The Findhorn Ecovillage

• is at the heart of the largest single intentional community in the UK
• links the spiritual, social, ecological and economic domains
• is a pioneering ecovillage since 1985
• is a major centre for holistic education serving 9,000 visitors a year from over 50 countries
• has an ecological footprint that is half the national (UK) average
• installed a 250kW biomass boiler in 2010 to service the central Park area, reducing carbon emissions by 80 tons a year
• has 55 ecologically-benign buildings
• 4 wind turbines
• biological Living Machine sewage treatment system
• numerous solar water heating systems
• comprehensive recycling scheme
• publisher of the UK’s first technical guide to ecological housing
• own bank and community currency

The Findhorn Ecovillage is a tangible demonstration of the links between the spiritual, social, ecological and economic aspects of life and is a synthesis of the very best of current thinking on human habitats. It is a constantly evolving model used as a teaching resource by a number of university and school groups as well as by professional organisations and municipalities worldwide.

We are a founder member of the Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) a non-profit organisation that links together a highly diverse worldwide movement of autonomous ecovillages and related projects, and we work with intergovernmental agencies both educationally and in the creation of policy guidance for sustainable development and delivery of village-scale sustainability programmes.

Preliminary results of the ecological footprint study for the Findhorn Ecovillage confirms what we have guessed for some time, that ecovillages tread significantly more lightly on the Earth.

The Findhorn Foundation Ecovillage Project has received Best Practice designation from the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat).