They’ll show you how.

Steward Community Woodland is having an Open Day on 9th June, 12 till 4. It’s a permaculture project designed to conserve the woodlands while growing organic food and plants, and using traditional skills and crafts for a low-impact, sustainable lifestyle.

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They came to the conclusion that they didn’t want to spend their lives shouting about what was wrong in the world but instead actually walk the talk, and live sustainably. The community was first conceived in 1997 by a group of friends inspired by the plans and vision in the bookPlants For A Future, and other land based projects.

The community welcomes anyone with an interest in permaculture and preservation, low-impact living – or those familiar with the woods who’d like to know what’s been happening there over the last year.

It’s also a great place to see all the staples of low-impact living for real: homes, compost toilets, renewable energy examples and community composting. There are craft workshops, a picnic and play area, wildlife zone and even a tree nursery. Guides can help you navigate through the woods and show you how permaculture gardens ‘work’.

If you’re looking to get immersed for more than one day there’s a new scheme at Steward Wood called WWOOFing at Steward Community Woodland. As a ‘wwoofer’ you get 3 organic meals a day on weekdays, and food and facilities to feed yourself at weekends. Accommodation is provided in the visitors’ bender, kitchen sleeping platform or you can just camp.

There’s more than a chance there’ll be evenings of campfire music and other events, and you get the weekends off to explore the woods or other local attractions (Dartmoor National Park or the nearest town, Moretonhampstead).

You work between 9.30am and 5.30 (2 hours’ lunch break) Monday to Friday, helping with whatever needs doing in the woods, so it’s a great way to learn first-hand and have a bit of a break, and most importantly a sense of living in a community which we so often miss out on.

There’s lots more information up on the site here.

If you’d like to visit or contact the inhabitants of Steward Wood here are the contact details:

Affinity Woodland Workers Co-op
Steward Community Woodland,
Moretonhampstead,
Newton Abbot
Devon TQ13 8SD

Tel: 0845 458 1926

Email: community@stewardwood.org