, IL, and prioritizes a slow-paced and intentionally present life, splitting her time between movement art, creative writing, reading (mostly fiction, working on increasing her engagement with nonfiction), and soaking in the pockets of nature available in the city. She’s excited to visit!
Solomon enjoys working with their hands and has a deep appreciation for abstract and experimental art of all sorts. They are interested in cars and motorsports, as well as learning about and making music. They are excited to explore the natural beauty of Colorado.
Silas enjoys doing parkour and playing basketball. He likes playing video games, board games, and in particular Dungeons & Dragons. He enjoys cooking and socializing with others, and he's looking forward to getting more into hiking and mountain biking.
We also have two indoor cats, Rose (old and crotchety) and Indigo (young and energetic).
We are interested in the connection that community enables and the challenges that community presents. We are lifelong learners and understand that the greatest self-awareness, personal growth, and collective transformation happens in relation with others. We want to live into the daily practice of what it means to truly know and care for another, and to be known and cared for. We are interested in Heartwood in particular because of the values of the community, the interpersonal agreements, the natural beauty of the land, and the opportunity it provides us to find our unique, meaningful point of contribution within the larger whole.
We are Rejoyce (born in 1973) and Noah (born in 1974). We met one another entering high school at a small alternative school. After five years of friendship, we became partners for another eight years, and then married in 2000. We are parents of three delightfully fascinating individuals: Zoë (born in 2001), Solomon (born in 2006), and Silas (born in 2011). We have lived most of our lives in the Midwest (Indiana and Ohio), punctuated with time in Arizona, Hawaii, and Maryland.
Rejoyce has a background in massage therapy, as well as assisting families with the birthing and dying processes. In 2003, she shifted focus to guiding and supporting home education within her own household. She finds deep nourishment in expanding self-awareness, compassionate communication, relational dynamics, innovative collaboration, and intentional connective culture. She is consciously creating a life in alignment with natural cycles; planting seeds of possibility, tending the emergent growth, appreciating the full bloom of manifestation, and reveling in the mystery of decomposition, transformation, and regermination. She loves playing with wicked problems, systems thinking, and engaging with iterative regenerative design.
Noah has a background in linguistics, was a professor at the University of Cincinnati, then pivoted from academia to data science in 2019. He enjoys exercise, mindfulness meditation and yoga, reading (mostly non-fiction, working on increasing his engagement with fiction), watching movies (often obscure, strange, and/or old ones), amateur photography of nature and architecture, and hiking. He is looking forward to getting back into mountain biking as well.
Zoë moved out of the family household in 2020 and graduated from the University of Cincinnati. She has a deep appreciation for the importance of pursuing awareness and growth in both interpersonal and intrapersonal relationships. She now lives in Chicago, IL, and prioritizes a slow-paced and intentionally present life, splitting her time between movement art, creative writing, reading (mostly fiction, working on increasing her engagement with nonfiction), and soaking in the pockets of nature available in the city. She’s excited to visit!
Solomon enjoys working with their hands and has a deep appreciation for abstract and experimental art of all sorts. They are interested in cars and motorsports, as well as learning about and making music. They are excited to explore the natural beauty of Colorado.
Silas enjoys doing parkour and playing basketball. He likes playing video games, board games, and in particular Dungeons & Dragons. He enjoys cooking and socializing with others, and he's looking forward to getting more into hiking and mountain biking.
We also have two indoor cats, Rose (old and crotchety) and Indigo (young and energetic).
We are interested in the connection that community enables and the challenges that community presents. We are lifelong learners and understand that the greatest self-awareness, personal growth, and collective transformation happens in relation with others. We want to live into the daily practice of what it means to truly know and care for another, and to be known and cared for. We are interested in Heartwood in particular because of the values of the community, the interpersonal agreements, the natural beauty of the land, and the opportunity it provides us to find our unique, meaningful point of contribution within the larger whole.
Caryl & Pat
We’re excited about becoming a part of the Heartwood community. We have lived in “Silicon Valley” since 2000; having previously lived in Colorado (Caryl), Oregon, and Arizona.
We are the proud parents of two adult children, Kelsey and Benjamin, who are now making their own ways in the world. We have a cat, Poco, and dog, Jacob.
We’ve always been fond of the Durango area. It’s at the junction of the desert southwest, one of the most beautiful places in the world, and the Colorado Rockies, one of my favorite places (Caryl).
As well, being part of a community has always been important to us, whether it’s school, sports, work, church, or a yacht club. We enjoy spending time helping and sharing casual meals with neighbors and friends.
So, joining Heartwood felt like a natural decision.
We’re excited about becoming a part of the Heartwood community. We have lived in “Silicon Valley” since 2000; having previously lived in Colorado (Caryl), Oregon, and Arizona.
We are the proud parents of two adult children, Kelsey and Benjamin, who are now making their own ways in the world. We have a cat, Poco, and dog, Jacob.
We’ve always been fond of the Durango area. It’s at the junction of the desert southwest, one of the most beautiful places in the world, and the Colorado Rockies, one of my favorite places (Caryl).
As well, being part of a community has always been important to us, whether it’s school, sports, work, church, or a yacht club. We enjoy spending time helping and sharing casual meals with neighbors and friends.
So, joining Heartwood felt like a natural decision.
Jenny
My household includes two friendly cats named Fern and Esther. I am single, mid-60s, and have three grown children (all age 28) - Stanislas, Lucas, and Anka – who live near me in the Pacific Northwest. They’re pretty excited to visit Heartwood and explore southwest Colorado. I also have a 21-year-old foster daughter Yeimi, who is from Guatemala. I’ve lived in or near Seattle for the last 40 years, including 10 years in Winslow Cohousing when raising my kids. I loved it. My belief in the value and future of cohousing is deeply rooted.
I grew up barefoot and mostly outdoors in the sage and chaparral, sandstone canyons, and rolling surf near San Diego. The landscape there formed who I am in the deepest sense. Time in nature, especially wild nature, is central to my wellbeing. While hiking, camping, sailing, and floating down rivers all over the west, an affection for the Four Corners area developed. Approaching retirement, I’ve been looking for a place that offers both community and proximity to nature. Heartwood is that, and more! I’ve been dreaming of ravens, deep silence, easy conversation with delightful neighbors, forests, and the land. Can’t wait to return.
I’m still working, and currently the Environment, Health, and Safety director at a non-profit lab doing research to cure diseases of all kinds. While it’s fascinating, I’m ready to shift gears. I enjoy outdoor activities and gardening, meditation and group process, reading and writing, tootling around on musical instruments, and doodling in crafts.
It’s clear that land stewardship, environmental sustainability, and nurturing community are more than ideas at Heartwood, and I want to be a part of it. I look forward to creating bonds with the humans of Heartwood (of all ages), working and celebrating together, enjoying the greater area, and simply being present.
My household includes two friendly cats named Fern and Esther. I am single, mid-60s, and have three grown children (all age 28) - Stanislas, Lucas, and Anka – who live near me in the Pacific Northwest. They’re pretty excited to visit Heartwood and explore southwest Colorado. I also have a 21-year-old foster daughter Yeimi, who is from Guatemala. I’ve lived in or near Seattle for the last 40 years, including 10 years in Winslow Cohousing when raising my kids. I loved it. My belief in the value and future of cohousing is deeply rooted.
I grew up barefoot and mostly outdoors in the sage and chaparral, sandstone canyons, and rolling surf near San Diego. The landscape there formed who I am in the deepest sense. Time in nature, especially wild nature, is central to my wellbeing. While hiking, camping, sailing, and floating down rivers all over the west, an affection for the Four Corners area developed. Approaching retirement, I’ve been looking for a place that offers both community and proximity to nature. Heartwood is that, and more! I’ve been dreaming of ravens, deep silence, easy conversation with delightful neighbors, forests, and the land. Can’t wait to return.
I’m still working, and currently the Environment, Health, and Safety director at a non-profit lab doing research to cure diseases of all kinds. While it’s fascinating, I’m ready to shift gears. I enjoy outdoor activities and gardening, meditation and group process, reading and writing, tootling around on musical instruments, and doodling in crafts.
It’s clear that land stewardship, environmental sustainability, and nurturing community are more than ideas at Heartwood, and I want to be a part of it. I look forward to creating bonds with the humans of Heartwood (of all ages), working and celebrating together, enjoying the greater area, and simply being present.