Blog

The RCE Governance Group is continually exploring a vital question:

“How do we get better at making decisions together?”

As we practice sociocracy and build our community, we’ve noticed that differences in perspectives sometimes make decision-making more challenging. This spring, a question arose: How might we better support one another when we experience differences, tensions, or moments when we don’t immediately see things the same way?

As we explored approaches from Nonviolent Communication and Transformative Communication, we discovered something surprising: perhaps we could begin by changing the way we talk about these moments.

What if we removed the word “conflict” from our community vocabulary?

We wondered whether the word itself sometimes carries assumptions of opposition, judgment, or the idea that someone must be right and someone else must be wrong. What if, instead, we used language that reflected a more neutral and curious understanding of the inevitable differences that arise whenever people live, work, and create together?

We began brainstorming new possibilities:

– An opportunity for growth and learning

– A growth engine

– A divergence of perspectives or beliefs

– A challenge to embrace

– A moment for reflection and understanding

– An invitation for dialogue and connection

– A catalyst for change and transformation

– An opportunity to deepen understanding, build empathy, and strengthen trust

We explored how this idea connects with sociocratic principles and found language that resonated:

Consistent with sociocratic principles, RCE members recognize that differences and disagreements are valuable sources of information. Through deep listening, curiosity, and compassionate communication, members are supported in transforming differences into opportunities for learning, connection, and solutions that better serve the community’s shared aims.

As we played with this new way of thinking, something shifted. We felt a sense of lightness and possibility. Perhaps changing our language could help us change our experience—opening the door to truly transformative communication.

We imagined the conversations that might one day happen among our forested pathways and shared spaces:

“Ahh! A chance for transformative communication!”

“Looks like we’re having a bridge moment.”

“Here’s a chance for a connection practice.”

“Sounds like a growth-edge conversation.”

“Maybe this wants a little compassionate inquiry.”

“Ah—a weaving moment.”

“This feels like a difference dialogue.”

“We’re friends working together to solve problems. Let’s use our RCE Bandaid Process!”

As summer unfolds and our residences begin to rise, the Governance Group is happily experimenting with this evolving vocabulary and creating opportunities to bring Transformative Communication into our everyday culture. We’re also planning Sociocracy Snacks—short, engaging opportunities to explore these practices together.

Together, we can continue building a community where people and Nature thrive in relationship.

Join us!

– Regina Reiter, Explorer

It’s always exciting to visit our ecovillage site and see how construction is progressing. Even more exciting is catching glimpses of animals, and to know that our ecological community is being supported while the landscape is changing. In late spring, a northern mockingbird was spotted feeding on the ripening fruits of a serviceberry (aka Shadbush, Juneberry) planted in one of the rain gardens, which capture and filter stormwater runoff and allow it to soak into the soil.

During a recent site tour for visiting members, two of our frequently seen red-tailed hawks were observed. One of them landed on sloping bank of an erosion and sediment control basin, while the “jug-o-rum” call of a bullfrog was heard nearby. A variety of other birds, groundhogs, and deer are often seen, and occasionally, wild turkeys. We anticipate that the careful planning and design of our site, as well as our future land stewardship, will continue to provide the important ecosystem services that sustain both our human and wildlife neighbors. 

– Becky Lubold, RCE Founding member

Choosing Rachel Carson Ecovillage is an act of faith in our collective future, a unique opportunity to work with others in building a sustainable world. In developing Silent Spring, Rachel Carson was battling her own pessimism about humanity’s ability to change course. Deeply admiring Albert Schweitzer’s theme of “Reverence for Life,” she also identified with his statement “Modern man no longer knows how to foresee or to forestall. He will end up by destroying the earth from which he and other creatures draw their food.” If Silent Spring showed us what a world without birdsong looks like, the deeper question is: what does a world that gets it right look like?

For me, this is about the technical aspects of building a certified Passive home, landscape management that minimizes degradation, avoiding stormwater runoff, and the opportunity to work with others in making the most of regional assets. The Sisters of Divine Providence have given us an oasis of walkability with many conveniences within a fifteen-minute walk. We will live in homes that will radically reduce the 25-40% of conditioned air leaked by the average home and we will prosper in a natural Blue Zone with numerous rain gardens filtering the storm water on our forested property. We are fortunate in having public transportation within walking distance and local partners working with us to make it even better.

Pittsburgh has a rare abundance of fresh water and ranks high among livable cities, with a cultural bounty for above cities with a similar number of people, but its greatest asset for our North Hill community is in healthcare, robotics, and AI. We are blessed with a great hospital on our doorstep. Robotics reduces dangerous, wasteful, and carbon-intensive work (inspection, maintenance, precision construction, leak detection, grid monitoring). The Mon Valley/Beaver Valley power-hungry facilities for AI will benefit the whole region in better planning in a wide range of applications and our grid infrastructure will be far cleaner and stronger as electrical systems grow in importance. 

The land use issues, especially in old leaky housing, pollution from infrastructure built around cars (often dangerous for pedestrians and bicyclists), and storm water runoff will take time. The good news is that anyone choosing our community can avoid many of these and simultaneously work with us to further expand Pittsburgh’s well-deserved reputation for resilience and success.

– David Clapp, Founding member

How about THREE of them at once?

The Pileated Woodpecker is North America’s largest woodpecker and is known for its
cackling call, the large holes it drills into dead trees, and most of all, its prominent red
crest on both males and females. They prefer mature forests but have adapted to
suburban areas that have large trees.
Recently, on April 25, my daughter captured video of three pileated woodpeckers
cavorting on a large tree in her back yard in Allison Park. It’s hard to tell at this distance
and resolution whether they are males or females (the males have a red “moustache,”
whereas the females’ are black).
Aren’t they cool?
Mariann Davis

Here’s a news flash for you, not everyone in Pittsburgh is a Steelers fan. Yet
often it seems like the entire city is singularly focused on football and only
football given the collective madness that descends upon our city during
football season.

I’ve lived in various neighborhoods inside and around Pittsburgh for all but
three years of my life and up until 2020 I was firmly in the “not a fan” camp. I
was vocally anti- pro football dismissing it as a waste of time and resources.

Looking back now my conversion journey started back when my son Caleb
was about 9 years old and it became apparent that he had a singular passion
for this particular sport. I wanted to be able to converse with him when he
joined the team in middle school so I started actually paying attention to what
he was telling me. And I asked very basic questions hoping to understand
what he was so excited about.

When spring 2020 brought us coronavirus and things got weird I began to
fully understand how crucial community is for a complete and flourishing life.
Lucky for me serendipity brought me into contact with Rachel Carson
EcoVillage. I wasn’t aware of co-housing until I noticed a flier about an
upcoming information session for this forming community at a nearby farm
market.

Around the same time that I discovered RCE and my perspective on the value
of community changed I was able to acknowledge the value in sharing the
passion for the Steelers with my entire hometown.

It’s been fun to be the new kid on the block, to gather with others to watch the
games, and to identify as a member of the Steeler nation. Don’t be surprised if
you run into me at Goodwill because I’m still building my Steelers wardrobe.

• – Kristi Karsh, Founding Member RCE

Many years ago, a former teacher from Lebanon taught me how to roll stuffed grape leaves.  In the intervening years, as I became a vegetarian more and more, I started making them without lamb and instead using pesto sauce, olives and parmesan cheese.  They are delicious, and here’s a link to a video that will show you how to make them.

—Doug Cooper. RCE Founding member

Trees take life into the sky! Deciduous forests, like the one in which we are building our homes,
exhibit stratification or vertical layering of trees and other plants at different heights. Each layer is
characterized by particular types of plants and the organisms that utilize or interact with them; the
ecological conditions they create and the functions they perform. The uppermost layer is the
canopy, with the crowns, or tops, of trees being the interface between the land and the
atmosphere. The canopy layer receives the most sunlight and the most exposure to heat, winds,
and precipitation. The crowns of the tallest trees typically grow and close in toward one another,
with the amount of light that reaches the forest’s lower layers during spring and summer
depending on their density.

The canopy layer influences the forest and its environment in the following ways:
● Maximizes photosynthesis at the top of the canopy, with tree leaves taking in and sequestering
carbon and releasing oxygen in the process. This also helps to mitigate climate change.
● Buffers the effects of wind and precipitation, catching and slowing down rainfall, allowing it to
infiltrate into the soil, and helping to prevent erosion.
● Offers habitat that supports a great diversity of animals and other organisms. Branches, leaves,
and tree cavities provide shelter and food for birds (including predatory birds like the red-
tailed hawks we’ve seen regularly), mammals, insects, and reptiles. They also support the
growth of other plants and fungi.
● Shades and cools the forest below (maybe keeping us more comfortable on hot days!), and
maintains humidity and soil moisture for the lower levels of the forest. According to the US
Department of Energy, shading and transpiration (releasing of water vapor from leaves to the
atmosphere) can decrease general air temperatures by 6° F. or more. Temperatures nearest
the ground can be as much as 25° F. cooler than those above paved surfaces.
● Drops tree leaves in the fall, creating layers of leaf litter and humus, thus recycling nutrients,
and allowing light to reach the forest floor in springtime for plants in the levels below.
Indeed, the upper canopy has much to contribute to the beauty and ecological health of our
forested location.

Watch for the next installments in this series about forest layers, as winter ebbs and spring
approaches.

My daughter Skyanna participates in a therapeutic horseback riding program located in Butler County 24 miles northeast of Rachel Carson EcoVillage.  Therapeutic horseback riding is a wonderful form of therapy that uses riding to improve physical, emotional and social well-being of individuals with a variety of challenges. Participants engage in horseback riding activities under the guidance of certified instructors. 

Elliot Acres Therapy Riding Center, Inc. is a riding program for individuals with physical, intellectual and emotional disabilities. This program is certified by the Pennsylvania Council on Therapeutic Horsemanship and the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH).  Elliot Acres is run by Deb Campbell and depends on volunteers. (And… Deb is always looking for volunteers.)

Skyanna has been participating in therapeutic riding for periods of time since she was 3 years old. She has benefited physically, socially and emotionally.  Skyanna states “I always looks forward to riding.  I have  a special bond with my horse Amarillo.  The calm I feel when I am with my horse stays with me for days.”

Elliot Acres Therapy Riding

– Miriam (Mimi) Baker – Founding member and future resident of RCE 

My direct experience with five generations of elders and detailed knowledge of the parents and grandparents of the oldest generation has shown that continuing community engagement mattered more to their quality of life than any private dwelling. Those who thrived did so because they spent their final years helping others rather than just aging in private. It is more about getting outside your own head, surprising yourself with what you can do for and learn from someone else than any fantasy about a forever private home.

How will our ecovillage deal with what seems an increasing frequency and volume of precipitation? Here is the first of a series related to how the ecological aspects of our site, as well as structures based on natural processes, will be part of our stormwater management strategies.

The mature and healthy oaks, hickories, and other trees in our forested location, around which we have clustered our buildings, are an important part of a natural approach to stormwater management in Rachel Carson EcoVillage. The trees and understory plants will affect the speed, volume, and quality of water that runs off of our land during precipitation events.

A dense canopy of tree leaves intercepts and slows down precipitation before it reaches the ground. As rain makes its way through the branches and down the trunk, the leaf litter under the trees captures and allows water to infiltrate into the soil, where it is absorbed by roots or passes through soil layers to recharge groundwater. Water taken up by the roots travels through the tree to its leaves and is transpired (evaporated) into the atmosphere, completing the water cycle—nature’s way of “recycling” this lifegiving resource. Tree roots, as well as understory plants, hold soil in place, preventing erosion and the siltation of streams, wetlands and other areas downstream. The amount of water that runs off is reduced and the flow is slowed, minimizing the possibility of flooding. Nutrients and contaminants also may be taken up by the roots of trees and other plants, preventing pollution and protecting water quality. 

What’s more, the forest will sequester carbon, create wildlife habitat, enhance biodiversity, and contribute greatly to our community’s beauty and the quality of our lives—a win-win-win in so many ways! 

*For more info on the role of trees and forests in healthy watersheds check out this article from Penn State Extension

– Becky Lubold, Founding member, RCE

Combining voices and instruments, in any combination in group format is fun and helps build common bonds. 

Rene, I, and others at RCE are long time music enthusiasts. We envision jam sessions including guitars, ukeleles, drums, etc after a Common House meal, on a screen porch, and in living rooms at RCE. There is plenty of room for the experienced and confident, and those just interested in trying it out, and everyone in between!

We’re looking forward to all this and more when moved in!

Bob Brasted, Founding member, RCE